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
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump said set to join end-of-May visit; new US ambassador expected here on May 15-Israeli newspaper claims Trump will recognize entire Jerusalem as Israel’s capital during trip-US president won’t, however, announce move of embassy from Tel Aviv, and will call for establishment of Palestinian state, Yedioth Ahronoth says-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 8:42 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
US President Donald Trump will reverse longstanding US policy by officially recognizing the entire city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but will not implement his election campaign pledge to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claimed Thursday. There was no confirmation of the report.According to the paper, Israel’s biggest selling daily, Trump will make the announcement during his upcoming visit to Israel, reportedly in late May — a trip the White House has confirmed it is “exploring.” He is also expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the paper said.Since Israel declared independence in 1948, US policy has been not to recognize any party as sovereign in any part of Jerusalem. During his election campaign, Trump vowed repeatedly to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, drawing fierce objections from the Palestinians. He will not announce an embassy move during his visit, the newspaper said, in its unsourced front page report.Israel extended sovereignty to East Jerusalem and the Old City and claims the entire city as its capital; the Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.No US president has visited Israel in the first months of his term.The report said a delegation of some 25 US officials was due to arrive in Israel Thursday to start planning what will be a key stop on Trump’s first overseas trip as president.The officials were expected to hold meetings at the Foreign Ministry, the President’s Residence and the Prime Minister’s Office.Trump — expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority during a lightning visit of around 36 hours in late May or early June — will be accompanied by his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both among his closest advisers, the report said. His wife Melania is expected to remain in the US.The president will likely combine the trip with visits to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, key players in any moves to establish regional peace. It will probably be timed to coincide with a NATO summit in Belgium on May 25.Next week, Trump will host Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, as a prelude to a possible summit involving Abbas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the Sunni Arab world.Such a summit would likely focus on the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative, which was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, as the path toward reaching a final-status agreement.Part of that framework includes a two-state outcome where Israel would withdraw from Palestinian-claimed territories and arrive at a “just” solution to the refugee issue in exchange for normalized ties with the entire Arab world.Yedioth Ahronoth said Netanyahu had already agreed to limit West Bank settlement building while Abbas had promised to try to curb Palestinian terror as confidence-building measures by both sides.Trump’s visit will reportedly be followed by trips to the region by his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations. The latter has already reportedly been set to come in June.Trump’s visit so early in his presidency stands in marked contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama’s first trip to the Jewish state, which only took place during his second presidential term.The new US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is due to arrive in Jerusalem on May 15 and to present his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin in June.
Israel unveils Remembrance Hall for fallen soldiers ahead of Memorial Day-The site, located at the entrance to the Mount Herzl national cemetery, will commemorate each of the country’s 23,000 killed-By Luke Tress April 27, 2017, 5:00 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel’s Defense Ministry unveiled a Remembrance Hall for the country’s fallen soldiers for the first time on Thursday, ahead of next week’s Memorial Day.The site, located at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl national cemetery and next to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, is currently in the final stage of construction and is meant to commemorate every one of the more than 23,000 soldiers killed since before the establishment of the state.“To remember each one is not a simple thing,” said Aryeh Mualem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Families and Commemoration Department. “This is exactly the place to remember each one of them.”Visitors will descend a flight of broad stone steps into a corridor where video of soldiers from different eras, starting with the pre-IDF Palmach forces, are projected onto a wall. The hall leads to an open space lined with benches, with an 18-meter-tall (59 feet) column made from over 6,000 stone bricks opening like a chimney into the sky overhead.A spiral path, supported by concrete pillars, winds upward around the column. The names of the fallen soldiers and the dates of their deaths are inscribed on the bricks lining the wall of the 260-meter (853-foot) path. A candle will be lit on the anniversary of each death. The names are arranged by the date the soldiers were killed, regardless of rank or unit, starting with the most recently killed at the bottom of the path. Light from the outdoors shines through gaps in the bricks. Commemorative columns toward the top of the path will display photos and information on soldiers who were killed on that day of the year.The end of the passageway, bearing the names of fighters killed in the 1930s, opens into the Mount Herzl cemetery.Many visitors will have a personal connection with soldiers who were killed, Mualem said, and will be able to locate their specific stone in the wall on a series of computers spaced throughout the path. Visitors will also be able to take a photo of a name and get information on the soldier and their story through an app.The memorial will allow the country to remember the soldiers as individuals, Mualem said, which is especially important today because many of their parents and relatives are getting old.“Who will remember their son when they pass on?” Mualem said. “We need to remember every one of them.”Construction of the memorial began in January 2015. The structure cost NIS 75 million ($20 million), with another NIS 14 million invested in multimedia. The site will first open to families of fallen soldiers on this year’s Memorial Day, May 1.
