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
Netanyahu lifts ban on MKs visiting Temple Mount-Barred from visits since 2015 wave of terror attacks, lawmakers now permitted to go to holy site once every three months-By TOI staff-3 July 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he will lift the ban on parliamentarians visiting the Temple Mount, three years after the government forbade them from entering the flashpoint site due to security concerns.In a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Netanyahu said that lawmakers could visit the Temple Mount once every three months, and this time, as opposed to a pilot held a year ago, ministers could also go to the site.In October 2015, the government barred MKs from going to Judaism’s most holy spot — the site of the biblical Temples — as part of an attempt to reduce tensions amid a wave of terror attacks against Israelis that was linked to the site, known to Arabs as Haram al-Sharif, which contains the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.After the threats and violence on the site calmed down, Jerusalem police commander Yehoram Halevy recommended to Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich that MKs should be once again permitted to visit the Temple Mount.Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home party welcomed the decision, but said that it did not go far enough.“The Temple Mount must be open for Jewish prayer throughout the year, including to public figures,” he said. “The Muslims are not in charge of the Mount and it is forbidden for them to make use of threats and violence that place limits on [Jewish] entry to the Temple Mount. I call on the prime minister to open the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer without limitations for anyone who wants.”Under a decades-old agreement enforced by Israel, only Muslims are allowed to pray inside the compound, and Jews are only permitted to ascend at certain times, often escorted by the security forces.Likud’s Yehudah Glick, who, along with Shuli Moalem-Refaeli of the Jewish Home party, visited the compound a year ago, congratulated Netanyahu for removing the ban.“I congratulate the prime minister for ending the illegal and unreasonable ban on MKs visiting the Temple Mount, and I call on him to make a real change and allow MKs to go to the Temple Mount whenever they want, as is the right of every citizen or tourist.”Glick stressed that, “the Temple Mount is the place for everyone who wants to get close to the Master of the Universe and is not the place of those who incite or use violence or terrorists.”The MK has long been an advocate of Jews visiting the Temple Mount. In 2014, a Palestinian terrorist attempted to assassinate Glick because of his Temple Mount activism. The shooter told Glick, right before pulling the trigger, that he was “an enemy of Al-Aqsa.”Lawmakers from the Joint (Arab) List panned the prime minister’s decision.“Lawmakers from the Joint List will not come today to the Al-Aqsa Mosque within the framework of the provocation and conditions of Netanyahu and Israeli police,” said MK Ahmad Tibi. “The Arab MKs will go whenever they want and not when Netanyahu wants. That’s how it was in the past and that’s how it will be in the future.”“Netanyahu will not tell Muslims, MKs, or others, when to go or when to pray,” said MK Hanin Zoabi. “Someone who is not a Muslim has no need to be in that place. Netanyahu wants to create argument to evade the criminal investigations and the threats of breaking up his coalition.”
UN concerned over expected demolition of West Bank village-High Commissioner for Human Rights says destruction of Bedouin town Khan al-Ahmar would be a violation of international law-By AP and TOI staff-JUL 3,18
The UN’s main human rights body expressed concern Tuesday over Israel’s expected demolition of a Bedouin village in the West Bank.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that demolishing the structures in the Khan al-Ahmar encampment would be a violation of international law. It called on Israel to abandon the demolition plans and “to respect the rights of residents to remain on their land.”After years of legal battles, Israel’s Supreme Court recently approved the demolition. Israel says the structures were built without the relevant building permits and pose a threat to residents because of their proximity to a highway.Critics say building permits are nearly impossible to obtain for Palestinians in Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank and the move is meant to clear the way for new Jewish settlements.Israel has pledged to resettle the residents, which the UN says number 180 people.Israel says it has offered the residents an alternative location, near a garbage dump in the nearby Palestinian town of Abu Dis. Bedouin villagers say the location is unsuitable for their way of life, and have also said residents of Abu Dis have warned them not to come there.
Rivlin: No Gaza rehabilitation until soldiers’ bodies returned-Families of troops whose remains are held by Hamas boycott state memorial ceremony for 2014 Gaza war: 'We are fed up with talk'-By Alexander Fulbright-TOI-JUL 3,18
President Reuven Rivlin on Monday said Israel remains committed to alleviating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, but will not allow major efforts to revive the Palestinian enclave until the bodies of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas are returned.“As long as Hamas continues to run Gaza as it does with only one purpose — the destruction of the State of Israel and attacking its citizens — and holds the bodies of our soldiers who didn’t return from battle, Gaza won’t be rehabilitated,” Rivlin said, during a ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery for Israeli troops killed in the 2014 Gaza war.At the same time, the president stressed Israel’s commitment to ensuring the basic needs of Palestinians in Gaza are met. “We are sorry for the Gazans who are rotting under the yoke of Hamas: For the children living in distress, without basic infrastructure, sanitary conditions, and a shortage of food,” Rivlin said.The president’s remarks came amid an aid push by the US and others to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which suffers from high unemployment and lack of electricity, potable water, and proper sewage treatment. Proposals recently reported on in Israeli and Arab media have indicated Israel is willing to take a number of steps to increase the flow of goods to the Strip, but will not do so without the return of the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin — the IDF soldiers killed in the war whose remains are held by Hamas.The families of Shaul and Goldin, who have led a years-long campaign for the return of their sons’ bodies, boycotted the ceremony in protest of the government over Hamas’ continued possession of the soldiers’ remains.“It is inconceivable they’re sanctifying the rehabilitation of Gaza before the bodies of the boys are returned,” Leah Goldin, Hadar’s mother, told Hadashot TV news from the “alternative memorial ceremony” outside the Prime Minister’s Residence.She also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not speaking with the families regularly.“He did the opposite of what was promised us,” Leah Goldin said. “We are fed up with talk.”Speaking at the Mount Herzl ceremony, Netanyahu said Israel remains committed to the return of Shaul and Goldin’s bodies.“We continue to invest great efforts in the return of our warriors: Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin. Not everything is visible to the eye — and that’s a good thing. This is a commitment that will continue unabated until their return,” said Netanyahu.He also said Israel is working to return Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas after each entered Gaza on their own accord.Looking back at the 2014 Gaza war, Netanyahu hailed the 50-day campaign against Hamas for bringing quiet to Israel’s south.“The communities of the western Negev have seen unprecedented growth and expansion in recent years unlike any since the establishment of the state,” he said. “When I talk with residents of the area, they express tremendous thanks for those who charged forward for them.”He also said the war, known in Hebrew as Operation Protective Edge, was necessary to remove the threat posed by Hamas.“In light of the grave threat we set out on a justified, moral, [and] necessary operation. The attacker was attacked — attacked before it managed to carry out its plot,” Netanyahu said.He also warned Hamas it would pay an “unbearable price” if it enters another armed conflict with Israel.The war initially began primarily as an aerial campaign in response to repeated rocket attacks from Gaza, similar to the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense. But after Hamas made use of its tunnel network to carry out attacks inside Israel, the focus shifted to tackling the subterranean threat.A total of 74 Israelis — 68 soldiers, 11 of whom were killed in cross-border tunnel attacks; and 6 civilians — died in the conflict. In Gaza, more than 2,000 people were killed, with Israel putting the percentage of civilians killed at approximately 50 percent. Additionally, Gaza itself was left badly damaged by the fighting.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Egypt says it destroyed Gaza tunnels, killed 3 Sinai terrorists-Egyptian military says 2 civilians killed by bombs targeting soldiers amid clashes with jihadists in the desert peninsular-By AFP and TOI staff-JUL 3,18
CAIRO, Egypt — The Egyptian army said Tuesday its forces killed three terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula and destroyed tunnels at Rafah on the Gaza border as part of a vast campaign against jihadists.More than 200 suspected terrorists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed since Egypt launched operation “Sinai 2018” to rid the peninsula of Islamic extremists in February, according to the military.Operations carried out in recent days resulted in “the elimination of three takfiris,” the army said, referring to Sunni Muslim radicals.They also led to the “destruction of a number of tunnels in the city of Rafah in northern Sinai,” it said in a statement.“A conscript was wounded in clashes with terrorists” and “two civilians died as a result of an explosion from a device targeting forces conducting raids,” it added.The Rafah border crossing is the only entrance to the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel, and Egypt’s sole frontier with the Palestinian enclave has remained largely closed since 2013.Egyptian authorities believe these tunnels are used by terrorists to enter North Sinai.Jihadists launched an insurgency in Sinai after the military overthrew Egypt’s elected Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 amid mass protests against his rule.Human Rights Watch says Egypt has stepped up its demolitions of homes, businesses, and farms in the Sinai since launching the campaign on February 9.The army says that local people in the Sinai support its operation and receive humanitarian aid.
