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
Epic quest is documenting the ‘miracle’ of the Hebrew language-Researchers are painstakingly building lexicon of every word in ancient tongue through to its modern incarnation-By Mike Smith-September 14, 2017, 4:42 pm-TOI
AFP — The bespectacled man with two pens in his shirt pocket and a black skullcap atop grey hair points to his computer screen and explains an epic project spanning generations.Gabriel Birnbaum, 66, is a senior researcher helping document and define every Hebrew word ever — from ancient texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls to the contemporary novels of Israeli literary figures like Amos Oz.It is a mammoth task, under way since 1959, and even though a milestone has been reached on the digital project, there are still many years to go.Called the Historical Dictionary Project at Israel’s Academy of the Hebrew Language, it will serve as an invaluable resource for scholars, writers and linguists.But it will also act as an anchor for Hebrew, the ancient language revived in spoken form in the 19th century, after some 1,700 years.Work completed so far is already available to the public online.For Birnbaum, who has been working for the project for about 13 years and is charged with writing dictionary entries for the words, the project’s researchers “understand that we do something very important for the Jewish people.”“For linguistics in general also, because it’s a huge linguistic project in itself,” he added.At his book-lined office at the project’s headquarters in Jerusalem, he clicked through to various entries.The Hebrew word for table, for example, brought up almost 3,000 occurrences, including from the Bible’s Book of Exodus in a section where God tells Moses to create a tabernacle.But it is not all business for Birnbaum.Another tab on his browser was open to a song by Leonard Cohen, the late musician whose songs include references to Jewish tradition. Birnbaum is a big fan.-A dramatic revival-While such historical dictionaries exist for other languages — perhaps most notably the monumental Oxford English Dictionary — Hebrew’s status may give the project added importance.Earlier incarnations of the language were spoken by Jewish communities in the ancient Land of Israel.As Jews were forced into exile, Hebrew as a spoken language began to fade, though it remained in use in written form.After some 1,700 years, it was revived in the late 19th century as part of the push by Zionist Jews to resettle in the lands from where their ancestors fled.It is now an official language of Israel and is considered history’s sole example of such a dramatic revival.“It’s a miracle,” said Birnbaum, a father of five who moved to Israel from Hungary when he was 6-years-old.The headquarters of the project includes furniture and books from Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, seen as the father of the effort to revive Hebrew.Ben-Yehuda, who died in Jerusalem in 1922, began work on the first modern Hebrew dictionary, and slips of paper on which he wrote entries by hand are included in the project’s collection.Around 25 people currently work on the project. When it started in 1959, there were only five people, said Birnbaum, and they used an early form of computers for the work.Most of the ancient manuscripts and inscriptions are located outside Israel, requiring researchers early on to rely on photostats.More recently, images of many are online, including the Gezer calendar, considered by some to be the oldest known Hebrew writing, dating to the 10th century BCE.-‘Task is great’All ancient literature will be included because examples are relatively few, but for later eras, representative samples are chosen.In the beginning, researchers did not focus on the Bible because reliable biblical dictionaries already existed, opting to delve into other ancient works such as the Talmud.Since then, biblical texts have been added.Researchers study texts for words and input them by hand.Some 50,000 entries are already included along with linguistic analysis, and definitions began to be written in 2005 — a milestone for the project.“The idea is that it will be an electronic database,” said Steven Fassberg, the project’s associate editor.“I don’t think anybody would even venture how many years” it will take to complete, he said.Charlotte Brewer, a professor at Oxford’s Hertford College who researches the Oxford English Dictionary, said the project “has obviously been carefully planned.”“Dictionary projects which set out to chart the history of a nation’s language are usually closely bound up with cultural and ideological beliefs about nationhood, patriotism, etc, and this project looks to be no exception,” she said.Birnbaum takes pride in the work begun by Ben-Yehuda.He points out a plaque in the room where Ben-Yehuda’s furniture is displayed and which once hung above his desk.Quoting a traditional Jewish teaching, the plaque says: “The day is short and the task is great.”
