SPAIN, IRELAND, NORWAY WANT JERUSALEM DIVIDED.

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)

 SPAIN, IRELAND, NORWAY WANT JERUSALEM DIVIDED.

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

1 THESSALONIANS 5:3-7
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,(EU WORLD DICTATOR)the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.(SOCIALISM)
13 These have one mind,(SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

2 THESSALONIANS 2:9-12
9 Even him,(EU WORLD DICTATOR) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,(THE FALSE RESURRECTION BY THE WORLD DICTATOR) that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

GENESIS 49:16-17-POSSIBLY A JEW FROM DAN KILLS THE DICTATOR AT MIDPOINT OF TRIB
16  Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950

Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary Initiative United Nations.

THE WORLD DICTATOR

REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(EU WORLD DICTATOR) and he that sat on him had a bow;(PEACE) and a crown was given unto him:(WORLD LEADER) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he (FALSE POPE) causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he (THE EU DICTATOR) do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950

Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary Initiative United Nations.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

Norway, Ireland, Spain move to recognize Palestinian state, drawing Israeli fury-Jerusalem recalls ambassadors from Oslo and Dublin as foreign minister says announcement is prize for terrorism; Abbas and Hamas celebrate move-By Lazar Berman-22 May 2024, 12:13 pm

The leaders of Norway, Ireland and Spain announced Wednesday that their countries will recognize a Palestinian state within days, sparking a diplomatic row with Israel.Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said their countries would make recognition official on May 28, in a joint move with Ireland, whose leader Simon Harris said he expected other countries to join an upswell of support for Palestinian statehood in the coming weeks.Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to declare their recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.“There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition,” Gahr Store said at a press conference.In Ireland, Taoiseach Harris called recognition “a historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine.”The Irish premier said the recognition comes from a belief in “freedom and justice,” and that peace can only be secured by “the free will of a free people.”Speaking to Spain’s lower house, Sanchez said that Spain’s recognition is a decision “for peace, for justice and for coherence.”“Spain will be accompanied by other European countries,” he said. “The more there are of us, the sooner we will achieve a ceasefire. We are not going to give up.”Jerusalem responded angrily to the announcements, recalling its ambassadors from Ireland, Spain and Norway for immediate consultations.“I am sending an unequivocal message… Israel will not let this go quietly,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.He also summoned the envoys of the three countries in Israel for “severe reprimands,” and said they would be shown footage of the kidnapping of five female Israeli soldiers on October 7 amid Hamas’s shock assault, which was set to be made public Wednesday evening.The footage will “underscore to them what a twisted decision their governments made,” Katz said in a statement. “Their step will have severe consequences.”Israel will also consider future steps against the three countries, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded “harsh punitive measures” against the Palestinian Authority, announcing that he will cut off the transfer of tax funds to the Palestinian administrative body. He called for voiding a mechanism set up with Norway to facilitate the transfer of salaries to PA employees in Gaza and demanded that Israel approve thousands of new settlement homes in retaliation.The recognition of a Palestinian state by the three countries is the latest in a string of diplomatic setbacks for Israel as it battles Hamas. On Tuesday, the International Criminal Court announced it was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for potential war crimes, in addition to three Hamas leaders.Israel has argued that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state now would be viewed as a reward for the October 7 Hamas onslaught in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were slaughtered and 252 kidnapped, many of whom remain hostage in Gaza. Israel’s military campaign to rid the Gaza Strip of the Hamas terror group has sparked worldwide sympathy for the Palestinians and galvanized support for recognizing statehood in some capitals.“Ireland and Norway intend to send a message to the Palestinians and the entire world — terror pays,” Katz said, adding that they are “giving a prize to Hamas and Iran.”He claimed that recognition would also harm efforts to bring back the 128 hostages still held in Gaza, but said the announcements would not affect Israel’s war effort.A senior Hamas official credited the “brave resistance” of the Palestinian people for spurring the recognitions.“These successive recognitions are the direct result of this brave resistance and the legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people… We believe this will be a turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue,” Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member, told AFP.In Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the announcements, calling on other European countries to follow suit and recognize the State of Palestine “in order to achieve a two-state solution based on international resolutions and the 1967 borders.”Top Palestine Liberation Organization official Hussein al-Sheikh also celebrated the announcements, calling them “historical moments in which the free world triumphs for truth and justice after long decades of Palestinian national struggle.” He said recognition would lead “to stability, security and peace in the region.”Earlier this month, Slovenia initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a form of leverage to end the conflict in Gaza. Prime Minister Robert Golob said June 13 is the latest his country would recognize a Palestinian state.Around 144 out of 193 member-states of the United Nations already recognize a Palestinian state, including most of the global south, Russia, China and India, but only a handful of 27 EU members have so far done so.The United States has long opposed Palestinian efforts to unilaterally secure statehood status, arguing that the goal should be achieved through direct negotiations with Israel.Washington has also said that the Palestinian Authority needs to undergo significant reforms before it’s recognized as a state. Ramallah has long been marred by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.The moves by the individual countries do not affect EU recognition of a Palestinian state, as that decision must be made unanimously by all member states.Eight European Union countries recognize a Palestinian state — Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Slovakia. Malta recognizes the concept of one and has indicated it may soon recognize a state, along with Slovenia.Sweden is the only country that recognized a Palestinian state when it was already an EU member, with the rest having done so when part of the Soviet bloc.Norway is not a member of the EU , but is closely aligned, and is a member of the European Economic Area.Agencies contributed to this report.