Intelligence minister appears to confirm Israeli strike on Syria-Yisrael Katz says preventing weapons from reaching Hezbollah is ‘completely compatible’ with Jerusalem’s policy; Syrian state media says raid targeted military installation-By Times of Israel staff and Agencies April 27, 2017, 9:53 am
Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz on Thursday appeared to confirm reports that Israel was behind an overnight airstrike near the Damascus airport.Katz, who is also transportation minister, told Army Radio in an interview Thursday morning that “the incident is completely compatible with our policy of preventing weapons transfer to Hezbollah,” the Lebanon-based terror group supported by the Syrian regime and Iran.“Every time we receive intelligence information on plans to transfer advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, we will act,” the minister added. “We must prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria.”Explosions rocked the area around Damascus’s airport earlier on Thursday morning, setting off fires. Syria’s state media SANA said Israel fired several missiles from inside the Golan Heights south of the capital at a military installation near the capital’s main airport, triggering several blasts and causing damage.There were no immediate reports of casualties.An unnamed regional intelligence source, quoted by Reuters, said the strike was carried out by Israel and targeted an Iran-supplied Hezbollah arms depot.The Hezbollah-linked Al-Manar news site also attributed the raid to the Jewish state, saying an initial missile strike against a weapons warehouse belonging to government forces caused fuel silos to explode, leading to a cascade of explosions that damaged a few nearby homes.Explosions were also reported in the Al-Mazzeh area of the Syrian capital, apparently at the Mazzeh Air Base, a military airstrip used by regime forces.Israel is widely believed to have carried out airstrikes on advanced weapons systems in Syria — including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles — as well as Hezbollah positions, but it rarely confirms such operations on an individual basis.Video shows moments explosions start near Damascus airport tonight. Local media attributing to Israel. More details likely to emerge later. pic.twitter.com/jhiOZjUHnV— Israel Breaking (@IsraelBreaking) April 27, 2017-In April 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel had attacked dozens of convoys transporting weapons in Syria destined for Hezbollah, which fought a 2006 war with Israel and is now battling alongside the Damascus regime.Late last month, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said the IDF only carries out raids in Syria for three reasons: when Israel comes under fire, to prevent arms transfers, and to avert a “ticking timebomb,” namely to thwart imminent terror attacks on Israel by groups on its borders.The alleged Israeli airstrike on Thursday came a day after Liberman met with Russian ministers in Moscow. Despite Russia’s alliance with both Iran and Hezbollah, Israel and Russia have maintained a level of security coordination in order to prevent conflicts between their two militaries in Syria, where Moscow is fighting against opponents of the Assad regime.
Israel at 69 has 8,680,000 citizens, 43% of world Jewry-Central Bureau of Statistics figures show number of residents increased by 1.9% in the past year, including 174,000 babies-By Stuart Winer April 27, 2017, 4:55 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel’s population stands at 8,680,000 and is increasing at nearly two percent a year, according to figures released on Thursday by the Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of the country’s 69th Independence Day next week.Over the past 12 months some 174,000 babies were born, 44,000 people died and 30,000 new immigrants arrived in the country. Overall, the population increased by 1.9%, and at the current rate will hit 15.2 million by the time Israel celebrates its centenary in 2048.Independence Day begins with celebrations on Monday night, as the country transitions from Memorial Day — 24 hours of mourning for its fallen soldiers and terror victims.In 1948 there were just 806,000 people in Israel, less than a tenth of the current number. At the time, the global Jewish population was 11.5 million, and just 6% were in Israel. There are now estimated to be 14.4 million Jewish people in the world and 43% of them are in the Jewish state.Whereas in 1949 the life expectancy for women in Israel was 67.6 years and 64.9 for men, by the end of 2015 it was 84.5 for women and 80.9 for men.The 6,484,000 Jews in the country make up 74.4% of all residents, while 1.8 million Arabs account for 20.8% and non-Arab Christians and other ethnic groups number 388,000 people, or 4.4% of the population.Among today’s Jewish population, 75% were born in Israel, and over half are second-generation Israelis. In 1948, however, just 35% of the Jews living in Israel were born in pre-state Palestine.Just over half of the population, 54.3%, are between the ages of 19 and 64. The over-65 set makes up 11.1% of the population, and those 18 years old or less are 34.6%. At the end of 2015 there were 45,000 residents over the age of 90, the CBS noted.Less than half of Israel’s Jews, 44%, consider themselves secular, 24% are traditional but not so religious, 12% are traditional religious, 11% are religious, and 9% are ultra-Orthodox.Among the non-Jewish population, 52% see themselves as religious, 21% are secular, 23% not so religious, and 4% very religious.Jerusalem is the biggest city with 865,700 residents, while the smallest community is the southern hamlet of Neve Zohar, in the Tamar Regional Council, with a population of 71.
