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
IDF simulates war in Lebanon, amid tensions with Iran, Hezbollah-Reservist, conscript brigades take part in large-scale exercises along the Lebanese border to 'improve preparedness on the northern front,' army says-By Judah Ari Gross-TOI-FEB 22,18
The IDF Galilee Division on Thursday completed a series of large-scale exercises designed to prepare the military for a potential rapidly unfolding war in Lebanon, the army said amid rising tensions in recent weeks along Israel’s northern frontier.“Conscripted soldiers, along with reservists, took part in the exercise. They practiced a rapid call-up of reservists, as well as operational capabilities and readiness to fight in Lebanese terrain,” the Israel Defense Forces said.In addition, the army’s 188th Armored Brigade conducted its own, separate exercise in northern Israel, along with troops from combat engineering, infantry and artillery.The drills came amid heightened tensions in the country’s north, following aerial clashes between the Israeli air force and the Syrian military earlier this month, and amid an ongoing diplomatic dispute between Israel and Lebanon over a portion of the Mediterranean Sea, which is believed to contain a natural gas reserve, that each claims as its own.“The brigade exercises were held as part of the enhanced 2018 training program. Their purpose is to prepare combat soldiers and their commanders for any scenario, and to enhance their readiness and capabilities for real-time threats,” the army said.Col. Manny Liberty, the head of the 769th Territorial Brigade, which is responsible for defending the eastern portion of the Lebanese border, said the exercise improved both the offensive and defensive capabilities of his unit.“We will continue to train and prepare to ensure the security of the residents of this region,” Liberty said.During the tank brigade’s exercise, the troops simulated “a variety of scenarios, and were required to practice logistic and operational efficiency over a prolonged period of fighting,” the army said.The commander of the 188th Brigade, Col. Gal Shochami, stressed the importance of the exercise as conflict could break out at any time.“We must remember the meaning of the command, ‘War tomorrow,’ which tells us that any training situation may be the last before the real test of our abilities: the battlefield,” Shochami said.“The 188th Brigade will be ready to fight on the battlefield, whenever, and wherever it will be required,” he said.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot and the head of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick, visited the exercises in northern Israel, speaking with the commanders of the various participating units and assessing the brigade’s abilities, the army said.The military faced deep criticism following the 2006 Second Lebanon War against the Hezbollah terrorist group over its failure to properly train soldiers for the types of fighting they encountered in the conflict, having instead focused on preparing troops for West Bank counter-terrorism operations.In the interim 12 years, the army sought to address that issue, building special facilities that mimic southern Lebanese terrain and investing considerably more resources in training exercises for reservists.In September, the military conducted its largest exercise in decades, aimed specifically at simulating a war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.This has all been to prepare for another bout with the terrorist group and its supporters — Iran and Syria — which many defense officials and analysts see as only a matter of time.The prospects of such a clash between Israel and the Iranian-led axis of Tehran, Damascus and the Beirut-based Hezbollah were raised following a significant aerial exchange earlier this month.Earlier this month, an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace near the Jordanian border before it was shot down by an Israeli attack helicopter. In response to the drone incursion, Israeli jets attacked the mobile command center from which it was operated, the army said at the time.During the reprisal raid, one of the eight Israeli F-16 fighter jets that took part in the operation was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft fire and crashed. The Israeli Air Force then conducted a second round of airstrikes, destroying between a third and half of Syria’s air defenses, according to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.In the aftermath of the exchange, officials from Iran, Syria and Hezbollah boasted that the downing of the F-16 marked the end of Israel’s ability to freely operate in the region. Meanwhile, Israeli officials said the fact that the air force destroyed a sizable portion of Syria’s air defenses after the F-16 was shot down proved that the Jewish state maintained its aerial superiority in the Middle East.