What do we know about alleged Iranian plot to bomb opposition groups in Paris?-Iran has dismissed allegations as a 'false flag ploy' though it has been behind numerous attacks abroad, including on Jewish and Israeli targets-By Adam PLOWRIGHT-JUL 3,18
PARIS, France (AFP) — Belgium, France, and Germany have detained six people over an alleged plot to bomb a weekend rally by exiled Iranian opposition groups in Paris. What do we know about this highly sensitive, murky case? Who has been arrested? Federal prosecutors in Brussels first revealed the arrests on Monday afternoon, after charging a husband and wife who were described as Belgian nationals of Iranian origin.Aged 38 and 33 and identified by their first names Amir and Nasimeh, they were said to have been planning a bomb attack on Saturday at a conference organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in a Paris suburb.Belgian police found 500 grams of TATP, a highly unstable but powerful explosive, as well as a detonator inside their Mercedes car when they were stopped in a leafy residential area of the Belgian capital on Saturday.Separately, German police swooped on an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna, who has been named as Assadollah Assadi by Iranian opposition groups, who also claim he has been an intelligence agent in Austria since 2014.Iranian diplomat arrested in Germany over terror plot: Allegedly instructed an Iranian couple from Belgium to bomb MEK rally. https://t.co/VC3EckhIgb— Björn Stritzel (@bjoernstritzel) July 2, 2018-The Austrian government called Tuesday for Iranian authorities to lift his diplomatic immunity.French police arrested another three people on Saturday, although two of them were released on Monday, French legal sources said.What was the alleged target? Thousands of Iranian opposition supporters from all over Europe, many of them bussed in for the event, gathered Saturday at the Paris Convention Center just north of the French capital for the NCRI’s annual meeting.The NCRI is an umbrella group for exiled opposition organizations, including the former rebel People’s Mujahedeen, which was once considered a terror group by European and American authorities and is banned in Iran.The People’s Mujahedeen was formed in the 1960s to overthrow the Shah of Iran and it continues to organize opposition to the current leaders of the Islamic Republic who took power following the 1979 revolution.Special guests at this year’s conference included former New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and US Republican firebrand and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who both urged regime change in Iran.The NCRI immediately pointed the finger at Tehran, saying the regime was behind the alleged plot.-Has Iran been blamed for attacks before? The US considers the country to be world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism because of its links with a host of armed groups, particularly Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Gaza-based Hamas, as well as other networks in Iraq and Yemen.Hezbollah has been blamed for a string of attacks on Western targets, particularly American and Jewish ones, and US intelligence services consider that the terror group acts in step with Iranian intelligence services.Argentinian prosecutors pointed the finger at Iranian officials and Hezbollah over the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, in which 29 people were killed. Two years later, an attack on a Jewish community center in the city left 85 dead.More recently, in 2012, Iranians were identified by Indian authorities as being behind an assassination plot on an Israeli diplomat that saw a hitman attach a magnetic bomb to an embassy car in New Delhi.That incident came shortly after two Iranian men were arrested in Thailand over a suspected plot to attack Israeli diplomats in Bangkok.-So is Tehran likely to be behind the plot? French diplomats and security analysts remain extremely cautious, and several of them refused to talk on the record when contacted by AFP because of the extreme sensitivity of the case and the lack of clarity surrounding it.The timing of the alleged plot is noteworthy; it came just as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was arriving in Europe, hoping to secure continued support for the 2015 nuclear agreement.The European Union has been a strong backer of the deal, which offers Iran sanctions relief in return for accepting curbs on its nuclear program, despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out in May.Evidence that Iran had sought to carry out a bombing on European soil would seriously jeopardize those efforts and make it politically more difficult for leaders such as France’s Emmanuel Macron to continue to support the accord.Iran’s foreign minister implied that the regime’s enemies — notably Israel or the United States — might be behind a “false flag ploy,” meaning a deliberate effort to discredit Iran.“How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its ‘plotters’ arrested,” Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.“Iran unequivocally condemns all violence and terror anywhere, and is ready to work with all concerned to uncover what is a sinister false flag ploy,” he said.Investigations in France, Germany, and Belgium will perhaps shed light on the real culprits, although the facts may never emerge from the murky world of intelligence operatives and covert operations.
