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)
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
ISLAM SLAUGHTERED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS
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)
Swedish foreign minister no longer welcome in Israel-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 14,16
Today, 16:16-Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallstrom is no longer welcome in Israel after calling for an investigation to determine if Israel is guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians. Israel's foreign ministry director-general, Dore Gold, said attacking Israel over its right to self-defence was “in practical terms encouraging terrorism”.
Iran-backed jihadi group claims it’s operating in West Bank, Jerusalem-Gaza-based Sabireen says it will wage war against Israel everywhere, denies being a Hezbollah-style Iranian proxy-By Lee Gancman January 14, 2016, 11:42 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
A Palestinian jihadi group with close ties to Iran claimed on Wednesday that it has expanded out of the Gaza Strip and is now operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem as well.“We have an armed branch whose goal it is to wage war on the Israeli occupation everywhere,” Hisham Salim, founder of the Harakat al-Sabireen, told the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.“Within this framework we have members in the West Bank and Jerusalem who will soon receive financial and military support from us,” he said.Harakat al-Sabireen, which translates to “movement of the patient ones,” broke away from Islamic Jihad in May 2014 and has symbols almost identical to those of Lebanon-based Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.Salim confirmed to Ma’an that the group, like Hezbollah, is directly funded by the Iranian government, but stressed that his group was non-sectarian, non-religious and certainly not a “Shiite movement.”“Regarding the funding from Iran — Islamic Jihad, Hamas and many other groups also get funding from them,” he said.Although Hamas has been the beneficiary of Iranian funding, as a Sunni Muslim organization, it has been wary of Harakat al-Sabireen’s Shiite affiliations, accusing it of trying to disseminate Shiite ideology in the Gaza Strip. This reportedly led to its being banned in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip last July, according to Al-Monitor. Nevertheless, it appears that the group has continued its activities in Gaza, and claimed responsibility for a bombing close to Khan Younis targeting an IDF patrol in December.No injuries or damage were reported on the Israeli side in the attack. Palestinian sources said at least one Palestinian farmer was shot and injured when IDF soldiers returned fire toward the source of the blast.Asked by Ma’an what the group’s stance was regarding the recent spat between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Salim affirmed that it was firmly on the side of Iran, saying, “Saudi Arabia committed a grave error when it executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and is fanning the flames of sectarian strife.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this article.
Sharansky: Unprecedented number of Jews 'feel that Europe is no longer their home'-Anti- Semitism drives record-high Western European immigration to Israel-Amid rise in attacks, 9,880 make aliya in 2015, including almost 8,000 from France-By Aron Heller January 14, 2016, 5:21 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
AP — Jewish immigration to Israel from Western Europe has reached an all-time high as a result of a rise in anti-Semitic attacks, a leading nonprofit group said Thursday.The Jewish Agency, which works closely with the Israeli government and acts as a link for Jews around the world, reported that 9,880 Western European Jews immigrated to Israel in 2015 — the highest annual number ever.The vast majority, close to 8,000, came from France where a rise in anti-Semitic attacks has shattered the sense of security of the world’s third-largest Jewish population.Just this week, a machete-wielding teen attacked a Jewish teacher in the French town of Marseille, prompting a local Jewish authority to ask fellow Jews to refrain from wearing their traditional skull caps to stay safe.Close to 800 Jews have emigrated from Britain in this latest exodus. Italy and Belgium are next on the list.“That a record number of European Jews feel that Europe is no longer their home should alarm European leaders and serve as a wake-up call for all who are concerned about the future of Europe,” said Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky.“At the same time, the fact that Israel has become the number one destination for European Jews seeking to build a better future elsewhere is a tribute to the appeal of life in Israel and the values the Jewish state represents,” Sharansky added.Experts say European Jews have not felt this threatened since World War II, when 6 million Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. Jews have been targeted in Belgium, Denmark and other European countries, but France has seen the worst of it. Jews have increasingly reported assaults and intimidation, mostly from Muslim extremists. While some attacks have been linked to anger at Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, most have been anti-Semitic in nature.France is still reeling from a series of attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people, and just marked the first anniversary of attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery store which killed 17 people. In each case, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. France’s Jewish community of some 500,000 is the largest in Europe. Jewish schools and synagogues are often surrounded by soldiers in combat fatigues who patrol the streets with automatic rifles. Though Jews make up less than 1 percent of the population, French officials say more than 50 percent of all reported racist attacks in 2014 were directed against them.
