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)
ISAIAH 51:3-4
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
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
Group calls for Jewish Day of Unity to pray for peace and stability-Threat of nuclear war, surge in anti-Semitism, terrorism and hurricanes motivate the Dirshu organization to issue plea to prayer-By JTA-September 13, 2017, 5:52 pm-TOI
An Orthodox Jewish outreach group is calling for a Jewish Day of Unity in which Jews from around the world are being asked to unite and pray.The Jewish Day of Unity is “a call to action to pray for peace and stability in light of the dangerous circumstances we are facing in the world both domestically and internationally,” according to a statement.The day will be marked on Friday, September 15 with recitations of specific prayers in synagogues, schools and the Western Wall.The call for a Day of Jewish Unity is sponsored by Acheinu, based in New Jersey and Lakewood, the outreach arm of Dirshu, which says it is the largest Torah organization in the world. The event coincides with the date of death of the Chofetz Chaim, an Eastern European rabbi of the late 19th and early 20th centuries best known for his works about the dangers of gossip.The group has held two previous unity days, one that was centered on opposing the Iran nuclear deal and one last year prior to the presidential election whose goal was countering the “polarizing political climate.”The group cited the threat of a nuclear war, the surge of racism and anti-Semitism and the threats of terrorism occurring in the United States and around the world, as well as the recent damaging hurricanes in the United States, as examples of the need for prayer.“Jews have historically turned to prayer to bring positive changes to the world,” the group said in its statement, which asks Jews worldwide to recite Chapters 20 and 130 in the book of Psalms and to refrain from gossip.Some 15,000 people have already committed to visiting the Western Wall to say the prayers on that day by signing up on the Day of Jewish Unity website, according to the organization.Videos on the Day of Jewish Unity website include one on the topic “Hurricane Irma and Why Your Prayers Are Needed,” and “Global Threats and The Need For Prayer.”
Israeli firm chosen to build protoype of US border wall with Mexico-Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary company among eight to develop technology for 2,000 mile-long barrier-By JTA-September 13, 2017, 4:57 pm-TOI
Elta North America, an Israeli-owned defense manufacturer with US headquarters in Maryland, was one of four companies chosen to build a prototype for the border wall between the United States and Mexico.The company is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. Some 200 companies vied for the tenders, which will provide a $300,000 to $500,000 grant to develop a model. The tender was announced late last week.In total, eight companies are building prototypes for the nearly 2,000-mile-long wall. Four will be concrete and four will have see-through or “smart” walls. Elta was chosen to work on the see-through wall project.The final project could cost up to $25 billion.Elta manufactures radar systems and components for branches of the American military. It also provides radar components for the Israeli military, which purchases them using US military aid and must be spent in the United States. In its Israeli headquarters, Elta manufactures radar systems for Arrow missiles, the Iron Dome anti-missile system, espionage and fighter jets, according to Ynet.US President Donald Trump has praised Israel for its southern border wall meant to stop African migrants from illegally entering the country.
UN Assembly’s new leader wants ‘compromise over conflict’-Miroslav Lajcak expects his approach to be tested over the coming year, though he is 'confident it will be reaffirmed'-By AP-September 13, 2017, 7:49 am-TOI
UNITED NATIONS — The new president of the UN General Assembly said Tuesday he expects his strong belief in “compromise over conflict” to be tested from time to time over the coming year, though he is “confident it will be reaffirmed.”Miroslav Lajcak said in his opening address to the 72nd session of the 193-member world body that it will be a year of firsts, with negotiations on a global compact on migration and a high-level event on sustaining peace.The Slovak foreign minister said the year ahead will also see many countries signing the first agreement on eliminating nuclear weapons and the first international compact to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping missions.But he said the General Assembly will also be trying to maintain momentum on implementing UN goals for 2030 to fight poverty and inequality and the 2015 Paris climate agreement as well as moving ahead with reforms of the United Nations.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Lajcak’s theme for the coming year, which is: “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet.”Guterres said the world faces serious threats from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to global terrorism and climate change, and people everywhere are rightly demanding change.“We all agree that the United Nations must do even more to adapt and deliver,” he said. “That’s the aim of the reform proposals that this assembly will consider.”Reform of the United Nations is a key demand of the United States, and Guterres will speak at a US-sponsored meeting Monday chaired by President Donald Trump on reforming the world body. It will take place on the eve of Tuesday’s opening of the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly.