Justice minister: Incendiary kites from Gaza just as bad as rockets-Touring charred fields in southern region, Ayelet Shaked calls for 'iron fist' against arson attackers and terror operatives alike-By Michael Bachner-TOI-JUL 3,18
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of the high-level security cabinet, on Tuesday said Palestinians who send incendiary kites and balloons over the border into southern Israel should receive the same treatment as terrorists who fire rockets.During a tour of the Gaza envelope area in which she was briefed by IDF officials on the situation in the area, Shaked said the threat posed by the arson devices was “no less grave than mortars.”“A kite at the Gaza envelope should be treated like a rocket on [the city of] Ashkelon,” Shaked told reporters.“The State of Israel must land an iron fist on incendiary kite launchers and terror operatives,” she added.During the tour, Shaked entered a terror tunnel, dug by the Hamas terror group which rules the Strip, and which entered Israeli territory before it was discovered. She also toured fields that were burned by flaming devices tied to kites and balloons sent from Gaza.Residents of local Israeli communities and farmers met the minister and told her of the problems they have faced during the three months of unrest on the border.One resident said that “even a daily task for kids, like walking a dog, has become an impossible task. The government must eradicate this phenomenon.”“The residents of the Gaza envelope are strong and determined,” said Shaked. “Farmers are working their land [despite the fires] and we, the government, should help them as much as possible. Agriculture is a basic Zionist value in building the land.”Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched countless kites, balloons, and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland, parks, and forests.Six fires near communities in southern Israel were caused Tuesday by incendiary balloons sent from the Gaza Strip, in another busy day for firefighters following the new Palestinian tactic.On Sunday, the Eshkol region saw some 20 fires caused by incendiary devices, burning large swaths of agricultural fields and grasslands, the spokesperson for the region said.Israeli leaders have been split on how to respond to those responsible for the airborne arson attacks, with some calling for the IDF to shoot the kite flyers and balloon launchers on sight, while others argue that it would be a step too far.Likud MK Avi Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet security service, said on Friday that the tactic could lead the two sides to renewed open conflict.“Israel will find a way to stop this, even if that way turns out to be yet another military operation,” he said in an interview with Tel Aviv radio station 103FM.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Hamas uses fake Facebook friends to dupe 100 soldiers into downloading spyware-Military intelligence officials say no damage to security after soldiers fall for terror group cyberplot, but launch new campaign to highlight cellphone vulnerabilities-By TOI staff and Agencies-JUL 3,18
The Israel Defense Force launched a campaign Tuesday to warn its soldiers about Hamas hackers who have been trying to install spyware on their phones via a World Cup app and two online dating sites. About 100 soldiers were duped into doing downloading the spyware, the IDF said, though it insisted no damage had been done to Israeli security.The military said it had uncovered a plot by the Gaza-based terror group to spy on soldiers by befriending them on social media and then luring them into downloading fake applications it has created that give Hamas access to their smartphones — turning on the phone cameras and recording devices, and accessing the phones’ content.Briefing journalists at national defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, IDF intelligence officers said over 100 soldiers had been affected by the scam organized by members of the Palestinian terror movement that runs the Gaza Strip, but added that it the spyware failed to damage the country’s security.“No damage was done, as we stopped it in time,” one of the officers said, with the military’s response codenamed “Operation Broken Heart.”But he said the attempt showed the terror group had adopted new tactics since a similar attempt was revealed in January 2017.The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity under military regulations, said the Hamas cyber-efforts to snoop on soldiers were a significant upgrade on previous attempts, since they could seize control of a phone’s contents, potentially acquiring classified information or compromising images that could be used to blackmail soldiers.The military said the first two apps were called Glancelove and Winkchat, supposed dating apps. The third, Golden Cup, was filled with information about the World Cup taking place in Russia.The photos used on social media to initially reach out to the soldiers belonged to real women whose photos and personal details were stolen from their Facebook profiles. Some were scantily clad and kissing each other. Conversations over Facebook and WhatsApp were conducted in everyday Hebrew from Israeli mobile numbers, and the military said those operating the accounts were not necessarily based in Gaza.Attackers used stolen identities to create convincing fake Facebook profiles of young Israelis, written in fluent Hebrew studded with current slang. They then initiated flirtatious exchanges with their targets, before encouraging them to download the apps.There was also additional bait of FIFA World Cup action with an app offering “HD live streaming of games, summaries and live updates.”“What Hamas is bringing to the table is a very good knowledge of our young people and their state of mind,” another officer said.Asked how he could be sure Hamas was behind the online offensive, he declined to say but insisted there was no doubt.The assailants uploaded their custom-built Golden Cup, Wink Chat, and Glance Love applications to the Google Store, to make them seem legitimate, according to the officers.Using Facebook sharing and WhatsApp messages, they urged young men and women completing compulsory military service to download the infected apps.Once one of the apps was on the recipient’s phone, officers said, the phone could be taken over to covertly take and send photographs, eavesdrop on conversations, copy stored files and pictures, and transmit location details.In most cases, the officers said, soldiers did not download the apps and in many cases informed their superiors of their suspicions.Google has since deleted the apps from its store, they added.They said that awareness of the potential risk had soared since the army publicized the previous attempts.“Thanks to the soldiers’ vigilance, Hamas’ intelligence infrastructure was exposed before it caused actual security damage,” army briefing notes said.
Defense Ministry sets up task force to implement law targeting PA terror payouts-Avigdor Liberman says new National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing will 'inflict a painful blow on terrorists and their sponsors'-By Alexander Fulbright-TOI-3 July 2018
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced Tuesday the establishment of a task force to combat terror financing and track payments by the Palestinian Authority to convicted terrorists and their families.The body, to be known as the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, will be tasked with implementing a new law slashing the equivalent amount of the payments from tax revenues Israel collects for the PA. The bipartisan law was passed Monday and resembles US legislation known as the Taylor Force Act.The new bureau will also be responsible for tracking financing for terror groups in Israel and abroad, according to a statement from Liberman’s office, as well as coordinating between government ministries and security agencies.“The war on terror rests on two legs — security and economic. We are working to wipe out terror by military means while also drying up the sources of its financing,” Liberman said.He said the task force will operate both domestically and worldwide using overt and covert methods in order “to inflict a painful blow on terrorists and their sponsors.”The bureau will be headed by Paul Landes, a former head of the Justice Ministry’s Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority, Liberman’s office said, and will include representatives from the Israel Defense Forces, the Defense Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel Police, and the anti-money laundering authority.Backers of the new law accuse Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of encouraging terrorism with the payments and argue the legislation will remove incentives to carry out attacks.The Palestinians, however, have refused to cease the payments and called the law a “declaration of war.” Others have warned the withholding of tax revenues could bankrupt the PA.According to the Defense Ministry, the PA in 2017 paid NIS 687 million ($198 million) to the so-called “martyrs’ families fund,” and NIS 550 million ($160 million) to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club — some 7 percent of its overall budget.Palestinian prisoners serving 20- to 30-year sentences for carrying out terror attacks are eligible for a lifetime NIS 10,000 ($2,772) monthly stipend, the Defense Ministry said, citing PA figures. Those prisoners who receive a three- to five-year sentence get a monthly wage of NIS 2,000 ($554). Palestinian prisoners who are married, have children, live in Jerusalem, or hold Israeli citizenship receive additional payments.The Defense Ministry in May released figures alleging that some terrorists who killed Israelis will throughout their lifetimes be paid more than NIS 10 million ($2.78 million) each by the PA.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Gaza incendiary balloons start 6 fires near Israeli communities-Firefighters extinguish blazes; justice minister calls for 'iron fist' against Palestinian launchers, saying kites should be treated like rockets on Ashkelon-By Michael Bachner-TOI-JUL 3,18
Six fires near communities in southern Israel were caused Tuesday by incendiary balloons sent from the Gaza Strip, in another busy day for firefighters battling the new Palestinian tactic.The blazes were started in the areas of Kibbutz Kissufim, Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Nahal Oz, according to the Israel Fire Department, which said that firefighters and KKL-JNF teams were able to gain control of all fires.Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of the security cabinet, toured the Gaza border area on Tuesday and said that the incendiary devices sent flying over the Gaza border into Israel are “no less grave than mortars.”“A kite at the Gaza border area should be treated like a rocket on (the city of) Ashkelon,” Shaked told reporters.“The State of Israel must use an iron fist against those who launch incendiary kites and against terror operatives,” she adds.Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched countless kites, balloons and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland, parks and forests.On Sunday, the Eshkol region saw some 20 fires caused by incendiary devices, burning large swaths of agricultural fields and grasslands, the spokesperson for the region said.To combat the near-daily fires, the Israeli military has brought in reservist soldiers to act as firefighters. In addition, most of the communities in the area have recruited residents to serve as first response teams.Israeli leaders have been split on how to respond to those responsible for the airborne arson attacks, with some calling for the IDF to shoot the kite flyers and balloon launchers on sight, while others argue that it would be a step too far.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Meeting Zionist Union chair, Pope vows to help bring Hamas-held captives home-Avi Gabbay updates pontiff on Middle East and current situation in Gaza, bringing letters from families of Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, and Avera Mengistu-By TOI staff-JUL 3,18
Zionist Union chairman Avi Gabbay met Pope Francis in the Vatican Tuesday, and brought him letters from the families of Israelis held by the Hamas terror group in Gaza asking for his support in bringing them back home.The pope discussed the situation in the Middle East with Gabbay and ways to advance peace in the region. The Zionist Union leader told the the head of the Roman Catholic church that it requires strong leaders who are prepared to take difficult decisions and not align themselves with extremists.Gabbay updated the pontiff on the current situation in Gaza and the pope surprised him by speaking of a childhood friend of his who lives in an Israeli town near the border.The pope was given letters from the families of IDF servicemen Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, whose remains have been held by Hamas since the summer 2014 Gaza war, and from the family of Avera Avraham Mengistu, a civilian who is being held by the terror group.“My world ended when my son, Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, was abducted in Gaza in 2014 by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas,” wrote Zehava Shaul. “His fate is uncertain although we know that he continues to be held captive by Hamas to this day. While the international community has long forgotten my son, I have not.”She called on the pope, “In the name of the world peace that you and all of us seek,” to help return her son to Israel.The pope promised to use whatever diplomatic means he could to help the families.Francis also criticized the BDS Israel boycott movement, pointing out that there is a difference between legitimate criticism of government policies and those who deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state — the latter he decried as anti-Semitic.Gabbay was accompanied by journalist Henrique Cymerman, who is close to the pope and who recently joined the Labor party.Cymerman was involved in bringing the pope on an official visit to Israel in 2014 and helped arrange a subsequent prayer meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Vatican.