IDF, US troops get ready for drill to simulate massive missile attack on Israel-Thousands of Israeli, American soldiers to take part in biennial 'Juniper Cobra' drill, amid escalating Israel-Iran tensions-By Judah Ari Gross-TOI-FEB 22,18
The Israeli military on Thursday began its final preparations for a major air defense exercise with the United States, which is set to kick off at the beginning of next month, the army said.While the Juniper Cobra exercise, which was first held in 2001, is scheduled every two years, it comes at a time of growing tension between Israel and Iran and the Iranian proxy Hezbollah. This year’s exercise simulates a massive ballistic missile attack against Israel and is also meant to improve ties between the two armies.The exercise will largely be performed through advanced computer simulations, though it will also include some real-world activities.In total, some 4,500 soldiers from the two militaries will take part in the exercise — 2,500 of them from the United States’ European Command (US EUCOM) and 2,000 from the Israel Defense Forces. This is a substantial increase from the 2016 exercise, in which some 3,200 soldiers took part.The Juniper Cobra exercise is scheduled to begin on March 4 and will formally run until March 15, though some American troops will stay in Israel and continue training with the IDF until the end of the month, the army said.The threat from ballistic and guided missiles is one of the most significant threats facing Israel, and Israeli officials say it is growing.The Iran-backed, Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organization is suspected of maintaining a stockpile of some 150,000 missiles, which it could rain down on Israel at a rate of over 1,000 missiles a day in a future war.Last weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also revealed to the Munich Security Conference that Iran was looking to outfit the group with superior, precision-guided missiles, capable of hitting a target with an accuracy of a few dozen meters.Iran too has an advanced ballistic missile program.In Gaza, both the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups are believed to each have their own arsenals containing upwards of 10,000 rockets and mortars, though of an inferior quality, owing to the blockade of the coastal enclave enforced by both Israel and Egypt.The air defense drill will take place a few short weeks after Israeli aircraft squared off against an Iranian drone and Syria’s air defense systems, though the IDF stresses that the biennial Juniper Cobra was planned long in advance and is not connected to any particular event.American soldiers have been arriving to Israel over the past few weeks, ahead of the exercise. Israel has done some light preparation for the drill, but will step up its efforts considerably before the kick-off date.“The Juniper Cobra exercises continue to strengthen this relationship, providing us with the opportunity to bolster interoperability and develop seamless integration with our Israeli partners,” said Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, commander of the US Third Air Force, who will lead the American delegation.During the exercise, the American and Israeli forces will train on the long-range Arrow and Patriot air defense systems, the medium-range David’s Sling, and the short-range Iron Dome, the army said.It will be the first time that the David’s Sling will be used in a Juniper Cobra exercise, as the system was only declared operational last year.“The Juniper Cobra 2018 exercise is another step in improving the readiness of the IDF and air force for battle and for facing the ballistic threat,” said the head of Israel’s air defenses, Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovitch, on Thursday.“In the coming weeks, we will simulate challenging and complicated scenarios that are based on the operational reality,” the brigadier general said.On Monday, a top IDF general warned that this year was more likely to see war break out between Israel and the Iranian-led axis of Tehran, Damascus, and the Beirut-based Hezbollah terrorist organization — all three of which have called for Israel’s destruction — as the trio’s victories in the Syrian civil war will allow them to focus their attentions on fighting the Jewish state.“The year 2018 has the potential for escalation [of military conflict], not necessarily because either side wants to initiate it, but because of a gradual deterioration. This has led us to raise the level of preparedness,” Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, head of IDF Operations, told Army Radio in a rare interview.Military officials and defense analysts have assessed that a future conflict with Hezbollah — whether it is treated as a third Lebanon war or a first Israeli-Iranian war — would be devastating for both Israel and Lebanon.In addition to its massive missile arsenal, Hezbollah has also been preparing fighters to infiltrate into Israeli territory and attack a community near the Lebanese border, slaughtering the residents or taking them hostage.Israel, for its part, has prepared a massive list of Hezbollah targets that it can strike with aircraft and artillery, and IDF ground forces have trained for fighting in Lebanese terrain, most recently in a series of exercise completed Thursday.“If the next war indeed breaks out, it will be rough. But, first and foremost, it will be rough for the other side,” Alon warned. “I don’t think any Israeli citizen would want to switch places with a Lebanese citizen during the next war.”Speaking at an annual conference held by Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies last month, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said that Lebanon will be held to account in a future war because, led by the terrorist Hezbollah group, it has “sacrificed its national interests by subjugating fully to Iran.”“Lebanon’s army and Hezbollah are the same — they will all pay the full price in the event of an escalation,” Liberman said. “If a conflict does break out in the north, ‘boots on the ground’ remains an option. We won’t allow scenes like in 2006, where we saw citizens of Beirut on the beach while Israelis in Tel Aviv sat in shelters… If people in Tel Aviv will be in bomb shelters, all of Beirut will be in bomb shelters.”Liberman was referring to the Second Lebanon War, during which dozens of Israelis were killed in the north in rocket attacks — though Tel Aviv did not come under attack.Over the past year, Israel has often warned of a growing Iranian influence in Lebanon, with Liberman telling United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in August that Iran is “working to set up factories to manufacture accurate weapons within Lebanon itself.”