Amid fighting in Sinai, Israel evacuates Gaza crossing-IDF closes Kerem Shalom gateway as Egyptian army conducts operations against terrorists, reportedly killing 13-By Stuart Winer January 14, 2016, 5:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip and pulled out operating crews on Thursday as the Egyptian Army engaged terrorist forces in the adjacent Sinai Peninsula.Egyptian soldiers, backed with airstrikes, were reportedly operating in the area of Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid, and el-Arish which lie just seven kilometers (4.2 miles) from the Kerem Shalom gateway.Thirteen jihadis were killed in the fighting, reports said.The IDF said it closed the crossing, through which goods are transported into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, as a precautionary measure, and that there was no imminent security threat in the area.The measure was due to ongoing violence in the Sinai between Islamic State militants and Egyptian forces, the military said.The Kerem Shalom crossing is located on the southern tip of the Strip, next to the Egyptian border.Hundreds of trucks delivering food, aid and other goods pass through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza every day.In August 2012 Islamist terrorists opened fire on a military base in Rafah, killing 16 Egyptian soldiers. The terrorists then commandeered an armored personnel vehicle (APV) and a truck and sped toward Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. The truck exploded at the border, while the armored vehicle crashed through the border into Israel where it continued for about two kilometers (1.2 miles) along a border road before the Israeli Air Force destroyed it with a missile.
Israel sees Palestinian attacks 'waning'; two killed in West Bank-[Reuters]-By Dan Williams-January 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed two knife-wielding Palestinian assailants in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the army said, the latest in a months-long spate of street violence that Israel's defense minister described as declining.Almost daily stabbings, car-rammings and shootings by Palestinians targeting Israelis have been fueled in part by frustration at failed statehood talks and a dispute over a Jerusalem holy site, with Muslims angered by perceived Jewish encroachment.The Israeli military said soldiers shot dead a Palestinian who tried to stab one of them near the West Bank city of Hebron and, in a separate incident near the town of Nablus, killed a man after he slashed and wounded an army officer.That brought the number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 1 to at least 145. Israel says 93 of these were assailants, while most of the others died in clashes with Israeli security forces.Palestinian attacks have killed 24 Israelis and a U.S. citizen over the same period.Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel's pre-emptive raids and arrests had prevented the violence from escalating into an armed Palestinian revolt, and he predicted that the grassroots violence would stop."We are managing to foil plans by the organizations, the terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to carry out attacks. If it were up to them, there would be suicide bombings and gun attacks here every day," Yaalon told Israel Radio."The fact that we are succeeding lends salience to the attempted stabbing or car-ramming attacks. We will also prevail over this phenomenon, I say, but this is a process that takes time. Statistically, we see a waning of this."The remarks followed a warning by a senior Yaalon adviser that the U.S.-backed Palestinian administration, which quietly coordinates West Bank security efforts with Israel despite the diplomatic impasse between the sides, might change course.The adviser, Amos Gilad, told the Israel Defense journal in an interview published this week that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to be in an "adversarial mood"."If you analyze all of Abu Mazen's (Abbas's) statements and conduct, it seems that he will be swept into confrontation with us in 2016 in the diplomatic and security realm," Gilad said."There is the potential for that. We are taking this possibility very seriously."Israel accuses Abbas of inciting violence. He has denied the charge while praising Palestinians who "defend" the al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. It is Islam's third-holiest shrine and has seen stepped-up visits by Jews, many of whom revere the site as vestige of their two ancient temples and demand an end to a decades-old arrangement allowing only Muslim prayer there.Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has called for an independent probe into whether Israel has carried out extrajudicial killings of Palestinians, pointing to the number of attackers and suspected attackers shot dead.In response, Israel summoned the Swedish ambassador on Wednesday, saying it was "enraged" at Wallstrom's comments. Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz went as far as to call Wallstrom "anti-semitic, whether consciously or not".(Reporting by Dan Williams and Ali Sawafta, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Dominic Evans)