Elor Azaria receives hero’s welcome on return to scene of Hebron shooting-Dozens chant 'Hebron loves you' as they line up to take photos with the former soldier, who served 9 months for killing incapacitated Palestinian attacker-By Jacob Magid-TOI-JUL 3,18
Elor Azaria received a hero’s welcome on his Tuesday return to the junction in the West Bank city of Hebron, where he shot dead an incapacitated Palestinian attacker two and a half years ago.Several dozen young boys chanted “Hebron loves you!” upon the arrival of the 22-year-old, who was convicted of manslaughter following the incident, and completed a nine month prison sentence for the shooting in May.Supporters posed for photos with Azaria and stopped to praise him for his actions while in uniform.The homecoming was organized by activists of the far-right Otzma Yehudit group, among them Baruch Marzel.“Before the (Azaria) incident, there were dozens of stabbings, but since then, there have been no stabbings here. Apparently the terrorists understood that they are not going to come out alive,” one settler could be heard saying.In reality, there have been dozens of instances of Palestinians arrested in Hebron on a near-weekly basis with knives hidden underneath their clothes.Another far-right Hebron resident, Ofer Ohana thanked Azaria publicly in front of cameras. “The two terrorists who came and tried to kill IDF soldiers here are now melting in their graves, but you are here.”Ohana later on recorded himself harassing Imad Abu Shamsiyeh, the Hebron resident who filmed Azaria shooting dead Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in March 2016.“Thank you for filming, Ohana shouted at him from afar. “You showed the world that whoever tries to harm IDF soldiers dies like a dog.”Azaria, the so-called Hebron shooter was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year for killing Sharif, who several minutes earlier had attacked two IDF soldiers with a knife.IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot later reduced the term by four months and in March a parole board ordered a further cut, to a total of nine months.The shooting incident was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online. It showed Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time of the incident, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.He said he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected.The Hebron shooter case revealed deep divisions in Israeli society over the army’s activities in the West Bank, with some — mostly on the right — arguing that he had behaved heroically in killing the Palestinian assailant, while others said he had broken the law and deserved a harsher sentence than he received.Senior army officers strongly denounced Azaria’s actions, but right-wing politicians, including Netanyahu, called for him to be pardoned.Comparisons have been drawn to sentences handed out to Palestinians for lesser crimes.Those critical of Azaria’s sentence have in particular pointed to the jail term of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi.She was sentenced to eight months in prison in a plea deal after a video that went viral showed Tamimi, 16 at the time, slapping two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank in December.
Austria gives Iran 48 hours to lift immunity of diplomat implicated in bomb plot-Vienna says Iranian's diplomatic status to be revoked due to warrant for his arrest over planned attack on opposition group in France-By AFP-3 July 2018
VIENNA — Austria asked Tehran Tuesday to lift the immunity of an Iranian diplomat suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to bomb a rally by an exiled Iranian opposition group in France.The diplomat, who is based at the embassy in Vienna, was detained in Germany on Saturday.Vienna delivered the request to “lift the immunity of the Iranian diplomat” to Iran’s ambassador to Austria, who was summoned to the foreign ministry after news of the alleged plot emerged on Monday, a ministry spokesman said.Austria also informed Iran on Tuesday that the diplomat would be “deprived of his diplomatic status within 48 hours because of the existence of a European arrest warrant” against him, said the spokesman, Matthias Forenbacher.The diplomat was one of six people arrested in Belgium, France and Germany over the alleged plot.The apparent foiled attack was to have targeted a meeting of thousands of Iranian opposition supporters in a northern suburb of the French capital that was also attended by leading US figures, including close allies of US President Donald Trump.Federal prosecutors in Brussels first revealed the arrests, charging a husband and wife they described as Belgian nationals “of Iranian origin.”They said the Iranian diplomat in Vienna was believed to be a contact of the couple.The arrests were revealed on the day Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Switzerland on a visit that Tehran said was of “crucial importance” for cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Europe after the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement.Rouhani is also due to visit Austria, which currently holds the six-month presidency of the European Union.Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the attack plot as a “false flag ploy” designed to overshadow Rouhani’s tour.“How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its ‘plotters’ arrested,” Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
Iran announces talks with remaining signatories to nuclear deal-State media says foreign ministers set to discuss EU 'incentive package' meant to keep Tehran in accord-By AFP-3 July 2018
TEHRAN, Iran — The foreign ministers of Iran and the five world powers still party to the 2015 nuclear deal will meet in Vienna on Friday for talks on the troubled accord, state media in Tehran said.The top diplomats of Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will join Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Austrian capital, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported, for their first talks together on the deal since Washington pulled out earlier this year.During the meeting the ministers will discuss an “incentive package” the European Union is offering to try to persuade Iran to stay in the agreement, IRNA reported.The meeting will seek “solutions to preserve the Iran nuclear deal after the illegal US action to withdraw,” it said.The announcement came with President Hassan Rouhani in Europe to rally support for the deal.Rouhani, accompanied by Zarif, was in Switzerland on Tuesday and due to head on Wednesday to Vienna, where the accord was signed in 2015.US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement two months ago, to the ire of the other signatories which along with the European Union have continued to back the accord.Trump said the “defective” deal did not sufficiently curb Iran’s nuclear program nor address its ballistic missile development and support for regional terror groups.Iran has warned it is ready to resume uranium enrichment to 20 percent — above the level permitted in the deal — “within days” if the agreement falls apart.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
Netanyahu lifts ban on MKs visiting Temple Mount-Barred from visits since 2015 wave of terror attacks, lawmakers now permitted to go to holy site once every three months-By TOI staff-3 July 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he will lift the ban on parliamentarians visiting the Temple Mount, three years after the government forbade them from entering the flashpoint site due to security concerns.In a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Netanyahu said that lawmakers could visit the Temple Mount once every three months, and this time, as opposed to a pilot held a year ago, ministers could also go to the site.In October 2015, the government barred MKs from going to Judaism’s most holy spot — the site of the biblical Temples — as part of an attempt to reduce tensions amid a wave of terror attacks against Israelis that was linked to the site, known to Arabs as Haram al-Sharif, which contains the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.After the threats and violence on the site calmed down, Jerusalem police commander Yehoram Halevy recommended to Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich that MKs should be once again permitted to visit the Temple Mount.Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home party welcomed the decision, but said that it did not go far enough.“The Temple Mount must be open for Jewish prayer throughout the year, including to public figures,” he said. “The Muslims are not in charge of the Mount and it is forbidden for them to make use of threats and violence that place limits on [Jewish] entry to the Temple Mount. I call on the prime minister to open the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer without limitations for anyone who wants.”Under a decades-old agreement enforced by Israel, only Muslims are allowed to pray inside the compound, and Jews are only permitted to ascend at certain times, often escorted by the security forces.Likud’s Yehudah Glick, who, along with Shuli Moalem-Refaeli of the Jewish Home party, visited the compound a year ago, congratulated Netanyahu for removing the ban.