IDF exercise simulating war with Hezbollah comes to a close-SEP 14,17-TOI
The IDF’s “Or Hadagan” exercise, which simulated a war with the Hezbollah terrorist group, officially comes to an end after 10 days of mock combat in which tens of thousands of troops took part.“Over the past two weeks the Northern Command trained, including its various units, both to defend and attack in the northern front. We improved our readiness for future challenges by using the concept of joint cooperation as well as by enhancing our capabilities in intelligence, fire and maneuver,” said the head of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick.A video of the exercise that was released by the army shows the involvement of ground troops, unmanned aerial vehicles, naval ships, helicopters, fighter jets and artillery.This was the army’s largest exercise in 19 years. It got its name from Meir Dagan, a former Mossad chief and former head of the Northern Command, who died last year.— Judah Ari Gross.
Israeli envoy to preside over UN General Assembly when Netanyahu delivers speech-Danny Danon takes up post as vice president of global body's main policy-making and deliberation forum-By Stuart Winer September 13, 2017, 7:20 pm
Netanyahu is due to address the UN on September 19 during the annual gathering of world leaders at the 72nd session of the General Assembly.In May, Danon was elected to a one-year term as vice president. He will preside over General Assembly meetings, play a role in setting the Assembly’s agenda, as well as “oversee rules and decorum during sessions,” the statement said.“I am proud to represent Israel in this important role that reinforces our position as an equal partner at the UN,” Danon said. “We have proven once again that there is no role we cannot fulfill in the world’s most important international organization.”There are 21 vice presidents of the General Assembly. Former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, also served in the role in 2012.In May 2016, Danon became the first Israeli diplomat to chair the UNGA’s legal committee, the Sixth Committee, with 109 member states. He is the first Israeli to chair a permanent committee at the UN.Israel has a fraught relationship with the UN, frequently accusing it of bias against the Jewish state.Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak serves as president of the UN General Assembly.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Colombian president thanks Netanyahu for Israeli help clearing landmines-In Bogota, the two leaders sign tourism cooperation agreement, announce relaunch of defunct innovation fund-By Raphael Ahren-September 14, 2017, 9:46 amTOI
BOGOTA, Colombia — Hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday thanked Israel for promoting peace in his country, noting especially Jerusalem’s efforts to help defuse landmines.“Israel has been a friend and ally of Colombia and lately it has been a great ally in the construction of peace in our country,” Santos said. “You have offered help to us in several areas, including, for example, something that is very humanitarian, which is the removal of anti-personnel mines.”As a consequence of its 52-year civil war, Colombia has long been the country with the second highest number of landmines, after Afghanistan.Santos acknowledged the dubious honor, and added, “We are in the process of correcting this shameful situation,” Santos said at the Casa de Nariño presidential palace. “We would like to strengthen the magnificent relations that we’ve enjoyed for so many years. As in every relationship, there is always room for growth. We want to cooperate much more with Israel. You have a lot of what we need, and we have a lot of what you need.”Netanyahu’s whirlwind three-hour visit to Bogota was dominated by talk about Israel’s potential contribution to Colombia’s “post-conflict” efforts.Before delivering statements, Netanyahu and Santos signed a tourism cooperation agreement at the Narino presidential palace.On November 24, 2016, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, signed a peace agreement that ended the bloody civil war.Some 225,000 Colombians were killed and 8 million displaced during the conflict. The peace deal, signed after a four years of intense negotiations, provides for the disarmament of FARC and its incorporation into civilian life.Between 1990 and 2015, more than 11,400 people were killed or injured in Colombia by mines or unexploded ordnance. The peace deal caused the number of victims to decline, but in 2016, Colombia still registered 89 casualties, plus 18 during the first half of 2017, according to UN figures.In September 2016, Israel’s National Mine Action Authority, which operates under the auspices of the Defense Ministry, hosted eight Colombians for a week-long workshop on mine-clearing procedures.After the historic peace agreement — for which Santos received the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize — the government in Bogota created a special ministry devoted entirely to “post-conflict” matters. It currently deals with 200 national infrastructure projects, many of which Israel is seeking to get involved in.“We’re excited by the post-conflict opportunities that are presented in Colombia,” Netanyahu said. He and Santos discussed several areas in which the two countries intend to step up cooperation, including agriculture, water management, tourism, cybersecurity and others.He also announced the relaunch of the currently defunct Colombia-Israel Innovation Fund. “Maybe it will teach us finally how to make a good cup of coffee,” he joked.Santos, too, vowed to boost bilateral cooperation, hailing Israeli technology.