THE LIBERALS ARE USING THESE KIDS TO GET OUT THEIR CRAZY-MENTAL BELIEFS THAT GUNS MUST BE BANNED.
Shooting survivors, grieving parents challenge lawmakers, NRA rep at town hall-Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jamie, was killed in attack, tells Senator Rubio that his comments on the shooting and need for gun control are 'pathetically weak'-By JTA-TOI-FEB 22,18
The grieving parents of Jewish children killed in the shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, were among those who lashed out at lawmakers and firearm advocates during a town hall hosted by CNN.Student survivors of the attack, as well as their teachers and parents, faced off with Florida’s two US senators, Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson; the district’s congressman, Representative Ted Deutch; and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch on Wednesday evening, a week after an expelled Stoneman Douglas student shot his way through the school’s halls using a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle.Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jamie, was killed in the attack, told Rubio that his comments over the last week about the shooting and the need for gun control are “pathetically weak.”Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in Parkland shooting, to Sen. Marco Rubio: “Look at me and tell me guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids … and you will work with us to do something about guns” https://t.co/puYEwoVG1N #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/AC5Zh2567K— CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2018-“My daughter was hunted last week … She was massacred. My daughter, who was the energy in the room. She brought beauty and joy to everyone she was around,” Guttenberg said. “I am enraged. I want to hear our elected officials, I want them to look me in the eye and acknowledge the role that guns played in the hunting of my daughter.“Look at me and tell me that guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in this school this week. Look at me and tell me you accept it, and you will work with us to do something about guns.”Lori Alhadeff, mother of 14-year-old victim Alyssa Alhadeff, also expressed her anger and frustration.Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter died in the shooting, delivers a powerful speech at #StudentsStandUp directed at the NRA: “Enough talk. What is your action?” https://t.co/EniNh54u6q— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018-“I am tired of people doing nothing,” she said. “This horrific incident has to be the catalyst that finally puts things in action.Later she asked, “Where are our metal detectors? Where is our bulletproof glass? … Where is the funding to protect the ones who will be the future of our nation?”Stoneman Douglas junior Cameron Kasky confronted Rubio, calling on him to turn down campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association.Cameron Kasky, who survived the school shooting: “Sen. Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?”Rubio: “People buy into my agenda, and I do support the Second Amendment” #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/ucmVB74g1C— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018-“Can you tell me you won’t be accepting a single penny from the NRA?” Kasky asked Rubio.Rubio defended accepting support from the gun lobby.“The influence of these groups comes not from money,” he said. “The influence comes from the millions of people that agree with the agenda, the millions of Americans that support the NRA.”Kasky continued to press the Republican lawmaker.“In the name of the 17 people who died, you can’t ask the NRA to keep their money?” the teen asked.The mother of Scott Beigel, a teacher who was killed in the shooting, to NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch: "Why are my son's unalienable rights not protected as fiercely as the right to bear arms?" #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/QxIISwI65M— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018-Linda Shulman, the mother of Scott Beigel, the teacher who was killed while ushering students to safety in a classroom, confronted the NRA’s Loesch, demanding to know: “Why are my son’s unalienable rights not protected as fiercely as the right to bear arms?”Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son, Alex, was slain, read a poem about roller coasters written by his son.Max Schachter, the father of Alex Schachter who was killed in the shooting, shares a poem that his son wrote at #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/032AaYLVhU— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018-“He wasn’t writing about his life and had no idea his poem would become the future,” he said.At the end of the evening, the high school’s drama club performed an original song titled “Shine” that appeared to be directed at the shooter: “You may have hurt us, but I promise we are not going to let you in. We’re putting up a fight. You may have brought the dark, but together we will shine a light, and we will be something special. We’re going to shine, shine.”Marjory Stoneman Douglas students perform “Shine” at #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/KZn2rLJ4HU— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018.