Move by Norway, Ireland, Spain to recognize Palestinian state gets mixed global response-US, France, Germany say any two-state solution must be forged by dialogue; Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Slovenia welcome announcement by three European countries-By Agencies, ToI Staff and Jacob Magid-22 May 2024, 5:24 pm

Several countries voiced their support for Norway, Ireland, and Spain after the three European countries announced Wednesday that they would unilaterally recognize a State of Palestine, while the US, France and Germany said it was not the right time nor the right conditions for such a move.Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, and Slovenia all welcomed the announcement by Dublin, Madrid and Oslo, who said they would each recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, amid Israel’s war against the ruling Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.However, Israel’s allies in Washington and Berlin stressed that negotiations with Israel were the only pathway to a Palestinian state while emphasizing support for a two-state solution to the conflict.US President Joe Biden believes a Palestinian state “should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said.“The president is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career,” the spokesperson added.Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said it “expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s welcome of the positive decision taken by the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Republic of Ireland to recognize the sisterly State of Palestine,” according to a statement posted on X.“The kingdom appreciates this decision issued by friendly countries, which affirms the international consensus on the inherent right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and calls on the rest of the countries to quickly make the same decision.”The Gulf kingdom, home to Islam’s holiest places, has long positioned itself as a champion of the Palestinian cause and has never recognized Israel.However, its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said in September that progress was being made on a possible normalization deal that would also involve beefed-up security and other agreements with the United States, and the US has been attempting to broker such a deal.Since war broke out in Gaza on October 7, triggered by Palestinian terror group Hamas’s massive attack on southern Israel, Saudi officials have said ties with Israel are impossible without “irrevocable” steps toward recognition of a Palestinian state, which Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed. US Secretary State Anthony Blinken has acknowledged that Israel might not be willing to embrace a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia brokered by Washington if it means agreeing to clear progress toward a Palestinian state.France’s foreign minister said Wednesday that officially recognizing the Palestinian state is not a taboo, but any such decision must come at the right time.“This is not just a symbolic issue or a question of political positioning, but a diplomatic tool in the service of the solution of two states living side by side in peace and security,” Stephane Sejourne said in a statement.Germany echoed such a sentiment, saying that a two-state solution is the ultimate goal but it must be born out of dialogue.“An independent Palestinian state remains a firm goal of German foreign policy,” a German foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular news conference in Berlin, adding that a dialogue process was needed for that goal.Jordan hailed the coordinated move by Ireland, Norway and Spain as an “important and essential step towards Palestinian statehood.”“We welcome the decisions taken by friendly European countries today to recognize a Palestinian state,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart in Amman.“We value this decision and consider it an important and essential step towards a two-state solution that embodies an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the July 1967 borders.”Jordan is the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.Safadi expressed hopes that “these decisions will be part of a wider movement that… places all countries in the world and the region on a clear path towards a just and comprehensive peace, which is the only guarantor for security and stability for Palestine, Israel, and the region.”He added that the recognition of a Palestinian state “marks an important and essential step in response to the Israeli government’s actions not only in rejecting the two-state solution… but also in terms of practical measures on the ground that kill the chances of achieving peace in the region.”The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council also spoke out in support of the European countries’ move on Wednesday, with Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi saying it represented “a pivotal and strategic step towards achieving the two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a statement said.The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, based in the Saudi city of Jeddah, similarly welcomed the move as an “important historic step.”Turkey welcomed Spain, Ireland and Norway’s decision, calling it an important step toward the restoration of the “usurped rights of the Palestinians.”The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said the move would help “Palestine gain the status it deserves in the international community.” Turkey would continue with efforts to press more states to recognize Palestine, the ministry said.Slovenia hailed the recognition of an independent Palestinian state by the three European countries but stopped short of immediately following suit.Earlier in the year, Slovenia’s government launched a recognition procedure for a Palestinian state, but the small European Union nation has said the formal step will take place when it could best contribute to a lasting peace in the Middle East.“The Slovenian government was the first of the group of countries that signed a special declaration… to start the process of recognizing Palestine, in which we expressed expectations — not conditions — for both sides,” Prime Minister Robert Golob said in a statement. He added that “Palestinians need more than just a symbolic gesture of recognition.”“We would like to help to reform and empower the Palestinian Authority, which will represent its population in both the West Bank and Gaza and lead it to a two-state solution, which is seen by almost the entire world as the solution to lasting peace,” said Golob.In Slovenia, lawmakers must give the final approval for the recognition of a state.Palestinians welcomed the European recognition announcements as an affirmation of their decades-long quest for statehood in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip — territories Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War, when Arab countries including Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to wipe out the Jewish state. Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its unified capital and has passed legislation to that effect. It maintains overall control of the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority exercises authority over designated areas. Israel withdrew entirely from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas seized power there from the PA in a deadly coup 2007.Israel reacted with fury to the announcements by Norway, Spain, and Ireland, recalled its ambassadors to the three countries, and summoned their envoys, accusing the Europeans of rewarding the terror group Hamas group for its October 7 cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people amid numerous atrocities. Terrorists also abducted 252 people who were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.According to the Palestinian Authority, 142 of the 193 UN member countries already recognize a Palestinian state.Most Western governments including the United States say they are willing to one day recognize Palestinian statehood — but not before agreement is reached on thorny issues like its final borders, the status of Jerusalem, the fate of refugees and their descendants, and dependable security for Israel.