PA tells Israel it will no longer pay for Gaza’s electricity-Hamas calls move ‘a dangerous escalation, and a fit of insanity’ as enclave’s energy crisis spirals-By Dov Lieber April 27, 2017, 11:57 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday informed Israel it would no longer pay for electricity that the Jewish state supplies to the Gaza Strip, as a power crisis in the Hamas-run enclave deepened.News of the PA refusal to sponsor electricity came in a statement by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri called the move “a dangerous escalation, and a fit of insanity.”“We warn Israel against taking this move,” he said.The move is one of a series of measures taken recently by the PA, aimed at forcing Hamas to either take full responsibility for the territory it governs, or to relinquish control back to the PA.The PA’s power play comes during an existing energy crisis, after Hamas refused to buy fuel from the PA for the enclave’s only power plant.Currently, the energy shortage in Gaza has left the Strip’s residents with as little as four hours of power a day.The World Bank said on Thursday the power cuts have led to a “humanitarian crisis,” hitting hospitals, clinics, water supply and other vital services, as well as household needs.Without energy provided by Israel, it is unclear how Gaza can maintain even its current scarce levels of electricity.Israel has been providing Gaza energy through 10 power lines, supplying 125 megawatts, which is 30 percent of the amount needed to power Gaza 24 hours a day.The cost of this energy supply, which was paid for by the PA, was NIS 40 million a month.The only other source of energy is provided by Egyptian power lines, which provide 25 megawatts — just 6.25% of the amount necessary to power Gaza for a full day.Private individuals or international donors can pick up the energy bill for Gaza.In the past, Qatar has stepped in to buy fuel for the power plant, but has so far showed no intention of coming to the Strip’s rescue in the current crisis.The Hamas terror group seized power in Gaza in 2007 from the Ramallah-based Fatah organization of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Since then, however, the PA has continued to use a large amount of its small budget to pay for vital infrastructure in the enclave.In 2016, the PA’s overall budget was $4.14 billion, of which the Gaza Strip’s share was $1.65 billion–approximately 40 percent of PA funds.At the same time, Hamas has continued to impose high taxes on Gaza’s residents, while funneling the revenue into its coffers and military wing for weaponry to fight Israel.The renewed push by the PA to regain a foothold in Gaza comes ahead of Abbas’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House next week. Ahead of the Washington confab, Abbas was under pressure to show that he represents all Palestinians, including those in Gaza.In March, Hamas announced it would form an administrative committee to further its governance in Gaza. The announcement infuriated Abbas, who immediately began taking steps to squeeze Hamas out of power.In early April, Abbas reduced by one-third the salaries of tens of thousands of employees of the pre-Hamas government in Gaza who had been paid for the last decade, on condition that they stay home.The ongoing salary payments had been intended to ensure loyalty to Abbas, but inadvertently also propped up Hamas by injecting cash into Gaza’s fragile economy.Khalil al-Haya, the second-highest ranking Hamas leader in Gaza, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Abbas will fail “if he tries to make Gaza kneel or expects to win our loyalty by force.”“You can’t punish the one who lives in tough conditions,” al-Haya said. “Gaza is an explosive barrel and he (Abbas) cannot press this barrel more. If he does, it’s going to explode in his face and in all directions.”Avi Issacharoff and agencies contributed to this report.
Hundreds hold up traffic in Tel Aviv to protest ammonia tank closure-Workers demonstrate against possible loss of 1,500 jobs in run-up to High Court ruling on state request to delay facility shutdown-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 2:19 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hundreds of workers from a chemical company in the northern city of Haifa on Thursday blocked traffic on a main junction in Tel Aviv in protest of the expected loss of some 1,500 jobs when the ammonia factory that employs them closes down.The High Court of Justice was scheduled to rule later in the day on a government request, submitted Wednesday, to issue another injunction to further delay the court-ordered closure of the facility.The protesters called on Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin to find a solution that would avoid mass layoffs.“The lack of a solution will lead to the firing of thousands of workers on the periphery [of the country],” said Yehuda Peretz, chair of Haifa Chemicals South.In its request to the court, the government asked that the emptying of the ammonia storage facility owned by Haifa Chemicals, slated to be carried out this month, be delayed until June in order to allow fertilizer companies that rely on the ammonia sufficient time to prepare for the tank’s closure and prevent “a possible shutdown of the fertilizer industry in Israel.”The request came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday with Elkin and Economy Minister Eli Cohen, as well as representatives of other government ministries, and asked them to consider keeping the massive tank operating for another two years until an alternative is found, according to documents submitted to the court.Following reports on Monday about the new postponement request, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav accused Netanyahu of endangering the lives of Haifa area residents.Local officials, led by Yahav, say that tens of thousands of people could die if the 12,000-ton-capacity tank should rupture, and that even more would be at risk if a monthly delivery ship that brings ammonia to the massive tank from abroad is hit by a missile.Netanyahu’s office clarified in a statement on Monday that the delay that was discussed was for a number of weeks, not two years, and was aimed at finding a solution to avoid the mass layoffs.
German soldier, posing as refugee, arrested in attack plot-Suspect had been temporarily detained in February when he tried to retrieve an unregistered handgun from an airport toilet seat-By AFP April 27, 2017, 3:01 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
BERLIN — A German soldier who pretended to be a Syrian refugee has been arrested on suspicion he planned a gun attack with racist motives, prosecutors said Thursday.The 28-year-old suspect who was not identified was thought to have a “xenophobic background,” they said — while Die Welt daily reported he may have plotted to pin the blame for an attack on foreigners.The strange case involved a joint police operation across Germany, France and Austria with raids on 16 locations, prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a statement.They arrested the soldier — a lieutenant usually stationed on a Franco-German military base near Strasbourg — in the southern German city of Hammelburg on Wednesday.German soldier posed as Syrian refugee, planned attack: cops https://t.co/kZUsSvxtC1 pic.twitter.com/mu7rzfs1Db— integra_hellsing (@integra_66) April 27, 2017-On the same day they also arrested a second German man, a 24-year-old student and alleged co-conspirator in possession of objects that breach weapons and explosives laws, they said.The lieutenant had been temporarily detained by Austrian police on February 3 at Vienna airport when he tried to retrieve a loaded, unregistered handgun he had days earlier hidden in a toilet there.This sparked an investigation that threw up an even bigger surprise: the suspect had in December 2015 created a false identity as a Syrian refugee.He had registered himself at a refugee shelter in the central German state of Hesse and later even launched a request for political asylum in Bavaria state, said the prosecution statement.Die Welt reported that the request was accepted, even though the man speaks no Arabic.He was alloted a place in the refugee home and has since January 2016 received monthly financial payments under this false identity, the prosecutors said.“These findings, and indications of a xenophobic background of the Bundeswehr soldier, suggest that the accused was planning a serious crime endangering state security with the weapon that was earlier deposited at Vienna airport,” said the statement.Security services in the sweeping cross-border raids targeting contacts of the two men confiscated mobile phones, laptops and written materials, said the statement.