Facing US, Israeli pressure, Palestinians pull bid to join UN tourism body-UNTWO would have become the second UN body, after UNESCO, to induct the PA; Foreign Ministry says retraction due to behind-the-scenes efforts-By Dov Lieber-September 13, 2017, 1:00 pm-TOI
The Palestinians on Wednesday retracting their request for a vote on becoming a member state in the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) amid American and Israeli pressure, a source in Jerusalem told The Times of Israel.The vote, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday, was postponed until the organization’s next plenary session, in two years.The Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision and said it was due to “great Israeli efforts spearheaded by [Tourism] Minister Yariv Levin, who led the Israeli delegation.”The PA submitted its request for membership in UNTWO in September 2016.According to the agenda for UNTWO’s 22nd session, which began Monday in Chengdu, China, the PA was up for membership, along with the Union of the Comoros and the Federal Republic of Somalia.To become a member, the Palestinians would have required a two-thirds majority vote.When White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his team met PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah last month, they reportedly asked the Palestinians for a three- to four-month grace period to present a peace plan. During that time, the Americans reportedly asked the Palestinians to refrain from their efforts to pursue recognition from international bodies.The PA had remained silent on the planned vote, and on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry did not respond to a request for a comment.Had it voted in the Palestinians, the UNTWO would have become the second UN body to grant them the same status accorded to fully recognized states.In a controversial move, the UN voted in 2011 to give the Palestinians full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In response, both the US and Israel cut their funding to the UN body, which amounted to a quarter of its total budget.The global Jewish organization B’nai B’rith slammed UNTWO’s decision to allow the Palestinians to vie for membership.“The Palestinians must not be allowed to upend the international order, and enjoy treatment not afforded any other group, by being admitted to international organizations as a ‘state’ before they have actually earned that status,” B’nai B’rith said in a statement.“Such admittance only encourages the Palestinians to continue rejecting the direct negotiations and meaningful compromise with Israel that would provide for the fundamental needs of both sides,” it concluded.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet on sidelines of UN confab, US confirms-The two will both be in New York to address the world body; no indication yet if Trump will also meet with Abbas-By Eric Cortellessa-September 13, 2017, 5:45 am-TOI
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in New York next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a US official confirmed on Tuesday.“The President is planning to sit down with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I know that the President’s looking forward to doing that,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters during her daily press briefing.On Sunday, Netanyahu said he would meet with Trump while they both were in Manhattan, but Washington had yet to verify a summit would take place.The meeting will be the two leaders forth together since Trump assumed office. The two met once in February when the Israeli premier visited the White House, and twice in May when the American president traveled to the region, which included a two-day stop in Israel and the Palestinian territories.Trump is slated to address UNGA on September 19. Reports have quoted officials saying the meeting with Netanyahu will likely take place on or around September 18.Officials did not say where the meeting would take place, but last month the Israel Hayom daily reported it would be held at Trump’s National Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey.Officials have not yet disclosed what subjects are on the itinerary of discussion, but their summit will come as Trump is making headlines for his machinations to toughen up on Iran and potential plans to decertify the regime as violating the 2015 nuclear deal, despite International Atomic Energy Agency investigators finding it is abiding by its terms.Trump told The Wall Street Journal in August he “does not expect that they will be in compliance.” That interview came shortly after Foreign Policy reported that he told his aides to develop a case for why the Iran has violated the agreement by October, when he must report to Congress on whether Tehran is honoring the landmark pact.Netanyahu has long been a fierce critic of the deal. On Tuesday, he said his position remained simple — that it is a bad deal and should either be renegotiated or trashed.“In the case of Iran, there have been some news stories about Israel’s purported position on the nuclear deal with Iran. So let me take this opportunity and clarify: Our position is straightforward. This is a bad deal. Either fix it — or cancel it. This is Israel’s position,” Netanyahu said from Argentina, where he is on a Latin American swing before making his way to New York for the UN General Assembly.The meeting between the two leaders also comes at a sensitive time for Trump’s peace push. Last month, the former real estate mogul dispatched a US delegation to the Middle East to try and renew negotiations between the sides.No tangible developments occurred, but Palestinians continue to criticize the US team for its refusal to back a two-state solution, a goal that has been central to American foreign policy for decades.In August, Nauert responded to these criticisms by saying the Trump administration did not want to “bias” itself by supporting any particular outcome to the conflict.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also be in town for the UN confab. There is no indication yet that he is slated to meet individually with Trump or that the three will meet together.