Racist’ white powder letter sent to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle: report-Counter-terrorism police said to have inspected substance meant for royal couple, determining it is harmless-By AFP-TOI-FEB 22,18
LONDON — A letter with white powder was sent to Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, the Evening Standard newspaper reported on Thursday, saying it was also believed to contain a racist message.The paper said that officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command were called in, after the letter was received on February 12 at a sorting office in St James’s Palace in central London.But analysis of the powder found that it was harmless.Contacted by AFP, Prince Harry’s press service at Kensington Palace declined to comment on the report.“Police are investigating after a package containing a substance was delivered to St James’s Palace on Monday, 12 February,” police said in a statement.“The substance was tested and confirmed as non-suspicious. Officers are also investigating an allegation of malicious communications which relates to the same package,” the statement said.The Evening Standard said police were believed to be examining whether the incident was linked to a package containing white powder that was sent to the British parliament on February 13.The couple are due to marry in Windsor on May 19.When their relationship was first revealed in 2016, Harry issued a strongly-worded statement against media harassment of his mixed-race girlfriend.Harry’s communications secretary Jason Knauf said at the time that Markle had been the subject of “a wave of abuse and harassment.”“Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her,” Knauf said then.
Iranian official: We may leave nuclear deal if banks don’t come to Iran-Facing uncertainty over proliferation of sanctions against Islamic Republic, many financial institutions still won't back investments in the country-By TOI staff-FEB 22,18
A senior Iranian official said Thursday that Tehran may choose to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with six world powers if major international banks continued to avoid doing business in the Islamic Republic.While the deal largely ended nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, other sanctions, including those targeting its support for terror groups like Hezbollah and its ballistic missile program, continue despite the deal. Many banks are worried that doing business in Iran could cost them dearly, especially in the United States, if western officials determine their business ties contradict the requirements of existing sanctions.Speaking at the Chatham House think tank in London, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the deal cannot “survive this way,” according to a Reuters report on his comments.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the scrapping or amending of the nuclear deal, and said if some key issues were not addressed — including lack of international inspections of Iran’s military nuclear sites, as well as the lifting of some nuclear restrictions after 2025 — the US might withdraw entirely and reimpose the sanctions lifted under the deal.But even if that does not happen, Araghchi said, “the deal would not survive this way.”“If the same policy of confusion and uncertainties about the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) continues, if companies and banks are not working with Iran, we cannot remain in a deal that has no benefit for us,” Araghchi added, according to Reuters. “That’s a fact.”Araghchi also rejected the US and Israeli view that the deal ceases to restrict Iran’s nuclear behavior down the road. “There is no sunset clause in the JCPOA. Although the US administration and Trump are talking about [a] ‘sunset clause’ and that JCPOA is just for 10 years, that is not true,” he insisted. “Iran’s commitment in the JCPOA not to go for nuclear weapons is permanent.”Araghchi rejected Trump’s demand to address other issues as part of the continued operation of the nuclear deal, including the country’s burgeoning ballistic missile program.Such a linkage would mean that the countries that negotiated the JCPOA “not only will lose the JCPOA, but will make other issues more complicated and more difficult to resolve. If we lose the JCPOA, we will face another nuclear crisis,” he warned.“For the Europeans or the world community, when we talk about maintaining the JCPOA and saving it, it’s not a choice between the Iranian or the US market, it’s not a choice for economic cooperation: it’s a choice between having security or insecurity,” he added.