Reward for terror’: PM condemns move by 3 countries to recognize Palestinian state-Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls to punish Palestinian Authority by withholding transfer of tax funds, drawing reprimand from senior White House aide-By ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 9:49 pm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Spain, Ireland, and Norway’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state are akin to handing out “a reward for terrorism.”“Eighty percent of the Palestinians in [the West Bank] support the terrible massacre of October 7,” he said in a video statement, citing a poll from shortly after the terror onslaught.“This evil must not be given a country. It will be a terror state. It will try to repeat the October 7 massacre, and we will not agree to that,” he said. “A reward for terrorism will not bring peace, and it will not stop us from defeating Hamas either.”Condemnation for the European nations’ decision also came from far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called on Netanyahu to respond by imposing harsh punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority, including cutting off Ramallah financially.“At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers, including myself, raised an unequivocal demand for harsh punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, including its pursuit of unilateral recognition,” Smotrich wrote to Netanyahu in a letter.The letter added that, despite the moves recognizing a Palestinian state, officials in the National Security Council have pushed back against measures to punish Ramallah.The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism.80% of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria support the terrible massacre of October 7.This evil cannot be given a state.This would be a terrorist state. It will try to… — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 22, 2024-Smotrich informed the prime minister that he intends to take immediate action to cut off the transfer of funds to the Palestinian administrative body, adding that he will not extend the indemnity given to the Israeli banks that transfer funds to banks in the West Bank.He also called for voiding a mechanism set up with Norway to facilitate the transfer of salaries to PA employees in Gaza and demanded that Israel approve thousands of new settlement homes in retaliation.While the US rejected the decision by Ireland, Norway, and Spain, saying that any two-state solution must come about through negotiations, a senior White House official criticized Smotrich’s intentions.“I think it’s wrong. I think it’s wrong on a strategic basis because withholding funds destabilizes the West Bank, it undermines the search for security and prosperity for the Palestinian people, which is in Israel’s interests,” said US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday.“I think it’s wrong to withhold funds that provide basic goods and services to the Palestinian people. From our perspective, those funds should continue to go — with all of the necessary safeguards — but they should continue to flow,” Sullivan added.Foreign Minister Israel Katz also responded angrily to the announcements, recalling the Israeli ambassadors from Ireland, Spain, and Norway for immediate consultations.“I am sending an unequivocal message… Israel will not let this go quietly,” Katz said.He also summoned the envoys of the three countries in Israel for “severe reprimands,” and said they would be shown footage of the kidnapping of five female Israeli soldiers on October 7 during Hamas’s shock assault, which was made public Wednesday evening, after it was cleared by the families of those hostages.The footage will “underscore to them what a twisted decision their governments made,” Katz said in a statement. “Their step will have severe consequences.”Meanwhile, Katz met with his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, in Paris on Thursday, and commended the French foreign minister for disavowing unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.According to a press release from the ministry, Sejourne also said in the meeting that France opposes the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and criticized the equivalency that the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, drew between Israeli leadership and the leaders of the terror organization Hamas.Israel has argued that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state now would be viewed as a reward for the October 7 Hamas onslaught. Israel’s military campaign to rid the Gaza Strip of the Hamas terror group has sparked worldwide sympathy for the Palestinians and galvanized support for recognizing statehood in some capitals.Earlier this month, Slovenia initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a form of leverage to end the conflict in Gaza. Prime Minister Robert Golob said June 13 is the latest his country would recognize a Palestinian state.Around 144 out of 193 member-states of the United Nations already recognize a Palestinian state, including most of the global south, Russia, China and India, but only eight EU members have so far done so: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Slovakia. Malta recognizes the concept of one and has indicated it may soon recognize a state, along with Slovenia.Sweden is the only country that recognized a Palestinian state when it was already an EU member, with the rest having done so while part of the Soviet bloc.The moves by the individual countries do not affect EU recognition of a Palestinian state, as that decision must be made unanimously by all member states.The United States has long opposed Palestinian efforts to unilaterally secure statehood status, arguing that the goal should be achieved through direct negotiations with Israel.Washington has also said that the Palestinian Authority needs to undergo significant reforms before it is recognized as a state. Ramallah has long been marred by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.Norway is not a member of the EU, but is closely aligned, and is a member of the European Economic Area.Sam Sokol and agencies contributed to this report.