Jimmy Carter says almost no hope of Trump progress on Mideast peace-Former president issues scathing criticism of US foreign policy, says Netanyahu has no intention of reaching two-state solution-By AP September 13, 2017, 5:14 am-TOI
ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter offered a damning indictment of US foreign policy and domestic affairs Tuesday, saying he had little faith US President Donald Trump could make any progress in brokering an Israeli-Palestinian accord and casting him as a disappointment on the world stage.Carter’s criticisms, offered at his annual presentation to backers of his post-presidency Carter Center in Atlanta, went beyond Trump, but he was particularly critical of the nation’s direction under the Republican president’s leadership.Carter, 92, dismissed Trump’s optimism that he can engineer Middle East peace. Trump has tasked his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with handling the issue that has vexed US administrations for generations, but the president notably backed off the long-held US position calling for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.Carter, who helped broker Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt, said he is “practically hopeless” that anything Trump comes up with would give “justice to the Palestinians.”“I don’t think Trump or his family members are making any process in that respect,” he said.Carter criticized both Israeli and Palestinian leaders for a lack of flexibility, but he singled out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally, for having “no intention at all of having a two-state solution.”The 39th president, a Democrat, offered this advice to the 45th: “Keep the peace, promote human rights and tell the truth.”He did not mention explicitly Trump’s threatening exchanges this summer with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, but the former president said the US should engage directly with the insular leader and discuss a peace treaty to replace the cease fire that ended the Korean War in 1953.“I would send my top person to Pyongyang immediately, if I didn’t go myself,” Carter said, noting that he’s been three times to the country, even as successive US administrations have refused to deal with the regime.The North Koreans, Carter said, want a treaty that guarantees the US will not attack unless North Korea attacks the US or an ally, particularly South Korea.“Until we talk to them and threat them with respect — as human beings, which they are — I don’t think we’re going to make any progress,” Carter said.The former president and his wife, Rosalynn, largely steer clear of partisan politics, long having yielded any active role in the Democratic Party. But they maintain their high-profile advocacy through the Carter Center, which focuses on human rights, public health and democratic elections.Carter on Tuesday defended the center’s role in monitoring the August presidential elections in Kenya that the country’s Supreme Court later discarded. The court has ordered a new election.The Carter Center’s monitoring team, led by former Secretary of State John Kerry, said days after the vote that the process of casting paper ballots was fair, but that the electronic tabulations were “unreliable.” Carter said Tuesday that international monitors were not allowed to observe the counting process.The center also remains engaged in trying to end the Syrian civil war, Carter said. He noted that he and others from the center have engaged Russian President Vladimir Putin and others trying to broker peace.Carter touted a program at his center that tracks social media usage in the war-torn nation. By identifying the locations of individual posters with known political and military affiliations, Carter said, analysts can discern which factions control various cities and provinces. Carter said the center shares that intelligence with the Pentagon, the State Department, various media outlets and foreign allies of the US.Carter made no mention of ongoing inquiries into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential campaign or potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.At 92, Carter is second eldest living US president and fourth longest-lived president in history. His birthday is October 1. George H.W. Bush, the eldest living president, turned 93 on June 12, putting him 92 days into his 94th year. Ronald Reagan was 120 days beyond his 93rd birthday when he died in 2004. Gerald Ford died two years later, having lived 165 days beyond his 93rd birthday.Carter already has the longest post-presidency, having been out of office for 36 years and almost 8 months.