End to Syria ‘massacre’ urged as death toll mounts in fresh bombardment-At least 335 civilians believed to have been killed since Sunday in besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta-By AFP and AP-TOI-FEB 22,18
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday called for an end to the “massacre” in Syria after fresh airstrikes on a rebel-held enclave in the war-torn country killed another 13 people.Condemning the Syrian regime for targeting “its own people,” Merkel said, “The killing of children, the destruction of hospitals — all that amounts to a massacre that must be condemned and which must be countered with a clear ‘no.'”The UN human rights office said Wednesday that at least 346 people have been killed in eastern Ghouta since the Syrian government and its allies escalated an offensive on February 4. By an AFP count, at least 335 civilians are thought to have been killed since Sunday in the besieged enclave near Damascus as regime forces intensified their bombardment of the site.On the eve of a European Union summit, Merkel told the German parliament that the dire situation in Syria requires the bloc to seek “to play a bigger role” in ending the crisis.“That is something that we as Europeans need to work towards,” she said.At the same time, Merkel also urged Iran and Russia — both allies of Bashar Assad’s regime — to play their part in ending the killing.“We must do everything to find an end to this massacre,” she said, adding that German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel would press the case with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.Meanwhile, Sweden and Kuwait called for a vote Thursday on a UN resolution ordering a 30-day cease-fire throughout Syria to enable delivery of humanitarian aid to millions of people in acute need, and the evacuation of the critically sick and wounded.But the Security Council resolution would exempt attacks directed at extremists from the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front — targets the Syrian government and its Russian allies say they are pursuing.The proposed resolution, put in a final form Wednesday, expresses “outrage at the unacceptable levels of violence” and attacks on civilians in several parts of Syria, particularly in Idlib governorate and the rebel-held Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta.Whether Russia uses its veto or abstains in a vote on the resolution remains to be seen.Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called a 30-day ceasefire unrealistic, and diplomats said during negotiations on the text he argued that it couldn’t be enforced. Instead, he proposed a change that would have the parties agree to a ceasefire themselves which was rejected by the sponsors, the diplomats said.“We cannot simply decide that there is a ceasefire,” Nebenzia said Wednesday in an audio recording from Russia’s UN Mission. “That’s a long and complex process to achieve. Cessations cannot be established by putting a word in the resolution.”Soon after a final draft of the resolution was circulated, Nebenzia called for an open Security Council meeting Thursday on eastern Ghouta. Some diplomats complained privately that Russia was trying to delay action on the 30-day cease-fire resolution.Nebenzia told the council it’s important that all sides in the conflict present their understanding of the situation in eastern Ghouta “and come up the ways of getting out of the situation there.”Russia understands “there are terrorists there who the Syrian army is fighting and the terrorists are shelling heavily Damascus — and that has been neglected,” he said.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier urged an immediate suspension of “all war activities” in eastern Ghouta, where he said 400,000 people are living “in hell on earth.”The UN chief said a suspension of fighting must allow for humanitarian aid to reach all in need and the evacuation of some 700 people needing urgent medical treatment.“This is a human tragedy that is unfolding in front of our eyes and I don’t think we can let things go on in this horrendous way,” he said.US Ambassador Nikki Haley supported the UN chief saying “it is time for us to realize that we can’t continue to look away.”Later, she accused “the barbaric Assad regime” of attacking men, women and children.“It is simply preposterous to claim that these attacks on civilians have anything to do with fighting terrorism,” Haley said in a statement. “The Security Council must move to adopt a resolution establishing a ceasefire.”But since the Syrian conflict began nearly seven years ago, the Security Council has been deeply divided, with Russia backing Assad’s government and the US, Britain and France supporting the opposition. The result has been paralysis and inaction.The proposed Syria humanitarian resolution drafted by Sweden and Kuwait expresses “grave distress” that more than 13.1 million people in Syria need urgent humanitarian assistance and “outrage” at the escalating violence and lack of access to civilians in need.It calls for a ceasefire throughout Syria to begin 72 hours after the resolution’s adoption. It states that 48 hours after a cease-fire starts humanitarian convoys must be allowed “unimpeded and sustained access” and the UN and its partners must be allowed to evacuate urgent cases.The draft resolution also calls for the immediate lifting of sieges including in eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya.