Lawyer jailed for 7.5 years for serving as Hamas agent-Muhammed Abad, convicted of relaying info between terror group’s leadership and security prisoners, to appeal sentence-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 4:22 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
An Israeli court on Thursday sentenced a lawyer to seven and a half years in prison for helping to relay information between Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails and the terror group’s leaders in the Gaza Strip.Muhammad Abed, whose clients included security prisoners, was in contact with Firas Fidi, a Hamas activist who was convicted of carrying out terror attacks in Israel, sentenced to life imprisonment, and then released to Gaza as part of the 2011 prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.He was also convicted of being in touch with five “foreign agents,” with the aim of helping Hamas and harming state security.In addition to the prison term, the Haifa District Court gave Abed a choice between one year’s suspended sentence, a NIS 50,000 ($13,700) fine to be paid by May 1, 2018, and an additional five months behind bars.Responding to the sentence, Abed told Channel 2 news that he’d been done an injustice and would appeal to the Supreme Court.Abed’s lawyer, Ahmad Yunis, said the charges were “absurd” and noted that former Joint (Arab) List lawymaker Basel Ghattas was given only two years in prison as part of a plea bargain for the worse crime of smuggling cellphones to inmates.
Trump reported to set Israel visit for May 22-Russian warship collides with freighter in Black Sea north of Istanbul; Iran’s defense minister condemns reported Israeli strike on Damascus-By Ilan Ben Zion April 27, 2017, 2:10 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
16:06-Russia urges restraint, ‘respect of the sovereignty of Syria’-The Kremlin on Thursday called for restraint after Syria accused Israel of firing several missiles at a military position near the Damascus airport.“We continue to consider that all countries need to refrain from any kind of actions that lead to an increase in tension in this already restive region and call for respect of the sovereignty of Syria,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.— AFP-16:01-Trump may visit on May 22-A handful of Israeli reporters cite an unnamed Israeli official saying the date being discussed for a prospective visit by US President Donald Trump is May 22. Tal Shalev of Walla news says Trump would stay in Israel for a single night.The current date being discussed for @POTUS visit to Israel is the 22th of may, with one night of stay— Tal Shalev (@talshalev1) April 27, 2017-15:52-Jewish Home votes for party leader-Members of the national religious Jewish Home party are going to the polls today for internal elections to pick a party leader.All 69 polling stations have opened in the Jewish Home party leadership primaries.Polling stations opened across the country at 2 p.m. but there were issues with the computer system in 3 locations in Jerusalem, Beersheba and Efrat. The problems have been resolved and voting is underway.In total, 30,734 Jewish Home members are eligible to vote in the election in which incumbent leader Naftali Bennett is facing challenges from former IDF colonel Yonatan Branski and Rabbi Yizhak Zagha.Polling stations close at 9 p.m. and results are expected be released around 11 p.m.— Raoul Wootliff-15:48-Russia warship sinks with none aboard — Turkish coast guard-Turkish coast guard says that Russian navy ship has sunk off Istanbul with nobody on board.— AP-15:16-Russian intelligence ship reportedly sinking in Black Sea-The Russian navy research ship Liman “sustained a hull breach due to a collision” with the ship Ashot-7, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the Bosphorus Strait, the Russia’s defense ministry says in a statement carried by Russian agencies.The ship was reportedly sinking.— AFP contributed-15:07-At least 45 people rescued from Russian warship-Private Turkish television station NTV says 45 Russian soldiers were rescued after a warship collided with another vessel in the Black Sea on Thursday.Reuters quotes a Turkish official saying at least 78 people were evacuated from the warship.NTV says rescue boats and helicopters have been dispatched to the area.— AP and Times of Israel staff-14:44-Russian warship collides with freighter off Istanbul-A Russian warship has reportedly collided with a freighter north of Istanbul in the Black Sea.The ship was a livestock carrier heading from Romania to Jordan’s port at Aqaba.Turkish media reports that 15 Russian soldiers are missing.— AP contributed-14:30-Syrian official says Israeli strike aimed to help rebels-A Syrian military source quoted by the official state news agency says that Israel’s missile strike on a Damascus airport was an attempt to help rebel groups fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.The SANA news agency reports that the attack “comes as a desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale of terrorist groups due to the Syrian army’s blows and this aggression will not dissuade the army from continuing the war against terrorism and crushing it.”-14:12-German soldier, posing as refugee, arrested in attack plot-A German soldier who pretended to be a Syrian refugee has been arrested on suspicion he planned a gun attack with racist motives, prosecutors said Thursday.The 28-year-old suspect who was not identified was thought to have a “xenophobic background,” they said — while Die Welt daily reported he may have plotted to pin the blame for an attack on foreigners.The strange case involved a joint police operation across Germany, France and Austria with raids on 16 locations, prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a statement.They arrested the soldier — a lieutenant usually stationed on a Franco-German military base near Strasbourg — in the southern German city of Hammelburg on Wednesday.On the same day they also arrested a second German man, a 24-year-old student and alleged co-conspirator in possession of objects that breach weapons and explosives laws, they said.— AFP-14:11-Lawyer jailed for sending messages for Hamas-Haifa’s District Court sentences a lawyer to 7.5 years in prison for passing intelligence to Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails.Mohammed Abed was found guilty of communicating with the Hamas leadership and communicating messages to imprisoned terror group members.14:11-Iranian minister condemns reported Israeli strike-Iran’s defense minister has condemned the reported Israeli airstrike on a Damascus airport.Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan was quoted by Russia Today’s Arabic language broadcaster a day after he met with his Russian and Syrian counterparts in Moscow.