US defense deputy in Israel to review joint capabilities-Robert Work meets with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon; each says the other’s country is ‘cornerstone’ of strategy, security-By Judah Ari Gross and Stuart Winer January 14, 2016, 5:12 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met Thursday with US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, who is currently visiting Israel for a review of joint security capabilities.“Israel is a cornerstone in our policy and strategy in the Middle East,” Work said during a joint press conference with Ya’alon at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. “My being here is just another indicator of our relationship. The US has always stood with Israel and always will.”That relationship is especially vital in the face the “generational changes” and new threats in the Middle East, he said.“Your security is of utmost importance to the United State and the US military,” he added. “It’s been a real pleasure to sit down and exchange views on a wide variety of different technological capabilities.”Ya’alon told Work of Israel’s gratitude to the US for the two countries’ security cooperation.“ We benefit from this relationship very much, and we thank you very much,” he said. “We consider the relationship with the United States as the cornerstone of our national security.”Work also met with President Reuven Rivlin at his official residence in Jerusalem..@DepSecDefWork meets with President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem @PresidentRuvi pic.twitter.com/8y4eX8mAsk— USEmbassy TelAviv (@usembassyta) January 14, 2016-It was Work’s first visit to Israel, which he said is a beautiful country. His wife, Cassandra, who traveled with him, visited a hospital to meet with injured IDF soldiers after the couple arrived on Wednesday. The Works also planned on fitting in a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem during their short stay in the country.
Deri floats annulling Israeli IS fighters’ citizenship-In memo, interior minister proposes amendment to Citizenship Law to revoke status for jihadists abroad-By Times of Israel staff January 14, 2016, 5:39 pm
In one of his first moves in his second stint as interior minister, Aryeh Deri released a memorandum on Thursday outlining an amendment to the Citizenship Law, which if passed would give him the authority to revoke the citizenship of Israeli citizens who join the Islamic State group.Under the current law, the interior minister has the power to cancel the citizenship of an Israeli who becomes a citizen of an enemy state or does something constituting a “breach of allegiance” to Israel, or if it becomes clear that the individual acquired Israeli citizenship under false information.However, the law does not relate to someone meeting the aforementioned criteria who is out of the country at the time of the interior minister’s decision to annul citizenship, thus excluding, according to some estimates, the 100 to 150 Israeli citizens said to have traveled abroad to fight with IS.Deri’s proposed amendment would change that, allowing him to make the decision for such citizens if they are determined to have breached their allegiance to Israel.“We are talking about an important amendment to the Citizenship Law because recently we see more and more citizens of the state who take advantage of their Israeli citizenship and plan actions against [Israel],” Deri told the NRG news site.A number of politicians have called in recent months for revoking the citizenship of Israeli IS recruits. In a November cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had asked the attorney general “to move ahead with revoking the citizenship of anyone who joins the organization.”“Whoever joins Islamic State will not be an Israeli citizen, and if he leaves the country’s borders he will not return,” Netanyahu added and noted that the concept of revoking citizenship for those who join IS was becoming more accepted in the international community.In the wake of the November 13 IS attacks in Paris, the French government has also been pushing to annul the citizenship of convicted terrorists with dual nationality. Several recent polls indicated that 80 to 90 percent of the French are in favor of the measure.AP contributed to this report.