“Your country, Israel, is a world leader in terms of innovation,” he told Netanyahu. “We like to say that Colombians are born innovators. But if we learn from you how to channel this innovation into progress, then we will be able to do it much better.”In his remarks, Netanyahu also addressed the threat of global Islamic terrorism, arguing that it had “two fountainheads” — the Islamic State and Iran.“This has produced a newfound relationship between Israel and the Arab countries, because they now see Israel not as an adversary, but as an indispensable ally against these forces that want to take back humanity from its fantastic future back to its barbaric past,” he said.“Iran is sending its forces and its terrorist outreaches everywhere, including into Latin America. We believe that all countries should unite, [just] as Israel is cooperating with Arab countries, to prevent the expansion of Iranian aggression.”In 2013, the two countries, which this year are marking 60 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1957, signed a free trade agreement that is awaiting for ratification by the Colombian parliament. Santos said he hoped it would go into effect within “the next few months.”In 2016, bilateral trade reached $580 million. Nearly 100 Israeli companies operate in the country.Under Santos, who cannot run for reelection in next year’s election due to term limits, Colombia has become one of Israel’s best friends in Latin America.After his three-hour whirlwind visit on Bogota, Netanyahu headed back to his motorcade and made his way to Mexico, where on Thursday he is expected to meet President Enrique Peña Nieto and attend an event at a Jewish community center. On Friday, he will continue to New York, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday. On Tuesday, he will address the United Nations General Assembly before heading back to Israel.On Monday, Netanyahu arrived in Argentina for a two-day visit, becoming the first Israeli prime minister to visit Latin America.
Rattling neighbors, Russia launches war games on NATO’s eastern flank-Huge drills, involving 12,700 troops, 70 aircraft, 250 tanks and 10 battleships near borders with Poland and Baltics, have West worried-By Max Delany-September 14, 2017, 4:35 pm-TOI
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Thursday began major joint military exercises with Belarus along the European Union’s eastern flank — a show of strength that has rattled nervous NATO members.Named Zapad-2017 (West-2017), the manoeuvres, scheduled to last until September 20, are taking place on the territory of Moscow’s closest ally Belarus, in Russia’s European exclave of Kaliningrad and in its frontier Pskov and Leningrad regions.Moscow says the drills will involve 12,700 troops, 70 aircraft, 250 tanks and 10 battleships testing their firepower against an imaginary foe close to borders with Poland and the Baltic States.In a statement announcing the start of the exercises Russia’s defense ministry insisted the manoeuvres are “of a strictly defensive nature and are not directed against any other state or group of countries.”But NATO claims Russia has kept it in the dark and seems to be massively under-reporting the scale of the exercises, which some of the alliance’s eastern members insist could see more than 100,000 servicemen take part.The war games come with tensions between Russia and NATO at their highest since the Cold War due to the Kremlin’s meddling in Ukraine and the US-led alliance bolstering its forces in eastern Europe.Moscow has dismissed fears over the drills — the latest in a series of annual exercises that rotate around the vast country — as fueled by the “myth about the so-called ‘Russian threat.'”But for NATO allies, especially jittery members such as Poland and the Baltic States which only broke free from Moscow’s grip 25 years ago, such reassurances have not dampened suspicion.“We have seen before that military exercises have been used as a disguise for aggressive actions against neighbours,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti new agency released Thursday.“We don’t see an imminent threat against any NATO ally, but the best way for Russia to help to reduce tensions and to avoid or prevent misunderstandings, miscalculations, is to be transparent.‘Skillfully manipulates’-Moscow has held a stream of exercises since ties with the West plunged in 2014 over Ukraine, with the military claiming some drills included nearly 100,000 troops.Minsk has said the games will role play a conflict with a made-up rebel region backed by neighbouring European nations. Russia says they will simulate assaults by “extremist groups” trying to carry out “terrorist attacks.”Russian military expert Alexander Golts told AFP that Moscow “very skillfully manipulates the figures for such drills because it does not want to have to invite foreign observers.”“Russia at every drill is working on one and the same scenario — how to deploy troops quickly,” he said.The Kremlin has vigorously defended its right to hold exercises and has long blamed the United States for ratcheting up tensions by expanding NATO up to its borders and holding its own provocative drills.The Russian war games come as Ukraine on Monday launched annual joint military exercises with the US and a host of other NATO countries.Meanwhile non-aligned Sweden has mobilized 19,000 soldiers for its biggest drills in 20 years which also include units from across Scandinavia and the US.
Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ unarmed man attacks 7 in Toulouse-Suspect punches four bystanders, three policemen; police say he suffers from mental illness-By TOI staff and AP-September 14, 2017, 12:43 am
A man shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”) was arrested in the French city of Toulouse on Wednesday after attacking seven people, among them three policemen, on a main city street.Local police said the 42-year-old man suffered from mental illness and had been released from a psychiatric hospital in April.He was apparently unarmed and used his fists.The man attacked four pedestrians and three police officers.The three police officers and two bystanders were slightly injured.A police official said the incident was not being treated as terrorism-related. “Allahu Akbar” is Arabic for “God is great.”7 injured in #France, the attacker was released from psychiatric hospital in April https://t.co/IiNMFq9bDJ pic.twitter.com/BEEIXrJUjD— David JongUn (@dshalom11) September 13, 2017
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
Epic quest is documenting the ‘miracle’ of the Hebrew language-Researchers are painstakingly building lexicon of every word in ancient tongue through to its modern incarnation-By Mike Smith-September 14, 2017, 4:42 pm-TOI
AFP — The bespectacled man with two pens in his shirt pocket and a black skullcap atop grey hair points to his computer screen and explains an epic project spanning generations.Gabriel Birnbaum, 66, is a senior researcher helping document and define every Hebrew word ever — from ancient texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls to the contemporary novels of Israeli literary figures like Amos Oz.It is a mammoth task, under way since 1959, and even though a milestone has been reached on the digital project, there are still many years to go.Called the Historical Dictionary Project at Israel’s Academy of the Hebrew Language, it will serve as an invaluable resource for scholars, writers and linguists.But it will also act as an anchor for Hebrew, the ancient language revived in spoken form in the 19th century, after some 1,700 years.Work completed so far is already available to the public online.For Birnbaum, who has been working for the project for about 13 years and is charged with writing dictionary entries for the words, the project’s researchers “understand that we do something very important for the Jewish people.”“For linguistics in general also, because it’s a huge linguistic project in itself,” he added.At his book-lined office at the project’s headquarters in Jerusalem, he clicked through to various entries.The Hebrew word for table, for example, brought up almost 3,000 occurrences, including from the Bible’s Book of Exodus in a section where God tells Moses to create a tabernacle.But it is not all business for Birnbaum.Another tab on his browser was open to a song by Leonard Cohen, the late musician whose songs include references to Jewish tradition. Birnbaum is a big fan.-A dramatic revival-While such historical dictionaries exist for other languages — perhaps most notably the monumental Oxford English Dictionary — Hebrew’s status may give the project added importance.Earlier incarnations of the language were spoken by Jewish communities in the ancient Land of Israel.As Jews were forced into exile, Hebrew as a spoken language began to fade, though it remained in use in written form.After some 1,700 years, it was revived in the late 19th century as part of the push by Zionist Jews to resettle in the lands from where their ancestors fled.It is now an official language of Israel and is considered history’s sole example of such a dramatic revival.