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
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump said set to join end-of-May visit; new US ambassador expected here on May 15-Israeli newspaper claims Trump will recognize entire Jerusalem as Israel’s capital during trip-US president won’t, however, announce move of embassy from Tel Aviv, and will call for establishment of Palestinian state, Yedioth Ahronoth says-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 8:42 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
US President Donald Trump will reverse longstanding US policy by officially recognizing the entire city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but will not implement his election campaign pledge to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claimed Thursday. There was no confirmation of the report.According to the paper, Israel’s biggest selling daily, Trump will make the announcement during his upcoming visit to Israel, reportedly in late May — a trip the White House has confirmed it is “exploring.” He is also expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the paper said.Since Israel declared independence in 1948, US policy has been not to recognize any party as sovereign in any part of Jerusalem. During his election campaign, Trump vowed repeatedly to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, drawing fierce objections from the Palestinians. He will not announce an embassy move during his visit, the newspaper said, in its unsourced front page report.Israel extended sovereignty to East Jerusalem and the Old City and claims the entire city as its capital; the Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.No US president has visited Israel in the first months of his term.The report said a delegation of some 25 US officials was due to arrive in Israel Thursday to start planning what will be a key stop on Trump’s first overseas trip as president.The officials were expected to hold meetings at the Foreign Ministry, the President’s Residence and the Prime Minister’s Office.Trump — expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority during a lightning visit of around 36 hours in late May or early June — will be accompanied by his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both among his closest advisers, the report said. His wife Melania is expected to remain in the US.The president will likely combine the trip with visits to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, key players in any moves to establish regional peace. It will probably be timed to coincide with a NATO summit in Belgium on May 25.Next week, Trump will host Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, as a prelude to a possible summit involving Abbas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the Sunni Arab world.Such a summit would likely focus on the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative, which was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, as the path toward reaching a final-status agreement.Part of that framework includes a two-state outcome where Israel would withdraw from Palestinian-claimed territories and arrive at a “just” solution to the refugee issue in exchange for normalized ties with the entire Arab world.Yedioth Ahronoth said Netanyahu had already agreed to limit West Bank settlement building while Abbas had promised to try to curb Palestinian terror as confidence-building measures by both sides.Trump’s visit will reportedly be followed by trips to the region by his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations. The latter has already reportedly been set to come in June.Trump’s visit so early in his presidency stands in marked contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama’s first trip to the Jewish state, which only took place during his second presidential term.The new US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is due to arrive in Jerusalem on May 15 and to present his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin in June.
Israel unveils Remembrance Hall for fallen soldiers ahead of Memorial Day-The site, located at the entrance to the Mount Herzl national cemetery, will commemorate each of the country’s 23,000 killed-By Luke Tress April 27, 2017, 5:00 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel’s Defense Ministry unveiled a Remembrance Hall for the country’s fallen soldiers for the first time on Thursday, ahead of next week’s Memorial Day.The site, located at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl national cemetery and next to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, is currently in the final stage of construction and is meant to commemorate every one of the more than 23,000 soldiers killed since before the establishment of the state.“To remember each one is not a simple thing,” said Aryeh Mualem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Families and Commemoration Department. “This is exactly the place to remember each one of them.”Visitors will descend a flight of broad stone steps into a corridor where video of soldiers from different eras, starting with the pre-IDF Palmach forces, are projected onto a wall. The hall leads to an open space lined with benches, with an 18-meter-tall (59 feet) column made from over 6,000 stone bricks opening like a chimney into the sky overhead.A spiral path, supported by concrete pillars, winds upward around the column. The names of the fallen soldiers and the dates of their deaths are inscribed on the bricks lining the wall of the 260-meter (853-foot) path. A candle will be lit on the anniversary of each death. The names are arranged by the date the soldiers were killed, regardless of rank or unit, starting with the most recently killed at the bottom of the path. Light from the outdoors shines through gaps in the bricks. Commemorative columns toward the top of the path will display photos and information on soldiers who were killed on that day of the year.The end of the passageway, bearing the names of fighters killed in the 1930s, opens into the Mount Herzl cemetery.Many visitors will have a personal connection with soldiers who were killed, Mualem said, and will be able to locate their specific stone in the wall on a series of computers spaced throughout the path. Visitors will also be able to take a photo of a name and get information on the soldier and their story through an app.The memorial will allow the country to remember the soldiers as individuals, Mualem said, which is especially important today because many of their parents and relatives are getting old.“Who will remember their son when they pass on?” Mualem said. “We need to remember every one of them.”Construction of the memorial began in January 2015. The structure cost NIS 75 million ($20 million), with another NIS 14 million invested in multimedia. The site will first open to families of fallen soldiers on this year’s Memorial Day, May 1.