“I congratulate the prime minister for ending the illegal and unreasonable ban on MKs visiting the Temple Mount, and I call on him to make a real change and allow MKs to go to the Temple Mount whenever they want, as is the right of every citizen or tourist.”Glick stressed that, “the Temple Mount is the place for everyone who wants to get close to the Master of the Universe and is not the place of those who incite or use violence or terrorists.”The MK has long been an advocate of Jews visiting the Temple Mount. In 2014, a Palestinian terrorist attempted to assassinate Glick because of his Temple Mount activism. The shooter told Glick, right before pulling the trigger, that he was “an enemy of Al-Aqsa.”Lawmakers from the Joint (Arab) List panned the prime minister’s decision.“Lawmakers from the Joint List will not come today to the Al-Aqsa Mosque within the framework of the provocation and conditions of Netanyahu and Israeli police,” said MK Ahmad Tibi. “The Arab MKs will go whenever they want and not when Netanyahu wants. That’s how it was in the past and that’s how it will be in the future.”“Netanyahu will not tell Muslims, MKs, or others, when to go or when to pray,” said MK Hanin Zoabi. “Someone who is not a Muslim has no need to be in that place. Netanyahu wants to create argument to evade the criminal investigations and the threats of breaking up his coalition.”
UN concerned over expected demolition of West Bank village-High Commissioner for Human Rights says destruction of Bedouin town Khan al-Ahmar would be a violation of international law-By AP and TOI staff-JUL 3,18
The UN’s main human rights body expressed concern Tuesday over Israel’s expected demolition of a Bedouin village in the West Bank.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that demolishing the structures in the Khan al-Ahmar encampment would be a violation of international law. It called on Israel to abandon the demolition plans and “to respect the rights of residents to remain on their land.”After years of legal battles, Israel’s Supreme Court recently approved the demolition. Israel says the structures were built without the relevant building permits and pose a threat to residents because of their proximity to a highway.Critics say building permits are nearly impossible to obtain for Palestinians in Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank and the move is meant to clear the way for new Jewish settlements.Israel has pledged to resettle the residents, which the UN says number 180 people.Israel says it has offered the residents an alternative location, near a garbage dump in the nearby Palestinian town of Abu Dis. Bedouin villagers say the location is unsuitable for their way of life, and have also said residents of Abu Dis have warned them not to come there.
Rivlin: No Gaza rehabilitation until soldiers’ bodies returned-Families of troops whose remains are held by Hamas boycott state memorial ceremony for 2014 Gaza war: 'We are fed up with talk'-By Alexander Fulbright-TOI-JUL 3,18
President Reuven Rivlin on Monday said Israel remains committed to alleviating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, but will not allow major efforts to revive the Palestinian enclave until the bodies of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas are returned.“As long as Hamas continues to run Gaza as it does with only one purpose — the destruction of the State of Israel and attacking its citizens — and holds the bodies of our soldiers who didn’t return from battle, Gaza won’t be rehabilitated,” Rivlin said, during a ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery for Israeli troops killed in the 2014 Gaza war.At the same time, the president stressed Israel’s commitment to ensuring the basic needs of Palestinians in Gaza are met. “We are sorry for the Gazans who are rotting under the yoke of Hamas: For the children living in distress, without basic infrastructure, sanitary conditions, and a shortage of food,” Rivlin said.The president’s remarks came amid an aid push by the US and others to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which suffers from high unemployment and lack of electricity, potable water, and proper sewage treatment. Proposals recently reported on in Israeli and Arab media have indicated Israel is willing to take a number of steps to increase the flow of goods to the Strip, but will not do so without the return of the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin — the IDF soldiers killed in the war whose remains are held by Hamas.The families of Shaul and Goldin, who have led a years-long campaign for the return of their sons’ bodies, boycotted the ceremony in protest of the government over Hamas’ continued possession of the soldiers’ remains.“It is inconceivable they’re sanctifying the rehabilitation of Gaza before the bodies of the boys are returned,” Leah Goldin, Hadar’s mother, told Hadashot TV news from the “alternative memorial ceremony” outside the Prime Minister’s Residence.She also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not speaking with the families regularly.“He did the opposite of what was promised us,” Leah Goldin said. “We are fed up with talk.”Speaking at the Mount Herzl ceremony, Netanyahu said Israel remains committed to the return of Shaul and Goldin’s bodies.“We continue to invest great efforts in the return of our warriors: Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin. Not everything is visible to the eye — and that’s a good thing. This is a commitment that will continue unabated until their return,” said Netanyahu.He also said Israel is working to return Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas after each entered Gaza on their own accord.Looking back at the 2014 Gaza war, Netanyahu hailed the 50-day campaign against Hamas for bringing quiet to Israel’s south.“The communities of the western Negev have seen unprecedented growth and expansion in recent years unlike any since the establishment of the state,” he said. “When I talk with residents of the area, they express tremendous thanks for those who charged forward for them.”He also said the war, known in Hebrew as Operation Protective Edge, was necessary to remove the threat posed by Hamas.“In light of the grave threat we set out on a justified, moral, [and] necessary operation. The attacker was attacked — attacked before it managed to carry out its plot,” Netanyahu said.He also warned Hamas it would pay an “unbearable price” if it enters another armed conflict with Israel.The war initially began primarily as an aerial campaign in response to repeated rocket attacks from Gaza, similar to the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense. But after Hamas made use of its tunnel network to carry out attacks inside Israel, the focus shifted to tackling the subterranean threat.A total of 74 Israelis — 68 soldiers, 11 of whom were killed in cross-border tunnel attacks; and 6 civilians — died in the conflict. In Gaza, more than 2,000 people were killed, with Israel putting the percentage of civilians killed at approximately 50 percent. Additionally, Gaza itself was left badly damaged by the fighting.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Egypt says it destroyed Gaza tunnels, killed 3 Sinai terrorists-Egyptian military says 2 civilians killed by bombs targeting soldiers amid clashes with jihadists in the desert peninsular-By AFP and TOI staff-JUL 3,18
CAIRO, Egypt — The Egyptian army said Tuesday its forces killed three terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula and destroyed tunnels at Rafah on the Gaza border as part of a vast campaign against jihadists.More than 200 suspected terrorists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed since Egypt launched operation “Sinai 2018” to rid the peninsula of Islamic extremists in February, according to the military.Operations carried out in recent days resulted in “the elimination of three takfiris,” the army said, referring to Sunni Muslim radicals.They also led to the “destruction of a number of tunnels in the city of Rafah in northern Sinai,” it said in a statement.“A conscript was wounded in clashes with terrorists” and “two civilians died as a result of an explosion from a device targeting forces conducting raids,” it added.The Rafah border crossing is the only entrance to the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel, and Egypt’s sole frontier with the Palestinian enclave has remained largely closed since 2013.Egyptian authorities believe these tunnels are used by terrorists to enter North Sinai.Jihadists launched an insurgency in Sinai after the military overthrew Egypt’s elected Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 amid mass protests against his rule.Human Rights Watch says Egypt has stepped up its demolitions of homes, businesses, and farms in the Sinai since launching the campaign on February 9.The army says that local people in the Sinai support its operation and receive humanitarian aid.