Outrage over Iran minister’s upcoming visit to UN rights council-Alireza Avayi accused of key role in 1988 massacre of political prisoners; African migrants protest detentions; Belgian police says no terrorism behind Brussels lock-down-By Itamar Sharon-FEB 22,18-TOI
6:40 pm-Outrage over Iran minister’s presence at UN rights meet-Critics voice outrage that Iran’s justice minister will travel to Geneva next week to address the UN’s top human rights body, despite facing Swiss and EU sanctions over rights violations.Brussels and Bern have slapped sanctions on Alireza Avayi, maintaining that, as Tehran’s former top prosecutor, he was “responsible for human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, denials of prisoners’ rights, and an increase in executions.”According to exiled members of the Iranian opposition, he played a key role in a 1988 massacre of political prisoners.“Allowing Avayi to address the Human Rights Council is disgraceful and would make a mockery of the United Nations and its human rights mechanisms,” says Shahin Gobadi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.— AFP-6:26 pm-Egypt says 7 soldiers, 71 jihadists killed in Sinai op-Seven Egyptian soldiers and 71 jihadists have been killed since the launch of a wide-ranging operation to quell an Islamic State group affiliate in Sinai earlier this month, Egypt’s military says.“As a result of the heroic combat operations by our armed forces…seven heroes of the armed forces were martyred,” military spokesman Colonel Tamer Rifai says at a press conference on state television.“71 extremists have been killed and five arrested,” he says.Rifai adds that 1,852 other suspects have been rounded up in the operation that began on February 9, following an ultimatum by President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to end the deadly insurgency.— AFP-“The tomb of Yehoshua bin Nun is a holy site of top historical importance. I call on security forces to capture the vandals,” he says.5:44 pm-Hefetz tells court he is allowed little sleep, limited access to doctors-During his remand hearing earlier, Nir Hefetz, a former spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family, complained of suffering in jail.Hefetz told the court he was being allowed only few hours of sleep a night and was “exhausted,” according to Hadashot news.He also claimed that when he felt unwell and asked to see a doctor, he was rebuffed by police.“I collapsed on the cell floor, and only then did a medic come,” Hefetz told the court.5:27 pm-Police say solid evidence against suspected murderer of elderly British Israeli-Police say they have amassed a solid body of evidence against the suspected murderer of an elderly British Israeli in the city of Netanya in January.Authorities believe the 37-year-old suspect broke into the home of 79-year-old Alan Kaye, robbed him and murdered him with a hammer.According to the Jewish Telegraph, widower Kaye came to live in Israel in 2010 to be near his daughter and grandchildren.5:15 pm-Flight delays at Ben Gurion Airport as workers launch surprise strike-Workers at Ben Gurion International Airport launched a surprise strike Thursday afternoon, causing delays at Israel’s main flight hub.Delays are said to mostly be affecting departures, with holdups of up to 90 minutes reported.There is no immediate word on the cause for the work stoppage.5:00 pm-Deri completes new round of police questioning-Interior Minister Aryeh Deri says he has completed a new round of questioning by police in an ongoing investigation into corruption suspicions against him.“As usual I answered all the questions,” he tweets. “Everything is fine and will be even better, God willing.”4:59 pm-Elovitch’s wife remanded in custody until Monday-Iris Elovitch, wife of Bezeq chief shareholder Shaul Elovitch, has been remanded in custody until Monday.Iris, along with her husband and the couple’s son Or, is suspected of involvement in bribery as part of Case 4000.Police suspect Bezeq received regulatory benefits from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for Elovitch giving the premier and his family positive coverage on the Walla news site, which he also owns.Earlier in the day Elovitch himself was also remanded in custody until Monday.4:38 pm-Sweden warns of possible Russian meddling in upcoming election-Sweden’s intelligence service is warning “foreign powers” could try and meddle in the Nordic nation’s upcoming general election, singling out Russia in light of alleged interference in the last US vote.However, the Swedish Security Service (Sapo), which is responsible for tackling espionage and terrorism, says in an annual report that Sweden’s “robust” and “decentralized” electoral system is tough to influence.“It cannot be ruled out that certain foreign powers will take advantage of the Swedish election campaign to enhance conflicts in Swedish society and attempt to weaken the democratic system,” says Sapo head Anders Thornberg in the document.