Al-Qaeda leader urges attacks on Saudi Arabia-Al-Zawahiri calls kingdom ‘rotten regime’ after dozens of jihadis executed, slams ‘Zionist-Crusader alliance’-By AP and Times of Israel staff January 14, 2016, 4:18 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The leader of al-Qaeda called for attacks on Saudi Arabia after the kingdom’s mass execution of 47 people in January, many of whom were tied to the terror group.Ayman al-Zawahiri’s comments came in a seven-minute audio recording released earlier this week and reported by a US-based terror monitor, the SITE Intelligence Group, on Thursday.In it, the Egyptian doctor and militant leader exhorted his followers to launch new attacks against the interests of the kingdom’s ruling Al Saud family, which he called a “rotten regime that corrupted your religion.”Zawahiri also called for attacks on “the Zionist-Crusader alliance,” referring to Israel and its Western allies, as “this is what hurts Al Saud much.” However, Saudi Arabia likely faces a greater threat from the Islamic State, which has claimed a series of attacks in the kingdom in recent months.The January 2 Saudi executions included a number of people convicted in al-Qaeda attacks that roiled the kingdom some 10 years ago. In the time since, however, al-Qaeda has been eclipsed by the Islamic State, originally a breakaway faction that now holds territory in Iraq and Syria.Zawahiri’s message comes amid high tensions between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite power Iran over the executions, which included that of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.Al-Zawahiri dismissed the killing of Nimr as part of the “Saudi-Iranian competition for power in the region.”After Nimr’s death, protesters in Iran attacked two of the kingdom’s diplomatic posts and the kingdom cut diplomatic ties to the Islamic Republic, raising regional tensions.In November, Zawahiri released a Twitter video praising Palestinian attacks against Israelis and calling for lone wolf attacks against Western countries, in particular the US.“The first matter is striking the West and specifically America in its own home, and attacking their interests that are spread everywhere,” Zawahiri said at the time, according to SITE.“The supporters of Israel must pay with their blood and their economy,” he added.AFP contributed to this report.
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
ISLAM SLAUGHTERED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS
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)
Swedish foreign minister no longer welcome in Israel-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 14,16
Today, 16:16-Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallstrom is no longer welcome in Israel after calling for an investigation to determine if Israel is guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians. Israel's foreign ministry director-general, Dore Gold, said attacking Israel over its right to self-defence was “in practical terms encouraging terrorism”.
Iran-backed jihadi group claims it’s operating in West Bank, Jerusalem-Gaza-based Sabireen says it will wage war against Israel everywhere, denies being a Hezbollah-style Iranian proxy-By Lee Gancman January 14, 2016, 11:42 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
A Palestinian jihadi group with close ties to Iran claimed on Wednesday that it has expanded out of the Gaza Strip and is now operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem as well.“We have an armed branch whose goal it is to wage war on the Israeli occupation everywhere,” Hisham Salim, founder of the Harakat al-Sabireen, told the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.“Within this framework we have members in the West Bank and Jerusalem who will soon receive financial and military support from us,” he said.Harakat al-Sabireen, which translates to “movement of the patient ones,” broke away from Islamic Jihad in May 2014 and has symbols almost identical to those of Lebanon-based Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.Salim confirmed to Ma’an that the group, like Hezbollah, is directly funded by the Iranian government, but stressed that his group was non-sectarian, non-religious and certainly not a “Shiite movement.”“Regarding the funding from Iran — Islamic Jihad, Hamas and many other groups also get funding from them,” he said.Although Hamas has been the beneficiary of Iranian funding, as a Sunni Muslim organization, it has been wary of Harakat al-Sabireen’s Shiite affiliations, accusing it of trying to disseminate Shiite ideology in the Gaza Strip. This reportedly led to its being banned in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip last July, according to Al-Monitor. Nevertheless, it appears that the group has continued its activities in Gaza, and claimed responsibility for a bombing close to Khan Younis targeting an IDF patrol in December.No injuries or damage were reported on the Israeli side in the attack. Palestinian sources said at least one Palestinian farmer was shot and injured when IDF soldiers returned fire toward the source of the blast.Asked by Ma’an what the group’s stance was regarding the recent spat between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Salim affirmed that it was firmly on the side of Iran, saying, “Saudi Arabia committed a grave error when it executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and is fanning the flames of sectarian strife.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this article.