“It’s a miracle,” said Birnbaum, a father of five who moved to Israel from Hungary when he was 6-years-old.The headquarters of the project includes furniture and books from Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, seen as the father of the effort to revive Hebrew.Ben-Yehuda, who died in Jerusalem in 1922, began work on the first modern Hebrew dictionary, and slips of paper on which he wrote entries by hand are included in the project’s collection.Around 25 people currently work on the project. When it started in 1959, there were only five people, said Birnbaum, and they used an early form of computers for the work.Most of the ancient manuscripts and inscriptions are located outside Israel, requiring researchers early on to rely on photostats.More recently, images of many are online, including the Gezer calendar, considered by some to be the oldest known Hebrew writing, dating to the 10th century BCE.-‘Task is great’All ancient literature will be included because examples are relatively few, but for later eras, representative samples are chosen.In the beginning, researchers did not focus on the Bible because reliable biblical dictionaries already existed, opting to delve into other ancient works such as the Talmud.Since then, biblical texts have been added.Researchers study texts for words and input them by hand.Some 50,000 entries are already included along with linguistic analysis, and definitions began to be written in 2005 — a milestone for the project.“The idea is that it will be an electronic database,” said Steven Fassberg, the project’s associate editor.“I don’t think anybody would even venture how many years” it will take to complete, he said.Charlotte Brewer, a professor at Oxford’s Hertford College who researches the Oxford English Dictionary, said the project “has obviously been carefully planned.”“Dictionary projects which set out to chart the history of a nation’s language are usually closely bound up with cultural and ideological beliefs about nationhood, patriotism, etc, and this project looks to be no exception,” she said.Birnbaum takes pride in the work begun by Ben-Yehuda.He points out a plaque in the room where Ben-Yehuda’s furniture is displayed and which once hung above his desk.Quoting a traditional Jewish teaching, the plaque says: “The day is short and the task is great.”
IDF exercise simulating war with Hezbollah comes to a close-SEP 14,17-TOI
The IDF’s “Or Hadagan” exercise, which simulated a war with the Hezbollah terrorist group, officially comes to an end after 10 days of mock combat in which tens of thousands of troops took part.“Over the past two weeks the Northern Command trained, including its various units, both to defend and attack in the northern front. We improved our readiness for future challenges by using the concept of joint cooperation as well as by enhancing our capabilities in intelligence, fire and maneuver,” said the head of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick.A video of the exercise that was released by the army shows the involvement of ground troops, unmanned aerial vehicles, naval ships, helicopters, fighter jets and artillery.This was the army’s largest exercise in 19 years. It got its name from Meir Dagan, a former Mossad chief and former head of the Northern Command, who died last year.— Judah Ari Gross.