Attempted stabbing thwarted near Hebron, attacker shot-No injuries to Israeli forces or civilians in West Bank attack at entrance of Kiryat Arba, terrorist seriously wounded-By TOI staff-September 13, 2017, 4:43 pm
A Palestinian man tried to carry out a stabbing attack on Wednesday at a bus stop at the entrance to the Kiryat Arba settlement before being shot and wounded, the IDF said.The military said the man ran toward a bus stop at the Elias Junction brandishing a knife. He was spotted by troops who opened fire, injuring him.No Israeli civilians or soldiers were injured, the army said, adding that he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Hebrew media reports said he was in a serious condition.Kiryat Arba is adjacent to the divided West Bank city of Hebron.The attack came a day after Border Police officers arrested a Palestinian teenager carrying a knife at a checkpoint in Hebron, the third such incident over the past week.After being asked by police to lift his shirt — where he was hiding the knife — as he passed through a checkpoint near the city’s Tomb of the Patriarch’s holy site, the 15-year-old pulled the knife on the officers, who in turn aimed their weapons at him, a police spokeswoman said.The teenager was then arrested by Border Police and taken for further questioning by security forces, the police spokeswoman said, adding that no shots were fired during the arrest.Police said they were looking into the teenager’s motive.On Friday, a Palestinian man in his twenties was arrested in Hebron when he was discovered to be hiding a knife on his person, while last Wednesday Border Police officers arrested a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank city after finding a knife in his possession.Both of those incidents also took place at checkpoints near the Tomb of the Patriarchs.The flashpoint city of Hebron, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings since a wave of attacks carried out by Palestinians began in October 2015.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
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
Group calls for Jewish Day of Unity to pray for peace and stability-Threat of nuclear war, surge in anti-Semitism, terrorism and hurricanes motivate the Dirshu organization to issue plea to prayer-By JTA-September 13, 2017, 5:52 pm-TOI
An Orthodox Jewish outreach group is calling for a Jewish Day of Unity in which Jews from around the world are being asked to unite and pray.The Jewish Day of Unity is “a call to action to pray for peace and stability in light of the dangerous circumstances we are facing in the world both domestically and internationally,” according to a statement.The day will be marked on Friday, September 15 with recitations of specific prayers in synagogues, schools and the Western Wall.The call for a Day of Jewish Unity is sponsored by Acheinu, based in New Jersey and Lakewood, the outreach arm of Dirshu, which says it is the largest Torah organization in the world. The event coincides with the date of death of the Chofetz Chaim, an Eastern European rabbi of the late 19th and early 20th centuries best known for his works about the dangers of gossip.The group has held two previous unity days, one that was centered on opposing the Iran nuclear deal and one last year prior to the presidential election whose goal was countering the “polarizing political climate.”The group cited the threat of a nuclear war, the surge of racism and anti-Semitism and the threats of terrorism occurring in the United States and around the world, as well as the recent damaging hurricanes in the United States, as examples of the need for prayer.“Jews have historically turned to prayer to bring positive changes to the world,” the group said in its statement, which asks Jews worldwide to recite Chapters 20 and 130 in the book of Psalms and to refrain from gossip.Some 15,000 people have already committed to visiting the Western Wall to say the prayers on that day by signing up on the Day of Jewish Unity website, according to the organization.Videos on the Day of Jewish Unity website include one on the topic “Hurricane Irma and Why Your Prayers Are Needed,” and “Global Threats and The Need For Prayer.”