Sharansky: Unprecedented number of Jews 'feel that Europe is no longer their home'-Anti- Semitism drives record-high Western European immigration to Israel-Amid rise in attacks, 9,880 make aliya in 2015, including almost 8,000 from France-By Aron Heller January 14, 2016, 5:21 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
AP — Jewish immigration to Israel from Western Europe has reached an all-time high as a result of a rise in anti-Semitic attacks, a leading nonprofit group said Thursday.The Jewish Agency, which works closely with the Israeli government and acts as a link for Jews around the world, reported that 9,880 Western European Jews immigrated to Israel in 2015 — the highest annual number ever.The vast majority, close to 8,000, came from France where a rise in anti-Semitic attacks has shattered the sense of security of the world’s third-largest Jewish population.Just this week, a machete-wielding teen attacked a Jewish teacher in the French town of Marseille, prompting a local Jewish authority to ask fellow Jews to refrain from wearing their traditional skull caps to stay safe.Close to 800 Jews have emigrated from Britain in this latest exodus. Italy and Belgium are next on the list.“That a record number of European Jews feel that Europe is no longer their home should alarm European leaders and serve as a wake-up call for all who are concerned about the future of Europe,” said Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky.“At the same time, the fact that Israel has become the number one destination for European Jews seeking to build a better future elsewhere is a tribute to the appeal of life in Israel and the values the Jewish state represents,” Sharansky added.Experts say European Jews have not felt this threatened since World War II, when 6 million Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. Jews have been targeted in Belgium, Denmark and other European countries, but France has seen the worst of it. Jews have increasingly reported assaults and intimidation, mostly from Muslim extremists. While some attacks have been linked to anger at Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, most have been anti-Semitic in nature.France is still reeling from a series of attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people, and just marked the first anniversary of attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery store which killed 17 people. In each case, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. France’s Jewish community of some 500,000 is the largest in Europe. Jewish schools and synagogues are often surrounded by soldiers in combat fatigues who patrol the streets with automatic rifles. Though Jews make up less than 1 percent of the population, French officials say more than 50 percent of all reported racist attacks in 2014 were directed against them.
Amid fighting in Sinai, Israel evacuates Gaza crossing-IDF closes Kerem Shalom gateway as Egyptian army conducts operations against terrorists, reportedly killing 13-By Stuart Winer January 14, 2016, 5:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip and pulled out operating crews on Thursday as the Egyptian Army engaged terrorist forces in the adjacent Sinai Peninsula.Egyptian soldiers, backed with airstrikes, were reportedly operating in the area of Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid, and el-Arish which lie just seven kilometers (4.2 miles) from the Kerem Shalom gateway.Thirteen jihadis were killed in the fighting, reports said.The IDF said it closed the crossing, through which goods are transported into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, as a precautionary measure, and that there was no imminent security threat in the area.The measure was due to ongoing violence in the Sinai between Islamic State militants and Egyptian forces, the military said.The Kerem Shalom crossing is located on the southern tip of the Strip, next to the Egyptian border.Hundreds of trucks delivering food, aid and other goods pass through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza every day.In August 2012 Islamist terrorists opened fire on a military base in Rafah, killing 16 Egyptian soldiers. The terrorists then commandeered an armored personnel vehicle (APV) and a truck and sped toward Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. The truck exploded at the border, while the armored vehicle crashed through the border into Israel where it continued for about two kilometers (1.2 miles) along a border road before the Israeli Air Force destroyed it with a missile.