“Russian espionage constitutes the greatest security threat” against non-NATO member Sweden, Sapo warns, adding that a third of Russian diplomats in the country are spies.— AFP-4:18 pm-Belgian police say incident involving suspected gunman not terror-related-Belgian police say an incident involving a suspected armed man in Brussels is not terror-related.Brussels police spokeswoman Kathleen Calie says that officers from Belgium’s special federal force were deployed to the Forest suburb following witness accounts that an armed person could be at large.Déploiement policier à #Forest près de la place #SaintDenis : l'opération est terminée #Brussels https://t.co/PQEWRGGWbR pic.twitter.com/C5Mx1YA9dP— Guillaume Woelfle (@GuiWoelfle) February 22, 2018-A search of one building produced nothing, and a second search is ongoing.Calie says “we can rule out terrorism.”- AP-4:17 pm-Egyptian court sentences 21 to death on terrorism charges-An Egyptian court has sentenced 21 people to death and seven others to up to life in prison over belonging to a group believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State group, the state-run MENA news agency reports.Beside the 21 death sentences, the court handed down life sentences — which in Egypt are equal to 25 years — to four defendants, and 15-year-sentences to three others, MENA says.The 28 on trial were charged with belonging to an outlawed group linked to IS, disrupting public order, possession of weapons and endangering society among other charges. Of the total, only 12 are in custody while the others — 16 suspects — are at large.Rights groups have repeatedly criticized similar mass sentencings in Egypt and called on authorities to ensure fair trials.— AP-4:13 pm-Hundreds of African migrants protest detentions-Hundreds of African migrants protest Thursday outside an Israeli prison where at least nine have been incarcerated under Israel’s controversial new policy of expelling or imprisoning them.They march a short distance from the Holot open detention center to Saharonim Prison, chanting slogans and carrying signs demanding the prisoners’ release.They say they are on a hunger strike and vow to continue it until a solution is reached.Israel is preparing to deport thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese who entered the country illegally and who do not have asylum claims under examination.— AFP-4:06 pm-Belgian police warn residents in Brussels neighborhood to stay inside-Belgian police are warning residents in a Brussels neighborhood to stay inside amid media reports that an armed man could be at large.Masked police, some with automatic weapons, are aiming their guns high at a building near the Place Saint-Denis in the Forest neighborhood of the Belgian capital.A police helicopter is flying overhead.Broadcaster RTL quotes Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels as saying that police “suspect the presence of an armed man.”— AP-3:53 pm-Israel gets first female ultra-Orthodox judge-The Judicial Appointments Committee is meeting today to select new judges for various court positions across the country.One of the freshly announced appointees is Israel’s first female ultra-Orthodox judge.Another noteworthy appointment is that of justice Eilona Lindenstrauss-Arieli, the daughter of former state comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, to the Nazareth District Court.The committee is also set to announce its picks for two new Supreme Court justices.3:31 pm-Case 4000 suspect Shaul Elovitch heckled during remand hearing-Bezeq owner Shaul Elovitch, a chief suspect in Case 4000, is verbally assailed in court by social activist Barak Cohen, during a remand hearing.Elovitch, suspected of ordering positive coverage Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family on the Walla news site — which he owns — in return for business benefits, is heckled by Cohen in the courtroom.“Are you a state witness yet? Maybe open up on Netanyahu and save us from this tyrant already?” Cohen shouts. The presiding judge reprimands security personnel for failing to stop the incident.Elovitch’s remand has been extended by four days.3:19 pm-Belgian police lock down part of Brussels amid reports of gunman-Belgian police have sealed off part of a Brussels suburb amid media reports that an armed man could be at large.Armed police officers reportedly hiding behind buildings and staking out a building rooftop in the Forest neighborhood of the Belgian capital.Broadcaster RTL quotes Forest mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels as saying that police “suspect the presence of an armed man.”A suspect in the deadly Paris attacks in November 2015, Salah Abdeslam, hid in Forest and was caught up in a shootout with police in a nearby apartment.— AP-3:01 pm-Iranian official warns Tehran could leave nuke deal if no economic benefit-A senior Iranian official says Tehran may choose to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with six world powers if major international banks continued to avoid doing business in the Islamic Republic.