Intelligence minister appears to confirm Israeli strike on Syria-Yisrael Katz says preventing weapons from reaching Hezbollah is ‘completely compatible’ with Jerusalem’s policy; Syrian state media says raid targeted military installation-By Times of Israel staff and Agencies April 27, 2017, 9:53 am
Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz on Thursday appeared to confirm reports that Israel was behind an overnight airstrike near the Damascus airport.Katz, who is also transportation minister, told Army Radio in an interview Thursday morning that “the incident is completely compatible with our policy of preventing weapons transfer to Hezbollah,” the Lebanon-based terror group supported by the Syrian regime and Iran.“Every time we receive intelligence information on plans to transfer advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, we will act,” the minister added. “We must prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria.”Explosions rocked the area around Damascus’s airport earlier on Thursday morning, setting off fires. Syria’s state media SANA said Israel fired several missiles from inside the Golan Heights south of the capital at a military installation near the capital’s main airport, triggering several blasts and causing damage.There were no immediate reports of casualties.An unnamed regional intelligence source, quoted by Reuters, said the strike was carried out by Israel and targeted an Iran-supplied Hezbollah arms depot.The Hezbollah-linked Al-Manar news site also attributed the raid to the Jewish state, saying an initial missile strike against a weapons warehouse belonging to government forces caused fuel silos to explode, leading to a cascade of explosions that damaged a few nearby homes.Explosions were also reported in the Al-Mazzeh area of the Syrian capital, apparently at the Mazzeh Air Base, a military airstrip used by regime forces.Israel is widely believed to have carried out airstrikes on advanced weapons systems in Syria — including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles — as well as Hezbollah positions, but it rarely confirms such operations on an individual basis.Video shows moments explosions start near Damascus airport tonight. Local media attributing to Israel. More details likely to emerge later. pic.twitter.com/jhiOZjUHnV— Israel Breaking (@IsraelBreaking) April 27, 2017-In April 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel had attacked dozens of convoys transporting weapons in Syria destined for Hezbollah, which fought a 2006 war with Israel and is now battling alongside the Damascus regime.Late last month, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said the IDF only carries out raids in Syria for three reasons: when Israel comes under fire, to prevent arms transfers, and to avert a “ticking timebomb,” namely to thwart imminent terror attacks on Israel by groups on its borders.The alleged Israeli airstrike on Thursday came a day after Liberman met with Russian ministers in Moscow. Despite Russia’s alliance with both Iran and Hezbollah, Israel and Russia have maintained a level of security coordination in order to prevent conflicts between their two militaries in Syria, where Moscow is fighting against opponents of the Assad regime.
Israel at 69 has 8,680,000 citizens, 43% of world Jewry-Central Bureau of Statistics figures show number of residents increased by 1.9% in the past year, including 174,000 babies-By Stuart Winer April 27, 2017, 4:55 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel’s population stands at 8,680,000 and is increasing at nearly two percent a year, according to figures released on Thursday by the Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of the country’s 69th Independence Day next week.Over the past 12 months some 174,000 babies were born, 44,000 people died and 30,000 new immigrants arrived in the country. Overall, the population increased by 1.9%, and at the current rate will hit 15.2 million by the time Israel celebrates its centenary in 2048.Independence Day begins with celebrations on Monday night, as the country transitions from Memorial Day — 24 hours of mourning for its fallen soldiers and terror victims.In 1948 there were just 806,000 people in Israel, less than a tenth of the current number. At the time, the global Jewish population was 11.5 million, and just 6% were in Israel. There are now estimated to be 14.4 million Jewish people in the world and 43% of them are in the Jewish state.Whereas in 1949 the life expectancy for women in Israel was 67.6 years and 64.9 for men, by the end of 2015 it was 84.5 for women and 80.9 for men.The 6,484,000 Jews in the country make up 74.4% of all residents, while 1.8 million Arabs account for 20.8% and non-Arab Christians and other ethnic groups number 388,000 people, or 4.4% of the population.Among today’s Jewish population, 75% were born in Israel, and over half are second-generation Israelis. In 1948, however, just 35% of the Jews living in Israel were born in pre-state Palestine.Just over half of the population, 54.3%, are between the ages of 19 and 64. The over-65 set makes up 11.1% of the population, and those 18 years old or less are 34.6%. At the end of 2015 there were 45,000 residents over the age of 90, the CBS noted.Less than half of Israel’s Jews, 44%, consider themselves secular, 24% are traditional but not so religious, 12% are traditional religious, 11% are religious, and 9% are ultra-Orthodox.Among the non-Jewish population, 52% see themselves as religious, 21% are secular, 23% not so religious, and 4% very religious.Jerusalem is the biggest city with 865,700 residents, while the smallest community is the southern hamlet of Neve Zohar, in the Tamar Regional Council, with a population of 71.