Israel sees Palestinian attacks 'waning'; two killed in West Bank-[Reuters]-By Dan Williams-January 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed two knife-wielding Palestinian assailants in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the army said, the latest in a months-long spate of street violence that Israel's defense minister described as declining.Almost daily stabbings, car-rammings and shootings by Palestinians targeting Israelis have been fueled in part by frustration at failed statehood talks and a dispute over a Jerusalem holy site, with Muslims angered by perceived Jewish encroachment.The Israeli military said soldiers shot dead a Palestinian who tried to stab one of them near the West Bank city of Hebron and, in a separate incident near the town of Nablus, killed a man after he slashed and wounded an army officer.That brought the number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 1 to at least 145. Israel says 93 of these were assailants, while most of the others died in clashes with Israeli security forces.Palestinian attacks have killed 24 Israelis and a U.S. citizen over the same period.Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel's pre-emptive raids and arrests had prevented the violence from escalating into an armed Palestinian revolt, and he predicted that the grassroots violence would stop."We are managing to foil plans by the organizations, the terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to carry out attacks. If it were up to them, there would be suicide bombings and gun attacks here every day," Yaalon told Israel Radio."The fact that we are succeeding lends salience to the attempted stabbing or car-ramming attacks. We will also prevail over this phenomenon, I say, but this is a process that takes time. Statistically, we see a waning of this."The remarks followed a warning by a senior Yaalon adviser that the U.S.-backed Palestinian administration, which quietly coordinates West Bank security efforts with Israel despite the diplomatic impasse between the sides, might change course.The adviser, Amos Gilad, told the Israel Defense journal in an interview published this week that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to be in an "adversarial mood"."If you analyze all of Abu Mazen's (Abbas's) statements and conduct, it seems that he will be swept into confrontation with us in 2016 in the diplomatic and security realm," Gilad said."There is the potential for that. We are taking this possibility very seriously."Israel accuses Abbas of inciting violence. He has denied the charge while praising Palestinians who "defend" the al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. It is Islam's third-holiest shrine and has seen stepped-up visits by Jews, many of whom revere the site as vestige of their two ancient temples and demand an end to a decades-old arrangement allowing only Muslim prayer there.Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has called for an independent probe into whether Israel has carried out extrajudicial killings of Palestinians, pointing to the number of attackers and suspected attackers shot dead.In response, Israel summoned the Swedish ambassador on Wednesday, saying it was "enraged" at Wallstrom's comments. Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz went as far as to call Wallstrom "anti-semitic, whether consciously or not".(Reporting by Dan Williams and Ali Sawafta, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Dominic Evans)
US defense deputy in Israel to review joint capabilities-Robert Work meets with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon; each says the other’s country is ‘cornerstone’ of strategy, security-By Judah Ari Gross and Stuart Winer January 14, 2016, 5:12 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met Thursday with US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, who is currently visiting Israel for a review of joint security capabilities.“Israel is a cornerstone in our policy and strategy in the Middle East,” Work said during a joint press conference with Ya’alon at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. “My being here is just another indicator of our relationship. The US has always stood with Israel and always will.”That relationship is especially vital in the face the “generational changes” and new threats in the Middle East, he said.“Your security is of utmost importance to the United State and the US military,” he added. “It’s been a real pleasure to sit down and exchange views on a wide variety of different technological capabilities.”Ya’alon told Work of Israel’s gratitude to the US for the two countries’ security cooperation.“ We benefit from this relationship very much, and we thank you very much,” he said. “We consider the relationship with the United States as the cornerstone of our national security.”Work also met with President Reuven Rivlin at his official residence in Jerusalem..@DepSecDefWork meets with President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem @PresidentRuvi pic.twitter.com/8y4eX8mAsk— USEmbassy TelAviv (@usembassyta) January 14, 2016-It was Work’s first visit to Israel, which he said is a beautiful country. His wife, Cassandra, who traveled with him, visited a hospital to meet with injured IDF soldiers after the couple arrived on Wednesday. The Works also planned on fitting in a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem during their short stay in the country.