“If the same policy of confusion and uncertainties about the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) continues, if companies and banks are not working with Iran, we cannot remain in a deal that has no benefit for us,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says according to Reuters. “That’s a fact.”2:54 pm-Russia says will consider UN ceasefire in Syria-Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow will consider supporting a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Syria if it does not cover fighters from the Islamic State group and the al-Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee.Lavrov’s statement this afternoon comes amid a dire humanitarian crisis in the eastern suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus. Syrian opposition activists and paramedics on Thursday reported a fresh round of violence as bombing in rebel-held eastern Ghouta left 13 people dead.Lavrov says in comments relayed by Russian news agencies that Russia is proposing the wording for the UN resolution that would exclude the IS, the al-Qaeda linked group as well as unspecified “groups that cooperate with them and systematically shell residential areas of Damascus.”— AP-2:45 pm-Remand extended for ex-Netanyahu spokesman suspected of trying to bribe judge-Nir Hefetz, a former spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family sees his detention extended for another three days over bribery suspicions.Hefetz is suspected of suggesting in 2015 that a judge could be appointed attorney general if she agreed to halt an investigation into the prime minister’s wife Sara.At the remand hearing, police told the judge that Hefetz, who was arrested on Sunday, was exercising his right to remain silent.The alleged attempts to bribe a judge has been dubbed by police as Case 1270, and is one of several corruption scandals involving the prime minister.2:33 pm-Ex-top graft investigator convicted of failing to report bribery attempts-A former top police corruption investigator is convicted of failing to report an attempted bribe offered to him by a well-known rabbi.Former police deputy commissioner Menashe Arviv, who once headed the national police force’s top corruption and fraud investigative body Lahav 433, is convicted by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court of the relatively minor crime of “failure to carry out an official duty.”The conviction comes as part of a plea bargain that saw fraud and breach of trust charges excised from the indictment.Arviv failed to report close ties he maintained with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto and at least two bribery attempts by Pinto while serving in a variety of senior positions in the police, including as deputy head of the Tel Aviv police, as Israel Police liaison to the United States and as head of Lahav 433.2:32 pm-Iran’s Ahmadinejad calls for immediate free elections-Iran’s hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the immediate holding of free presidential and parliamentary elections in a letter to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The call from a man, whose name is synonymous with the bloody repression of mass protests against his controversial re-election in 2009, marked a new act of defiance against a political establishment that has long since turned against him.“The immediate holding of free presidential and parliamentary elections — of course without their being engineered by the Guardian Council and without interference by military or security bodies so that people have a free choice — is an urgent necessity,” he wrote.Ahmadinejad makes no specific reference in his letter to a wave of unrest that swept Iran over the new year but it comes as the country’s divided political factions argue over how to respond.During the 2009 protests against Ahmadinejad’s re-election, dozens of people were killed as the regime deployed militia to back up police.Thousands of people were detained and his two reformist challengers — Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi — remain under house arrest.— AFP-2:31 pm-IDF completes training exercises along northern border-The IDF Galilee Division has completed a series of large-scale exercises designed to prepare the military for a rapidly unfolding war in Lebanon, the army says.“Conscripted soldiers, along with reservists, took part in the exercise. They practiced a rapid call-up of reservists, as well as operational capabilities and readiness to fight in Lebanese terrain,” the Israel Defense Forces says.During the tank brigade’s exercise, the troops simulated “a variety of scenarios, and were required to practice logistic and operational efficiency over a prolonged period of fighting,” according to the statement.The drills came amid heightened tensions in the country’s north, following aerial clashes between Syrian regime forces and the Israeli air force, after it struck a number of Iranian military installations inside Syria.— Judah Ari Gross.