PA tells Israel it will no longer pay for Gaza’s electricity-Hamas calls move ‘a dangerous escalation, and a fit of insanity’ as enclave’s energy crisis spirals-By Dov Lieber April 27, 2017, 11:57 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday informed Israel it would no longer pay for electricity that the Jewish state supplies to the Gaza Strip, as a power crisis in the Hamas-run enclave deepened.News of the PA refusal to sponsor electricity came in a statement by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri called the move “a dangerous escalation, and a fit of insanity.”“We warn Israel against taking this move,” he said.The move is one of a series of measures taken recently by the PA, aimed at forcing Hamas to either take full responsibility for the territory it governs, or to relinquish control back to the PA.The PA’s power play comes during an existing energy crisis, after Hamas refused to buy fuel from the PA for the enclave’s only power plant.Currently, the energy shortage in Gaza has left the Strip’s residents with as little as four hours of power a day.The World Bank said on Thursday the power cuts have led to a “humanitarian crisis,” hitting hospitals, clinics, water supply and other vital services, as well as household needs.Without energy provided by Israel, it is unclear how Gaza can maintain even its current scarce levels of electricity.Israel has been providing Gaza energy through 10 power lines, supplying 125 megawatts, which is 30 percent of the amount needed to power Gaza 24 hours a day.The cost of this energy supply, which was paid for by the PA, was NIS 40 million a month.The only other source of energy is provided by Egyptian power lines, which provide 25 megawatts — just 6.25% of the amount necessary to power Gaza for a full day.Private individuals or international donors can pick up the energy bill for Gaza.In the past, Qatar has stepped in to buy fuel for the power plant, but has so far showed no intention of coming to the Strip’s rescue in the current crisis.The Hamas terror group seized power in Gaza in 2007 from the Ramallah-based Fatah organization of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Since then, however, the PA has continued to use a large amount of its small budget to pay for vital infrastructure in the enclave.In 2016, the PA’s overall budget was $4.14 billion, of which the Gaza Strip’s share was $1.65 billion–approximately 40 percent of PA funds.At the same time, Hamas has continued to impose high taxes on Gaza’s residents, while funneling the revenue into its coffers and military wing for weaponry to fight Israel.The renewed push by the PA to regain a foothold in Gaza comes ahead of Abbas’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House next week. Ahead of the Washington confab, Abbas was under pressure to show that he represents all Palestinians, including those in Gaza.In March, Hamas announced it would form an administrative committee to further its governance in Gaza. The announcement infuriated Abbas, who immediately began taking steps to squeeze Hamas out of power.In early April, Abbas reduced by one-third the salaries of tens of thousands of employees of the pre-Hamas government in Gaza who had been paid for the last decade, on condition that they stay home.The ongoing salary payments had been intended to ensure loyalty to Abbas, but inadvertently also propped up Hamas by injecting cash into Gaza’s fragile economy.Khalil al-Haya, the second-highest ranking Hamas leader in Gaza, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Abbas will fail “if he tries to make Gaza kneel or expects to win our loyalty by force.”“You can’t punish the one who lives in tough conditions,” al-Haya said. “Gaza is an explosive barrel and he (Abbas) cannot press this barrel more. If he does, it’s going to explode in his face and in all directions.”Avi Issacharoff and agencies contributed to this report.
Hundreds hold up traffic in Tel Aviv to protest ammonia tank closure-Workers demonstrate against possible loss of 1,500 jobs in run-up to High Court ruling on state request to delay facility shutdown-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 2:19 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hundreds of workers from a chemical company in the northern city of Haifa on Thursday blocked traffic on a main junction in Tel Aviv in protest of the expected loss of some 1,500 jobs when the ammonia factory that employs them closes down.The High Court of Justice was scheduled to rule later in the day on a government request, submitted Wednesday, to issue another injunction to further delay the court-ordered closure of the facility.The protesters called on Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin to find a solution that would avoid mass layoffs.“The lack of a solution will lead to the firing of thousands of workers on the periphery [of the country],” said Yehuda Peretz, chair of Haifa Chemicals South.In its request to the court, the government asked that the emptying of the ammonia storage facility owned by Haifa Chemicals, slated to be carried out this month, be delayed until June in order to allow fertilizer companies that rely on the ammonia sufficient time to prepare for the tank’s closure and prevent “a possible shutdown of the fertilizer industry in Israel.”The request came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday with Elkin and Economy Minister Eli Cohen, as well as representatives of other government ministries, and asked them to consider keeping the massive tank operating for another two years until an alternative is found, according to documents submitted to the court.Following reports on Monday about the new postponement request, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav accused Netanyahu of endangering the lives of Haifa area residents.Local officials, led by Yahav, say that tens of thousands of people could die if the 12,000-ton-capacity tank should rupture, and that even more would be at risk if a monthly delivery ship that brings ammonia to the massive tank from abroad is hit by a missile.Netanyahu’s office clarified in a statement on Monday that the delay that was discussed was for a number of weeks, not two years, and was aimed at finding a solution to avoid the mass layoffs.
German soldier, posing as refugee, arrested in attack plot-Suspect had been temporarily detained in February when he tried to retrieve an unregistered handgun from an airport toilet seat-By AFP April 27, 2017, 3:01 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
BERLIN — A German soldier who pretended to be a Syrian refugee has been arrested on suspicion he planned a gun attack with racist motives, prosecutors said Thursday.The 28-year-old suspect who was not identified was thought to have a “xenophobic background,” they said — while Die Welt daily reported he may have plotted to pin the blame for an attack on foreigners.The strange case involved a joint police operation across Germany, France and Austria with raids on 16 locations, prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a statement.They arrested the soldier — a lieutenant usually stationed on a Franco-German military base near Strasbourg — in the southern German city of Hammelburg on Wednesday.German soldier posed as Syrian refugee, planned attack: cops https://t.co/kZUsSvxtC1 pic.twitter.com/mu7rzfs1Db— integra_hellsing (@integra_66) April 27, 2017-On the same day they also arrested a second German man, a 24-year-old student and alleged co-conspirator in possession of objects that breach weapons and explosives laws, they said.The lieutenant had been temporarily detained by Austrian police on February 3 at Vienna airport when he tried to retrieve a loaded, unregistered handgun he had days earlier hidden in a toilet there.This sparked an investigation that threw up an even bigger surprise: the suspect had in December 2015 created a false identity as a Syrian refugee.He had registered himself at a refugee shelter in the central German state of Hesse and later even launched a request for political asylum in Bavaria state, said the prosecution statement.Die Welt reported that the request was accepted, even though the man speaks no Arabic.He was alloted a place in the refugee home and has since January 2016 received monthly financial payments under this false identity, the prosecutors said.“These findings, and indications of a xenophobic background of the Bundeswehr soldier, suggest that the accused was planning a serious crime endangering state security with the weapon that was earlier deposited at Vienna airport,” said the statement.Security services in the sweeping cross-border raids targeting contacts of the two men confiscated mobile phones, laptops and written materials, said the statement.