What do we know about alleged Iranian plot to bomb opposition groups in Paris?-Iran has dismissed allegations as a 'false flag ploy' though it has been behind numerous attacks abroad, including on Jewish and Israeli targets-By Adam PLOWRIGHT-JUL 3,18
PARIS, France (AFP) — Belgium, France, and Germany have detained six people over an alleged plot to bomb a weekend rally by exiled Iranian opposition groups in Paris. What do we know about this highly sensitive, murky case? Who has been arrested? Federal prosecutors in Brussels first revealed the arrests on Monday afternoon, after charging a husband and wife who were described as Belgian nationals of Iranian origin.Aged 38 and 33 and identified by their first names Amir and Nasimeh, they were said to have been planning a bomb attack on Saturday at a conference organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in a Paris suburb.Belgian police found 500 grams of TATP, a highly unstable but powerful explosive, as well as a detonator inside their Mercedes car when they were stopped in a leafy residential area of the Belgian capital on Saturday.Separately, German police swooped on an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna, who has been named as Assadollah Assadi by Iranian opposition groups, who also claim he has been an intelligence agent in Austria since 2014.Iranian diplomat arrested in Germany over terror plot: Allegedly instructed an Iranian couple from Belgium to bomb MEK rally. https://t.co/VC3EckhIgb— Björn Stritzel (@bjoernstritzel) July 2, 2018-The Austrian government called Tuesday for Iranian authorities to lift his diplomatic immunity.French police arrested another three people on Saturday, although two of them were released on Monday, French legal sources said.What was the alleged target? Thousands of Iranian opposition supporters from all over Europe, many of them bussed in for the event, gathered Saturday at the Paris Convention Center just north of the French capital for the NCRI’s annual meeting.The NCRI is an umbrella group for exiled opposition organizations, including the former rebel People’s Mujahedeen, which was once considered a terror group by European and American authorities and is banned in Iran.The People’s Mujahedeen was formed in the 1960s to overthrow the Shah of Iran and it continues to organize opposition to the current leaders of the Islamic Republic who took power following the 1979 revolution.Special guests at this year’s conference included former New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and US Republican firebrand and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who both urged regime change in Iran.The NCRI immediately pointed the finger at Tehran, saying the regime was behind the alleged plot.-Has Iran been blamed for attacks before? The US considers the country to be world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism because of its links with a host of armed groups, particularly Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Gaza-based Hamas, as well as other networks in Iraq and Yemen.Hezbollah has been blamed for a string of attacks on Western targets, particularly American and Jewish ones, and US intelligence services consider that the terror group acts in step with Iranian intelligence services.Argentinian prosecutors pointed the finger at Iranian officials and Hezbollah over the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, in which 29 people were killed. Two years later, an attack on a Jewish community center in the city left 85 dead.More recently, in 2012, Iranians were identified by Indian authorities as being behind an assassination plot on an Israeli diplomat that saw a hitman attach a magnetic bomb to an embassy car in New Delhi.That incident came shortly after two Iranian men were arrested in Thailand over a suspected plot to attack Israeli diplomats in Bangkok.-So is Tehran likely to be behind the plot? French diplomats and security analysts remain extremely cautious, and several of them refused to talk on the record when contacted by AFP because of the extreme sensitivity of the case and the lack of clarity surrounding it.The timing of the alleged plot is noteworthy; it came just as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was arriving in Europe, hoping to secure continued support for the 2015 nuclear agreement.The European Union has been a strong backer of the deal, which offers Iran sanctions relief in return for accepting curbs on its nuclear program, despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out in May.Evidence that Iran had sought to carry out a bombing on European soil would seriously jeopardize those efforts and make it politically more difficult for leaders such as France’s Emmanuel Macron to continue to support the accord.Iran’s foreign minister implied that the regime’s enemies — notably Israel or the United States — might be behind a “false flag ploy,” meaning a deliberate effort to discredit Iran.“How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its ‘plotters’ arrested,” Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.“Iran unequivocally condemns all violence and terror anywhere, and is ready to work with all concerned to uncover what is a sinister false flag ploy,” he said.Investigations in France, Germany, and Belgium will perhaps shed light on the real culprits, although the facts may never emerge from the murky world of intelligence operatives and covert operations.