Deri floats annulling Israeli IS fighters’ citizenship-In memo, interior minister proposes amendment to Citizenship Law to revoke status for jihadists abroad-By Times of Israel staff January 14, 2016, 5:39 pm
In one of his first moves in his second stint as interior minister, Aryeh Deri released a memorandum on Thursday outlining an amendment to the Citizenship Law, which if passed would give him the authority to revoke the citizenship of Israeli citizens who join the Islamic State group.Under the current law, the interior minister has the power to cancel the citizenship of an Israeli who becomes a citizen of an enemy state or does something constituting a “breach of allegiance” to Israel, or if it becomes clear that the individual acquired Israeli citizenship under false information.However, the law does not relate to someone meeting the aforementioned criteria who is out of the country at the time of the interior minister’s decision to annul citizenship, thus excluding, according to some estimates, the 100 to 150 Israeli citizens said to have traveled abroad to fight with IS.Deri’s proposed amendment would change that, allowing him to make the decision for such citizens if they are determined to have breached their allegiance to Israel.“We are talking about an important amendment to the Citizenship Law because recently we see more and more citizens of the state who take advantage of their Israeli citizenship and plan actions against [Israel],” Deri told the NRG news site.A number of politicians have called in recent months for revoking the citizenship of Israeli IS recruits. In a November cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had asked the attorney general “to move ahead with revoking the citizenship of anyone who joins the organization.”“Whoever joins Islamic State will not be an Israeli citizen, and if he leaves the country’s borders he will not return,” Netanyahu added and noted that the concept of revoking citizenship for those who join IS was becoming more accepted in the international community.In the wake of the November 13 IS attacks in Paris, the French government has also been pushing to annul the citizenship of convicted terrorists with dual nationality. Several recent polls indicated that 80 to 90 percent of the French are in favor of the measure.AP contributed to this report.
Al-Qaeda leader urges attacks on Saudi Arabia-Al-Zawahiri calls kingdom ‘rotten regime’ after dozens of jihadis executed, slams ‘Zionist-Crusader alliance’-By AP and Times of Israel staff January 14, 2016, 4:18 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The leader of al-Qaeda called for attacks on Saudi Arabia after the kingdom’s mass execution of 47 people in January, many of whom were tied to the terror group.Ayman al-Zawahiri’s comments came in a seven-minute audio recording released earlier this week and reported by a US-based terror monitor, the SITE Intelligence Group, on Thursday.In it, the Egyptian doctor and militant leader exhorted his followers to launch new attacks against the interests of the kingdom’s ruling Al Saud family, which he called a “rotten regime that corrupted your religion.”Zawahiri also called for attacks on “the Zionist-Crusader alliance,” referring to Israel and its Western allies, as “this is what hurts Al Saud much.” However, Saudi Arabia likely faces a greater threat from the Islamic State, which has claimed a series of attacks in the kingdom in recent months.The January 2 Saudi executions included a number of people convicted in al-Qaeda attacks that roiled the kingdom some 10 years ago. In the time since, however, al-Qaeda has been eclipsed by the Islamic State, originally a breakaway faction that now holds territory in Iraq and Syria.Zawahiri’s message comes amid high tensions between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite power Iran over the executions, which included that of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.Al-Zawahiri dismissed the killing of Nimr as part of the “Saudi-Iranian competition for power in the region.”After Nimr’s death, protesters in Iran attacked two of the kingdom’s diplomatic posts and the kingdom cut diplomatic ties to the Islamic Republic, raising regional tensions.In November, Zawahiri released a Twitter video praising Palestinian attacks against Israelis and calling for lone wolf attacks against Western countries, in particular the US.“The first matter is striking the West and specifically America in its own home, and attacking their interests that are spread everywhere,” Zawahiri said at the time, according to SITE.“The supporters of Israel must pay with their blood and their economy,” he added.AFP contributed to this report.