Israeli envoy to preside over UN General Assembly when Netanyahu delivers speech-Danny Danon takes up post as vice president of global body's main policy-making and deliberation forum-By Stuart Winer September 13, 2017, 7:20 pm
Netanyahu is due to address the UN on September 19 during the annual gathering of world leaders at the 72nd session of the General Assembly.In May, Danon was elected to a one-year term as vice president. He will preside over General Assembly meetings, play a role in setting the Assembly’s agenda, as well as “oversee rules and decorum during sessions,” the statement said.“I am proud to represent Israel in this important role that reinforces our position as an equal partner at the UN,” Danon said. “We have proven once again that there is no role we cannot fulfill in the world’s most important international organization.”There are 21 vice presidents of the General Assembly. Former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, also served in the role in 2012.In May 2016, Danon became the first Israeli diplomat to chair the UNGA’s legal committee, the Sixth Committee, with 109 member states. He is the first Israeli to chair a permanent committee at the UN.Israel has a fraught relationship with the UN, frequently accusing it of bias against the Jewish state.Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak serves as president of the UN General Assembly.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Colombian president thanks Netanyahu for Israeli help clearing landmines-In Bogota, the two leaders sign tourism cooperation agreement, announce relaunch of defunct innovation fund-By Raphael Ahren-September 14, 2017, 9:46 amTOI
BOGOTA, Colombia — Hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday thanked Israel for promoting peace in his country, noting especially Jerusalem’s efforts to help defuse landmines.“Israel has been a friend and ally of Colombia and lately it has been a great ally in the construction of peace in our country,” Santos said. “You have offered help to us in several areas, including, for example, something that is very humanitarian, which is the removal of anti-personnel mines.”As a consequence of its 52-year civil war, Colombia has long been the country with the second highest number of landmines, after Afghanistan.Santos acknowledged the dubious honor, and added, “We are in the process of correcting this shameful situation,” Santos said at the Casa de Nariño presidential palace. “We would like to strengthen the magnificent relations that we’ve enjoyed for so many years. As in every relationship, there is always room for growth. We want to cooperate much more with Israel. You have a lot of what we need, and we have a lot of what you need.”Netanyahu’s whirlwind three-hour visit to Bogota was dominated by talk about Israel’s potential contribution to Colombia’s “post-conflict” efforts.Before delivering statements, Netanyahu and Santos signed a tourism cooperation agreement at the Narino presidential palace.On November 24, 2016, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, signed a peace agreement that ended the bloody civil war.Some 225,000 Colombians were killed and 8 million displaced during the conflict. The peace deal, signed after a four years of intense negotiations, provides for the disarmament of FARC and its incorporation into civilian life.Between 1990 and 2015, more than 11,400 people were killed or injured in Colombia by mines or unexploded ordnance. The peace deal caused the number of victims to decline, but in 2016, Colombia still registered 89 casualties, plus 18 during the first half of 2017, according to UN figures.In September 2016, Israel’s National Mine Action Authority, which operates under the auspices of the Defense Ministry, hosted eight Colombians for a week-long workshop on mine-clearing procedures.After the historic peace agreement — for which Santos received the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize — the government in Bogota created a special ministry devoted entirely to “post-conflict” matters. It currently deals with 200 national infrastructure projects, many of which Israel is seeking to get involved in.“We’re excited by the post-conflict opportunities that are presented in Colombia,” Netanyahu said. He and Santos discussed several areas in which the two countries intend to step up cooperation, including agriculture, water management, tourism, cybersecurity and others.He also announced the relaunch of the currently defunct Colombia-Israel Innovation Fund. “Maybe it will teach us finally how to make a good cup of coffee,” he joked.Santos, too, vowed to boost bilateral cooperation, hailing Israeli technology.“Your country, Israel, is a world leader in terms of innovation,” he told Netanyahu. “We like to say that Colombians are born innovators. But if we learn from you how to channel this innovation into progress, then we will be able to do it much better.”In his remarks, Netanyahu also addressed the threat of global Islamic terrorism, arguing that it had “two fountainheads” — the Islamic State and Iran.“This has produced a newfound relationship between Israel and the Arab countries, because they now see Israel not as an adversary, but as an indispensable ally against these forces that want to take back humanity from its fantastic future back to its barbaric past,” he said.“Iran is sending its forces and its terrorist outreaches everywhere, including into Latin America. We believe that all countries should unite, [just] as Israel is cooperating with Arab countries, to prevent the expansion of Iranian aggression.”In 2013, the two countries, which this year are marking 60 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1957, signed a free trade agreement that is awaiting for ratification by the Colombian parliament. Santos said he hoped it would go into effect within “the next few months.”In 2016, bilateral trade reached $580 million. Nearly 100 Israeli companies operate in the country.Under Santos, who cannot run for reelection in next year’s election due to term limits, Colombia has become one of Israel’s best friends in Latin America.After his three-hour whirlwind visit on Bogota, Netanyahu headed back to his motorcade and made his way to Mexico, where on Thursday he is expected to meet President Enrique Peña Nieto and attend an event at a Jewish community center. On Friday, he will continue to New York, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday. On Tuesday, he will address the United Nations General Assembly before heading back to Israel.On Monday, Netanyahu arrived in Argentina for a two-day visit, becoming the first Israeli prime minister to visit Latin America.