Justice minister: Incendiary kites from Gaza just as bad as rockets-Touring charred fields in southern region, Ayelet Shaked calls for 'iron fist' against arson attackers and terror operatives alike-By Michael Bachner-TOI-JUL 3,18
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of the high-level security cabinet, on Tuesday said Palestinians who send incendiary kites and balloons over the border into southern Israel should receive the same treatment as terrorists who fire rockets.During a tour of the Gaza envelope area in which she was briefed by IDF officials on the situation in the area, Shaked said the threat posed by the arson devices was “no less grave than mortars.”“A kite at the Gaza envelope should be treated like a rocket on [the city of] Ashkelon,” Shaked told reporters.“The State of Israel must land an iron fist on incendiary kite launchers and terror operatives,” she added.During the tour, Shaked entered a terror tunnel, dug by the Hamas terror group which rules the Strip, and which entered Israeli territory before it was discovered. She also toured fields that were burned by flaming devices tied to kites and balloons sent from Gaza.Residents of local Israeli communities and farmers met the minister and told her of the problems they have faced during the three months of unrest on the border.One resident said that “even a daily task for kids, like walking a dog, has become an impossible task. The government must eradicate this phenomenon.”“The residents of the Gaza envelope are strong and determined,” said Shaked. “Farmers are working their land [despite the fires] and we, the government, should help them as much as possible. Agriculture is a basic Zionist value in building the land.”Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched countless kites, balloons, and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland, parks, and forests.Six fires near communities in southern Israel were caused Tuesday by incendiary balloons sent from the Gaza Strip, in another busy day for firefighters following the new Palestinian tactic.On Sunday, the Eshkol region saw some 20 fires caused by incendiary devices, burning large swaths of agricultural fields and grasslands, the spokesperson for the region said.Israeli leaders have been split on how to respond to those responsible for the airborne arson attacks, with some calling for the IDF to shoot the kite flyers and balloon launchers on sight, while others argue that it would be a step too far.Likud MK Avi Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet security service, said on Friday that the tactic could lead the two sides to renewed open conflict.“Israel will find a way to stop this, even if that way turns out to be yet another military operation,” he said in an interview with Tel Aviv radio station 103FM.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Hamas uses fake Facebook friends to dupe 100 soldiers into downloading spyware-Military intelligence officials say no damage to security after soldiers fall for terror group cyberplot, but launch new campaign to highlight cellphone vulnerabilities-By TOI staff and Agencies-JUL 3,18
The Israel Defense Force launched a campaign Tuesday to warn its soldiers about Hamas hackers who have been trying to install spyware on their phones via a World Cup app and two online dating sites. About 100 soldiers were duped into doing downloading the spyware, the IDF said, though it insisted no damage had been done to Israeli security.The military said it had uncovered a plot by the Gaza-based terror group to spy on soldiers by befriending them on social media and then luring them into downloading fake applications it has created that give Hamas access to their smartphones — turning on the phone cameras and recording devices, and accessing the phones’ content.Briefing journalists at national defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, IDF intelligence officers said over 100 soldiers had been affected by the scam organized by members of the Palestinian terror movement that runs the Gaza Strip, but added that it the spyware failed to damage the country’s security.“No damage was done, as we stopped it in time,” one of the officers said, with the military’s response codenamed “Operation Broken Heart.”But he said the attempt showed the terror group had adopted new tactics since a similar attempt was revealed in January 2017.The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity under military regulations, said the Hamas cyber-efforts to snoop on soldiers were a significant upgrade on previous attempts, since they could seize control of a phone’s contents, potentially acquiring classified information or compromising images that could be used to blackmail soldiers.The military said the first two apps were called Glancelove and Winkchat, supposed dating apps. The third, Golden Cup, was filled with information about the World Cup taking place in Russia.The photos used on social media to initially reach out to the soldiers belonged to real women whose photos and personal details were stolen from their Facebook profiles. Some were scantily clad and kissing each other. Conversations over Facebook and WhatsApp were conducted in everyday Hebrew from Israeli mobile numbers, and the military said those operating the accounts were not necessarily based in Gaza.Attackers used stolen identities to create convincing fake Facebook profiles of young Israelis, written in fluent Hebrew studded with current slang. They then initiated flirtatious exchanges with their targets, before encouraging them to download the apps.There was also additional bait of FIFA World Cup action with an app offering “HD live streaming of games, summaries and live updates.”“What Hamas is bringing to the table is a very good knowledge of our young people and their state of mind,” another officer said.Asked how he could be sure Hamas was behind the online offensive, he declined to say but insisted there was no doubt.The assailants uploaded their custom-built Golden Cup, Wink Chat, and Glance Love applications to the Google Store, to make them seem legitimate, according to the officers.Using Facebook sharing and WhatsApp messages, they urged young men and women completing compulsory military service to download the infected apps.Once one of the apps was on the recipient’s phone, officers said, the phone could be taken over to covertly take and send photographs, eavesdrop on conversations, copy stored files and pictures, and transmit location details.In most cases, the officers said, soldiers did not download the apps and in many cases informed their superiors of their suspicions.Google has since deleted the apps from its store, they added.They said that awareness of the potential risk had soared since the army publicized the previous attempts.“Thanks to the soldiers’ vigilance, Hamas’ intelligence infrastructure was exposed before it caused actual security damage,” army briefing notes said.
Defense Ministry sets up task force to implement law targeting PA terror payouts-Avigdor Liberman says new National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing will 'inflict a painful blow on terrorists and their sponsors'-By Alexander Fulbright-TOI-3 July 2018
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced Tuesday the establishment of a task force to combat terror financing and track payments by the Palestinian Authority to convicted terrorists and their families.The body, to be known as the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, will be tasked with implementing a new law slashing the equivalent amount of the payments from tax revenues Israel collects for the PA. The bipartisan law was passed Monday and resembles US legislation known as the Taylor Force Act.The new bureau will also be responsible for tracking financing for terror groups in Israel and abroad, according to a statement from Liberman’s office, as well as coordinating between government ministries and security agencies.“The war on terror rests on two legs — security and economic. We are working to wipe out terror by military means while also drying up the sources of its financing,” Liberman said.He said the task force will operate both domestically and worldwide using overt and covert methods in order “to inflict a painful blow on terrorists and their sponsors.”The bureau will be headed by Paul Landes, a former head of the Justice Ministry’s Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority, Liberman’s office said, and will include representatives from the Israel Defense Forces, the Defense Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel Police, and the anti-money laundering authority.Backers of the new law accuse Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of encouraging terrorism with the payments and argue the legislation will remove incentives to carry out attacks.The Palestinians, however, have refused to cease the payments and called the law a “declaration of war.” Others have warned the withholding of tax revenues could bankrupt the PA.According to the Defense Ministry, the PA in 2017 paid NIS 687 million ($198 million) to the so-called “martyrs’ families fund,” and NIS 550 million ($160 million) to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club — some 7 percent of its overall budget.Palestinian prisoners serving 20- to 30-year sentences for carrying out terror attacks are eligible for a lifetime NIS 10,000 ($2,772) monthly stipend, the Defense Ministry said, citing PA figures. Those prisoners who receive a three- to five-year sentence get a monthly wage of NIS 2,000 ($554). Palestinian prisoners who are married, have children, live in Jerusalem, or hold Israeli citizenship receive additional payments.The Defense Ministry in May released figures alleging that some terrorists who killed Israelis will throughout their lifetimes be paid more than NIS 10 million ($2.78 million) each by the PA.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Gaza incendiary balloons start 6 fires near Israeli communities-Firefighters extinguish blazes; justice minister calls for 'iron fist' against Palestinian launchers, saying kites should be treated like rockets on Ashkelon-By Michael Bachner-TOI-JUL 3,18
Six fires near communities in southern Israel were caused Tuesday by incendiary balloons sent from the Gaza Strip, in another busy day for firefighters battling the new Palestinian tactic.The blazes were started in the areas of Kibbutz Kissufim, Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Nahal Oz, according to the Israel Fire Department, which said that firefighters and KKL-JNF teams were able to gain control of all fires.Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of the security cabinet, toured the Gaza border area on Tuesday and said that the incendiary devices sent flying over the Gaza border into Israel are “no less grave than mortars.”“A kite at the Gaza border area should be treated like a rocket on (the city of) Ashkelon,” Shaked told reporters.“The State of Israel must use an iron fist against those who launch incendiary kites and against terror operatives,” she adds.Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched countless kites, balloons and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland, parks and forests.On Sunday, the Eshkol region saw some 20 fires caused by incendiary devices, burning large swaths of agricultural fields and grasslands, the spokesperson for the region said.To combat the near-daily fires, the Israeli military has brought in reservist soldiers to act as firefighters. In addition, most of the communities in the area have recruited residents to serve as first response teams.Israeli leaders have been split on how to respond to those responsible for the airborne arson attacks, with some calling for the IDF to shoot the kite flyers and balloon launchers on sight, while others argue that it would be a step too far.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Meeting Zionist Union chair, Pope vows to help bring Hamas-held captives home-Avi Gabbay updates pontiff on Middle East and current situation in Gaza, bringing letters from families of Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, and Avera Mengistu-By TOI staff-JUL 3,18
Zionist Union chairman Avi Gabbay met Pope Francis in the Vatican Tuesday, and brought him letters from the families of Israelis held by the Hamas terror group in Gaza asking for his support in bringing them back home.The pope discussed the situation in the Middle East with Gabbay and ways to advance peace in the region. The Zionist Union leader told the the head of the Roman Catholic church that it requires strong leaders who are prepared to take difficult decisions and not align themselves with extremists.Gabbay updated the pontiff on the current situation in Gaza and the pope surprised him by speaking of a childhood friend of his who lives in an Israeli town near the border.The pope was given letters from the families of IDF servicemen Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, whose remains have been held by Hamas since the summer 2014 Gaza war, and from the family of Avera Avraham Mengistu, a civilian who is being held by the terror group.“My world ended when my son, Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, was abducted in Gaza in 2014 by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas,” wrote Zehava Shaul. “His fate is uncertain although we know that he continues to be held captive by Hamas to this day. While the international community has long forgotten my son, I have not.”She called on the pope, “In the name of the world peace that you and all of us seek,” to help return her son to Israel.The pope promised to use whatever diplomatic means he could to help the families.Francis also criticized the BDS Israel boycott movement, pointing out that there is a difference between legitimate criticism of government policies and those who deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state — the latter he decried as anti-Semitic.Gabbay was accompanied by journalist Henrique Cymerman, who is close to the pope and who recently joined the Labor party.Cymerman was involved in bringing the pope on an official visit to Israel in 2014 and helped arrange a subsequent prayer meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Vatican.