Israeli firm chosen to build protoype of US border wall with Mexico-Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary company among eight to develop technology for 2,000 mile-long barrier-By JTA-September 13, 2017, 4:57 pm-TOI
Elta North America, an Israeli-owned defense manufacturer with US headquarters in Maryland, was one of four companies chosen to build a prototype for the border wall between the United States and Mexico.The company is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. Some 200 companies vied for the tenders, which will provide a $300,000 to $500,000 grant to develop a model. The tender was announced late last week.In total, eight companies are building prototypes for the nearly 2,000-mile-long wall. Four will be concrete and four will have see-through or “smart” walls. Elta was chosen to work on the see-through wall project.The final project could cost up to $25 billion.Elta manufactures radar systems and components for branches of the American military. It also provides radar components for the Israeli military, which purchases them using US military aid and must be spent in the United States. In its Israeli headquarters, Elta manufactures radar systems for Arrow missiles, the Iron Dome anti-missile system, espionage and fighter jets, according to Ynet.US President Donald Trump has praised Israel for its southern border wall meant to stop African migrants from illegally entering the country.
UN Assembly’s new leader wants ‘compromise over conflict’-Miroslav Lajcak expects his approach to be tested over the coming year, though he is 'confident it will be reaffirmed'-By AP-September 13, 2017, 7:49 am-TOI
UNITED NATIONS — The new president of the UN General Assembly said Tuesday he expects his strong belief in “compromise over conflict” to be tested from time to time over the coming year, though he is “confident it will be reaffirmed.”Miroslav Lajcak said in his opening address to the 72nd session of the 193-member world body that it will be a year of firsts, with negotiations on a global compact on migration and a high-level event on sustaining peace.The Slovak foreign minister said the year ahead will also see many countries signing the first agreement on eliminating nuclear weapons and the first international compact to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping missions.But he said the General Assembly will also be trying to maintain momentum on implementing UN goals for 2030 to fight poverty and inequality and the 2015 Paris climate agreement as well as moving ahead with reforms of the United Nations.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Lajcak’s theme for the coming year, which is: “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet.”Guterres said the world faces serious threats from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to global terrorism and climate change, and people everywhere are rightly demanding change.“We all agree that the United Nations must do even more to adapt and deliver,” he said. “That’s the aim of the reform proposals that this assembly will consider.”Reform of the United Nations is a key demand of the United States, and Guterres will speak at a US-sponsored meeting Monday chaired by President Donald Trump on reforming the world body. It will take place on the eve of Tuesday’s opening of the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly.
Facing US, Israeli pressure, Palestinians pull bid to join UN tourism body-UNTWO would have become the second UN body, after UNESCO, to induct the PA; Foreign Ministry says retraction due to behind-the-scenes efforts-By Dov Lieber-September 13, 2017, 1:00 pm-TOI
The Palestinians on Wednesday retracting their request for a vote on becoming a member state in the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) amid American and Israeli pressure, a source in Jerusalem told The Times of Israel.The vote, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday, was postponed until the organization’s next plenary session, in two years.The Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision and said it was due to “great Israeli efforts spearheaded by [Tourism] Minister Yariv Levin, who led the Israeli delegation.”The PA submitted its request for membership in UNTWO in September 2016.According to the agenda for UNTWO’s 22nd session, which began Monday in Chengdu, China, the PA was up for membership, along with the Union of the Comoros and the Federal Republic of Somalia.To become a member, the Palestinians would have required a two-thirds majority vote.When White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his team met PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah last month, they reportedly asked the Palestinians for a three- to four-month grace period to present