Lawyer jailed for 7.5 years for serving as Hamas agent-Muhammed Abad, convicted of relaying info between terror group’s leadership and security prisoners, to appeal sentence-By Sue Surkes April 27, 2017, 4:22 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
An Israeli court on Thursday sentenced a lawyer to seven and a half years in prison for helping to relay information between Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails and the terror group’s leaders in the Gaza Strip.Muhammad Abed, whose clients included security prisoners, was in contact with Firas Fidi, a Hamas activist who was convicted of carrying out terror attacks in Israel, sentenced to life imprisonment, and then released to Gaza as part of the 2011 prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.He was also convicted of being in touch with five “foreign agents,” with the aim of helping Hamas and harming state security.In addition to the prison term, the Haifa District Court gave Abed a choice between one year’s suspended sentence, a NIS 50,000 ($13,700) fine to be paid by May 1, 2018, and an additional five months behind bars.Responding to the sentence, Abed told Channel 2 news that he’d been done an injustice and would appeal to the Supreme Court.Abed’s lawyer, Ahmad Yunis, said the charges were “absurd” and noted that former Joint (Arab) List lawymaker Basel Ghattas was given only two years in prison as part of a plea bargain for the worse crime of smuggling cellphones to inmates.
Trump reported to set Israel visit for May 22-Russian warship collides with freighter in Black Sea north of Istanbul; Iran’s defense minister condemns reported Israeli strike on Damascus-By Ilan Ben Zion April 27, 2017, 2:10 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
16:06-Russia urges restraint, ‘respect of the sovereignty of Syria’-The Kremlin on Thursday called for restraint after Syria accused Israel of firing several missiles at a military position near the Damascus airport.“We continue to consider that all countries need to refrain from any kind of actions that lead to an increase in tension in this already restive region and call for respect of the sovereignty of Syria,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.— AFP-16:01-Trump may visit on May 22-A handful of Israeli reporters cite an unnamed Israeli official saying the date being discussed for a prospective visit by US President Donald Trump is May 22. Tal Shalev of Walla news says Trump would stay in Israel for a single night.The current date being discussed for @POTUS visit to Israel is the 22th of may, with one night of stay— Tal Shalev (@talshalev1) April 27, 2017-15:52-Jewish Home votes for party leader-Members of the national religious Jewish Home party are going to the polls today for internal elections to pick a party leader.All 69 polling stations have opened in the Jewish Home party leadership primaries.Polling stations opened across the country at 2 p.m. but there were issues with the computer system in 3 locations in Jerusalem, Beersheba and Efrat. The problems have been resolved and voting is underway.In total, 30,734 Jewish Home members are eligible to vote in the election in which incumbent leader Naftali Bennett is facing challenges from former IDF colonel Yonatan Branski and Rabbi Yizhak Zagha.Polling stations close at 9 p.m. and results are expected be released around 11 p.m.— Raoul Wootliff-15:48-Russia warship sinks with none aboard — Turkish coast guard-Turkish coast guard says that Russian navy ship has sunk off Istanbul with nobody on board.— AP-15:16-Russian intelligence ship reportedly sinking in Black Sea-The Russian navy research ship Liman “sustained a hull breach due to a collision” with the ship Ashot-7, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the Bosphorus Strait, the Russia’s defense ministry says in a statement carried by Russian agencies.The ship was reportedly sinking.— AFP contributed-15:07-At least 45 people rescued from Russian warship-Private Turkish television station NTV says 45 Russian soldiers were rescued after a warship collided with another vessel in the Black Sea on Thursday.Reuters quotes a Turkish official saying at least 78 people were evacuated from the warship.NTV says rescue boats and helicopters have been dispatched to the area.— AP and Times of Israel staff-14:44-Russian warship collides with freighter off Istanbul-A Russian warship has reportedly collided with a freighter north of Istanbul in the Black Sea.The ship was a livestock carrier heading from Romania to Jordan’s port at Aqaba.Turkish media reports that 15 Russian soldiers are missing.— AP contributed-14:30-Syrian official says Israeli strike aimed to help rebels-A Syrian military source quoted by the official state news agency says that Israel’s missile strike on a Damascus airport was an attempt to help rebel groups fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.The SANA news agency reports that the attack “comes as a desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale of terrorist groups due to the Syrian army’s blows and this aggression will not dissuade the army from continuing the war against terrorism and crushing it.”-14:12-German soldier, posing as refugee, arrested in attack plot-A German soldier who pretended to be a Syrian refugee has been arrested on suspicion he planned a gun attack with racist motives, prosecutors said Thursday.The 28-year-old suspect who was not identified was thought to have a “xenophobic background,” they said — while Die Welt daily reported he may have plotted to pin the blame for an attack on foreigners.The strange case involved a joint police operation across Germany, France and Austria with raids on 16 locations, prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a statement.They arrested the soldier — a lieutenant usually stationed on a Franco-German military base near Strasbourg — in the southern German city of Hammelburg on Wednesday.On the same day they also arrested a second German man, a 24-year-old student and alleged co-conspirator in possession of objects that breach weapons and explosives laws, they said.— AFP-14:11-Lawyer jailed for sending messages for Hamas-Haifa’s District Court sentences a lawyer to 7.5 years in prison for passing intelligence to Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails.Mohammed Abed was found guilty of communicating with the Hamas leadership and communicating messages to imprisoned terror group members.14:11-Iranian minister condemns reported Israeli strike-Iran’s defense minister has condemned the reported Israeli airstrike on a Damascus airport.Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan was quoted by Russia Today’s Arabic language broadcaster a day after he met with his Russian and Syrian counterparts in Moscow.