Elor Azaria receives hero’s welcome on return to scene of Hebron shooting-Dozens chant 'Hebron loves you' as they line up to take photos with the former soldier, who served 9 months for killing incapacitated Palestinian attacker-By Jacob Magid-TOI-JUL 3,18
Elor Azaria received a hero’s welcome on his Tuesday return to the junction in the West Bank city of Hebron, where he shot dead an incapacitated Palestinian attacker two and a half years ago.Several dozen young boys chanted “Hebron loves you!” upon the arrival of the 22-year-old, who was convicted of manslaughter following the incident, and completed a nine month prison sentence for the shooting in May.Supporters posed for photos with Azaria and stopped to praise him for his actions while in uniform.The homecoming was organized by activists of the far-right Otzma Yehudit group, among them Baruch Marzel.“Before the (Azaria) incident, there were dozens of stabbings, but since then, there have been no stabbings here. Apparently the terrorists understood that they are not going to come out alive,” one settler could be heard saying.In reality, there have been dozens of instances of Palestinians arrested in Hebron on a near-weekly basis with knives hidden underneath their clothes.Another far-right Hebron resident, Ofer Ohana thanked Azaria publicly in front of cameras. “The two terrorists who came and tried to kill IDF soldiers here are now melting in their graves, but you are here.”Ohana later on recorded himself harassing Imad Abu Shamsiyeh, the Hebron resident who filmed Azaria shooting dead Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in March 2016.“Thank you for filming, Ohana shouted at him from afar. “You showed the world that whoever tries to harm IDF soldiers dies like a dog.”Azaria, the so-called Hebron shooter was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year for killing Sharif, who several minutes earlier had attacked two IDF soldiers with a knife.IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot later reduced the term by four months and in March a parole board ordered a further cut, to a total of nine months.The shooting incident was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online. It showed Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time of the incident, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.He said he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected.The Hebron shooter case revealed deep divisions in Israeli society over the army’s activities in the West Bank, with some — mostly on the right — arguing that he had behaved heroically in killing the Palestinian assailant, while others said he had broken the law and deserved a harsher sentence than he received.Senior army officers strongly denounced Azaria’s actions, but right-wing politicians, including Netanyahu, called for him to be pardoned.Comparisons have been drawn to sentences handed out to Palestinians for lesser crimes.Those critical of Azaria’s sentence have in particular pointed to the jail term of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi.She was sentenced to eight months in prison in a plea deal after a video that went viral showed Tamimi, 16 at the time, slapping two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank in December.
Austria gives Iran 48 hours to lift immunity of diplomat implicated in bomb plot-Vienna says Iranian's diplomatic status to be revoked due to warrant for his arrest over planned attack on opposition group in France-By AFP-3 July 2018
VIENNA — Austria asked Tehran Tuesday to lift the immunity of an Iranian diplomat suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to bomb a rally by an exiled Iranian opposition group in France.The diplomat, who is based at the embassy in Vienna, was detained in Germany on Saturday.Vienna delivered the request to “lift the immunity of the Iranian diplomat” to Iran’s ambassador to Austria, who was summoned to the foreign ministry after news of the alleged plot emerged on Monday, a ministry spokesman said.Austria also informed Iran on Tuesday that the diplomat would be “deprived of his diplomatic status within 48 hours because of the existence of a European arrest warrant” against him, said the spokesman, Matthias Forenbacher.The diplomat was one of six people arrested in Belgium, France and Germany over the alleged plot.The apparent foiled attack was to have targeted a meeting of thousands of Iranian opposition supporters in a northern suburb of the French capital that was also attended by leading US figures, including close allies of US President Donald Trump.Federal prosecutors in Brussels first revealed the arrests, charging a husband and wife they described as Belgian nationals “of Iranian origin.”They said the Iranian diplomat in Vienna was believed to be a contact of the couple.The arrests were revealed on the day Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Switzerland on a visit that Tehran said was of “crucial importance” for cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Europe after the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement.Rouhani is also due to visit Austria, which currently holds the six-month presidency of the European Union.Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the attack plot as a “false flag ploy” designed to overshadow Rouhani’s tour.“How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its ‘plotters’ arrested,” Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
Iran announces talks with remaining signatories to nuclear deal-State media says foreign ministers set to discuss EU 'incentive package' meant to keep Tehran in accord-By AFP-3 July 2018
TEHRAN, Iran — The foreign ministers of Iran and the five world powers still party to the 2015 nuclear deal will meet in Vienna on Friday for talks on the troubled accord, state media in Tehran said.The top diplomats of Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will join Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Austrian capital, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported, for their first talks together on the deal since Washington pulled out earlier this year.During the meeting the ministers will discuss an “incentive package” the European Union is offering to try to persuade Iran to stay in the agreement, IRNA reported.The meeting will seek “solutions to preserve the Iran nuclear deal after the illegal US action to withdraw,” it said.The announcement came with President Hassan Rouhani in Europe to rally support for the deal.Rouhani, accompanied by Zarif, was in Switzerland on Tuesday and due to head on Wednesday to Vienna, where the accord was signed in 2015.US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement two months ago, to the ire of the other signatories which along with the European Union have continued to back the accord.Trump said the “defective” deal did not sufficiently curb Iran’s nuclear program nor address its ballistic missile development and support for regional terror groups.Iran has warned it is ready to resume uranium enrichment to 20 percent — above the level permitted in the deal — “within days” if the agreement falls apart.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