a peace plan. During that time, the Americans reportedly asked the Palestinians to refrain from their efforts to pursue recognition from international bodies.The PA had remained silent on the planned vote, and on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry did not respond to a request for a comment.Had it voted in the Palestinians, the UNTWO would have become the second UN body to grant them the same status accorded to fully recognized states.In a controversial move, the UN voted in 2011 to give the Palestinians full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In response, both the US and Israel cut their funding to the UN body, which amounted to a quarter of its total budget.The global Jewish organization B’nai B’rith slammed UNTWO’s decision to allow the Palestinians to vie for membership.“The Palestinians must not be allowed to upend the international order, and enjoy treatment not afforded any other group, by being admitted to international organizations as a ‘state’ before they have actually earned that status,” B’nai B’rith said in a statement.“Such admittance only encourages the Palestinians to continue rejecting the direct negotiations and meaningful compromise with Israel that would provide for the fundamental needs of both sides,” it concluded.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet on sidelines of UN confab, US confirms-The two will both be in New York to address the world body; no indication yet if Trump will also meet with Abbas-By Eric Cortellessa-September 13, 2017, 5:45 am-TOI
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in New York next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a US official confirmed on Tuesday.“The President is planning to sit down with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I know that the President’s looking forward to doing that,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters during her daily press briefing.On Sunday, Netanyahu said he would meet with Trump while they both were in Manhattan, but Washington had yet to verify a summit would take place.The meeting will be the two leaders forth together since Trump assumed office. The two met once in February when the Israeli premier visited the White House, and twice in May when the American president traveled to the region, which included a two-day stop in Israel and the Palestinian territories.Trump is slated to address UNGA on September 19. Reports have quoted officials saying the meeting with Netanyahu will likely take place on or around September 18.Officials did not say where the meeting would take place, but last month the Israel Hayom daily reported it would be held at Trump’s National Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey.Officials have not yet disclosed what subjects are on the itinerary of discussion, but their summit will come as Trump is making headlines for his machinations to toughen up on Iran and potential plans to decertify the regime as violating the 2015 nuclear deal, despite International Atomic Energy Agency investigators finding it is abiding by its terms.Trump told The Wall Street Journal in August he “does not expect that they will be in compliance.” That interview came shortly after Foreign Policy reported that he told his aides to develop a case for why the Iran has violated the agreement by October, when he must report to Congress on whether Tehran is honoring the landmark pact.Netanyahu has long been a fierce critic of the deal. On Tuesday, he said his position remained simple — that it is a bad deal and should either be renegotiated or trashed.“In the case of Iran, there have been some news stories about Israel’s purported position on the nuclear deal with Iran. So let me take this opportunity and clarify: Our position is straightforward. This is a bad deal. Either fix it — or cancel it. This is Israel’s position,” Netanyahu said from Argentina, where he is on a Latin American swing before making his way to New York for the UN General Assembly.The meeting between the two leaders also comes at a sensitive time for Trump’s peace push. Last month, the former real estate mogul dispatched a US delegation to the Middle East to try and renew negotiations between the sides.No tangible developments occurred, but Palestinians continue to criticize the US team for its refusal to back a two-state solution, a goal that has been central to American foreign policy for decades.In August, Nauert responded to these criticisms by saying the Trump administration did not want to “bias” itself by supporting any particular outcome to the conflict.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also be in town for the UN confab. There is no indication yet that he is slated to meet individually with Trump or that the three will meet together.