Rattling neighbors, Russia launches war games on NATO’s eastern flank-Huge drills, involving 12,700 troops, 70 aircraft, 250 tanks and 10 battleships near borders with Poland and Baltics, have West worried-By Max Delany-September 14, 2017, 4:35 pm-TOI
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Thursday began major joint military exercises with Belarus along the European Union’s eastern flank — a show of strength that has rattled nervous NATO members.Named Zapad-2017 (West-2017), the manoeuvres, scheduled to last until September 20, are taking place on the territory of Moscow’s closest ally Belarus, in Russia’s European exclave of Kaliningrad and in its frontier Pskov and Leningrad regions.Moscow says the drills will involve 12,700 troops, 70 aircraft, 250 tanks and 10 battleships testing their firepower against an imaginary foe close to borders with Poland and the Baltic States.In a statement announcing the start of the exercises Russia’s defense ministry insisted the manoeuvres are “of a strictly defensive nature and are not directed against any other state or group of countries.”But NATO claims Russia has kept it in the dark and seems to be massively under-reporting the scale of the exercises, which some of the alliance’s eastern members insist could see more than 100,000 servicemen take part.The war games come with tensions between Russia and NATO at their highest since the Cold War due to the Kremlin’s meddling in Ukraine and the US-led alliance bolstering its forces in eastern Europe.Moscow has dismissed fears over the drills — the latest in a series of annual exercises that rotate around the vast country — as fueled by the “myth about the so-called ‘Russian threat.'”But for NATO allies, especially jittery members such as Poland and the Baltic States which only broke free from Moscow’s grip 25 years ago, such reassurances have not dampened suspicion.“We have seen before that military exercises have been used as a disguise for aggressive actions against neighbours,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti new agency released Thursday.“We don’t see an imminent threat against any NATO ally, but the best way for Russia to help to reduce tensions and to avoid or prevent misunderstandings, miscalculations, is to be transparent.‘Skillfully manipulates’-Moscow has held a stream of exercises since ties with the West plunged in 2014 over Ukraine, with the military claiming some drills included nearly 100,000 troops.Minsk has said the games will role play a conflict with a made-up rebel region backed by neighbouring European nations. Russia says they will simulate assaults by “extremist groups” trying to carry out “terrorist attacks.”Russian military expert Alexander Golts told AFP that Moscow “very skillfully manipulates the figures for such drills because it does not want to have to invite foreign observers.”“Russia at every drill is working on one and the same scenario — how to deploy troops quickly,” he said.The Kremlin has vigorously defended its right to hold exercises and has long blamed the United States for ratcheting up tensions by expanding NATO up to its borders and holding its own provocative drills.The Russian war games come as Ukraine on Monday launched annual joint military exercises with the US and a host of other NATO countries.Meanwhile non-aligned Sweden has mobilized 19,000 soldiers for its biggest drills in 20 years which also include units from across Scandinavia and the US.
Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ unarmed man attacks 7 in Toulouse-Suspect punches four bystanders, three policemen; police say he suffers from mental illness-By TOI staff and AP-September 14, 2017, 12:43 am
A man shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”) was arrested in the French city of Toulouse on Wednesday after attacking seven people, among them three policemen, on a main city street.Local police said the 42-year-old man suffered from mental illness and had been released from a psychiatric hospital in April.He was apparently unarmed and used his fists.The man attacked four pedestrians and three police officers.The three police officers and two bystanders were slightly injured.A police official said the incident was not being treated as terrorism-related. “Allahu Akbar” is Arabic for “God is great.”7 injured in #France, the attacker was released from psychiatric hospital in April https://t.co/IiNMFq9bDJ pic.twitter.com/BEEIXrJUjD— David JongUn (@dshalom11) September 13, 2017