Jimmy Carter says almost no hope of Trump progress on Mideast peace-Former president issues scathing criticism of US foreign policy, says Netanyahu has no intention of reaching two-state solution-By AP September 13, 2017, 5:14 am-TOI
ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter offered a damning indictment of US foreign policy and domestic affairs Tuesday, saying he had little faith US President Donald Trump could make any progress in brokering an Israeli-Palestinian accord and casting him as a disappointment on the world stage.Carter’s criticisms, offered at his annual presentation to backers of his post-presidency Carter Center in Atlanta, went beyond Trump, but he was particularly critical of the nation’s direction under the Republican president’s leadership.Carter, 92, dismissed Trump’s optimism that he can engineer Middle East peace. Trump has tasked his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with handling the issue that has vexed US administrations for generations, but the president notably backed off the long-held US position calling for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.Carter, who helped broker Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt, said he is “practically hopeless” that anything Trump comes up with would give “justice to the Palestinians.”“I don’t think Trump or his family members are making any process in that respect,” he said.Carter criticized both Israeli and Palestinian leaders for a lack of flexibility, but he singled out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally, for having “no intention at all of having a two-state solution.”The 39th president, a Democrat, offered this advice to the 45th: “Keep the peace, promote human rights and tell the truth.”He did not mention explicitly Trump’s threatening exchanges this summer with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, but the former president said the US should engage directly with the insular leader and discuss a peace treaty to replace the cease fire that ended the Korean War in 1953.“I would send my top person to Pyongyang immediately, if I didn’t go myself,” Carter said, noting that he’s been three times to the country, even as successive US administrations have refused to deal with the regime.The North Koreans, Carter said, want a treaty that guarantees the US will not attack unless North Korea attacks the US or an ally, particularly South Korea.“Until we talk to them and threat them with respect — as human beings, which they are — I don’t think we’re going to make any progress,” Carter said.The former president and his wife, Rosalynn, largely steer clear of partisan politics, long having yielded any active role in the Democratic Party. But they maintain their high-profile advocacy through the Carter Center, which focuses on human rights, public health and democratic elections.Carter on Tuesday defended the center’s role in monitoring the August presidential elections in Kenya that the country’s Supreme Court later discarded. The court has ordered a new election.The Carter Center’s monitoring team, led by former Secretary of State John Kerry, said days after the vote that the process of casting paper ballots was fair, but that the electronic tabulations were “unreliable.” Carter said Tuesday that international monitors were not allowed to observe the counting process.The center also remains engaged in trying to end the Syrian civil war, Carter said. He noted that he and others from the center have engaged Russian President Vladimir Putin and others trying to broker peace.Carter touted a program at his center that tracks social media usage in the war-torn nation. By identifying the locations of individual posters with known political and military affiliations, Carter said, analysts can discern which factions control various cities and provinces. Carter said the center shares that intelligence with the Pentagon, the State Department, various media outlets and foreign allies of the US.Carter made no mention of ongoing inquiries into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential campaign or potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.At 92, Carter is second eldest living US president and fourth longest-lived president in history. His birthday is October 1. George H.W. Bush, the eldest living president, turned 93 on June 12, putting him 92 days into his 94th year. Ronald Reagan was 120 days beyond his 93rd birthday when he died in 2004. Gerald Ford died two years later, having lived 165 days beyond his 93rd birthday.Carter already has the longest post-presidency, having been out of office for 36 years and almost 8 months.
Attempted stabbing thwarted near Hebron, attacker shot-No injuries to Israeli forces or civilians in West Bank attack at entrance of Kiryat Arba, terrorist seriously wounded-By TOI staff-September 13, 2017, 4:43 pm
A Palestinian man tried to carry out a stabbing attack on Wednesday at a bus stop at the entrance to the Kiryat Arba settlement before being shot and wounded, the IDF said.The military said the man ran toward a bus stop at the Elias Junction brandishing a knife. He was spotted by troops who opened fire, injuring him.No Israeli civilians or soldiers were injured, the army said, adding that he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Hebrew media reports said he was in a serious condition.Kiryat Arba is adjacent to the divided West Bank city of Hebron.The attack came a day after Border Police officers arrested a Palestinian teenager carrying a knife at a checkpoint in Hebron, the third such incident over the past week.After being asked by police to lift his shirt — where he was hiding the knife — as he passed through a checkpoint near the city’s Tomb of the Patriarch’s holy site, the 15-year-old pulled the knife on the officers, who in turn aimed their weapons at him, a police spokeswoman said.The teenager was then arrested by Border Police and taken for further questioning by security forces, the police spokeswoman said, adding that no shots were fired during the arrest.Police said they were looking into the teenager’s motive.On Friday, a Palestinian man in his twenties was arrested in Hebron when he was discovered to be hiding a knife on his person, while last Wednesday Border Police officers arrested a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank city after finding a knife in his possession.Both of those incidents also took place at checkpoints near the Tomb of the Patriarchs.The flashpoint city of Hebron, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings since a wave of attacks carried out by Palestinians began in October 2015.