Ben Gvir visits Temple Mount, says recognizing Palestinian state is reward for Hamas-In 1st visit to flashpoint Jerusalem holy site since October 7, national security minister slams Norway, Spain, Ireland, insists on ‘root canal’ operation to remove Hamas in RafahBy Sam Sokol-and ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 4:09 pm

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Wednesday that extending diplomatic recognition to a Palestinian state is tantamount to rewarding Hamas for its brutal October 7 massacre in southern Israel.During his first visit to the Jerusalem holy site since October 7, surrounded by police officers, Ben Gvir charged in a video message that by moving to recognize a Palestinian state, Norway, Spain and Ireland were “giving a prize to Nukhba [Hamas’s elite commando unit] murderers and abusers.”His comments came as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Wednesday morning that their countries would make recognition official on May 28, in a joint move with Ireland, whose leader Simon Harris said he expected other countries to join an upswell of support for Palestinian statehood in the coming weeks.“In order to destroy Hamas, we need to go into Rafah until the end, to do a root canal,” Ben Gvir also said, calling to cut off fuel deliveries to Gaza and limit supplies transferred to the enclave to humanitarian aid only.Israel is currently carrying out limited operations in Gaza’s southernmost city, believed to be Hamas’s last main stronghold.The flashpoint Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City is the holiest place in Judaism, as the site of the two biblical temples. Known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary, the hilltop compound is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.Ben Gvir, who heads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, is an ardent proponent of Jewish visitation rights on the Temple Mount and has made previous visits to the site during his tenure as minister.A video posted to X showed Jewish members of Ben Gvir’s entourage praying, which many see as inflammatory. Muslims are allowed to pray and enter the compound with few restrictions, while Jews can visit only during limited time slots via a single gate and are not officially allowed to pray, although police frequently tolerate limited prayer.Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has visited Al Aqsa compound / Temple Mount this morning.In this video some of the people he is with are praying, which violates the status quo. Police seemingly watch on: pic.twitter.com/VuuLc7C1wd— Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) May 22, 2024-The Kan broadcaster reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was updated about Ben Gvir’s visit ahead of time.Ynet news and Kan quoted Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi as saying that the national security minister’s “provocative” visit to the Temple Mount was an “attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”Safadi also welcomed the Norwegian, Spanish and Irish decisions to recognize a Palestinian state.Turning to video footage of the abduction of several female hostages from the Nahal Oz base on October 7, which is due to be made public on Wednesday evening, Ben Gvir said, “Tonight we will receive further evidence of why Hamas must be totally destroyed.”
The young hostages, all Israel Defense Forces soldiers, were kidnapped on October 7 when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border from Gaza by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 252 hostages, mostly civilians, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Vowing to destroy Hamas and free the hostages, Israel launched a wide-scale military offensive which has come under international criticism for its mounting death toll and the humanitarian crisis in the densely-populated coastal enclave.Statements from far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet in the aftermath of October 7 and amid the ongoing war, including Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have been cited in international media and world courts as indications that Israel endorses deliberately harming civilians and has genocidal intent against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel bitterly rejects these allegations, and has  been defending itself against them at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.It is believed that 124 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 16 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.

WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS

The King of Jerusalem[1] was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusader state founded by Christian princes in 1099 when the First Crusade took the city.Godfrey of Bouillon, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, himself refused the title of king, and instead chose the title "Defender of the Holy Sepulchre". Thus, the title of king was only introduced for his successor, King Baldwin I in 1100. The city of Jerusalem was lost in 1187, but the Kingdom of Jerusalem survived (also known as the "Second Kingdom of Jerusalem"), moving its capital to Acre in 1191. The city of Jerusalem was re-captured in the Sixth Crusade, during 1229–39 and 1241–44. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was finally dissolved with the fall of Acre and the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land in 1291.After the Crusader States ceased to exist, the title of King of Jerusalem was claimed by a number of European noble houses descended from the kings of Cyprus or the kings of Naples. The (purely ceremonial) title of King of Jerusalem is currently used by Felipe VI of Spain. It was claimed by Otto von Habsburg as Habsburg pretender, and by the kings of Italy until 1946.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

 1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
 
ISAIAH 33:8
8  The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)

JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went
to enquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

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, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
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)

Blinken acknowledges Israel may reject Saudi deal if pathway to Palestinian state required-US envoy Lew and Herzog suggest possibility of Israel-Saudi ties be seriously considered; in testimony to Congress, secretary of state attacked from both sides over Israel policy
By Jacob Magid, Reuters and ToI Staff 21 May 2024, 9:29 pm

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged for the first time on Tuesday that Israel might not be willing to embrace a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia if it means agreeing to clear progress toward a Palestinian state.“The Saudis demand a ceasefire in Gaza and a pathway to a Palestinian state, and it may well be that Israel isn’t able, willing to proceed down this pathway,” Blinken said in testimony before Congress.“It must decide if it wants to take advantage of this opportunity to achieve something sought from its founding,” he added.Blinken faced criticism from the right and left during the session, with Republicans accusing the administration of failing Israel and Democrats saying it’s doing too little to help civilians in Gaza.Furious protesters interrupted Blinken as he began his testimony before the Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee. There were shouts that he has “blood on his hands,” and Blinken flinched from a protester who approached him from behind waving a sign that said “criminal” before security officers carried her out of the room.Earlier on Tuesday, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew reiterated that forging formal Israeli-Saudi relations as part of an emerging trilateral deal involving Washington would require a calming of the Gaza war and a discussion of prospects for Palestinian governance.“There’s going to have to be some period of quiet, I think, in Gaza, and there’s going to have to be a conversation about how do you deal with the question of the future of Palestinian governance,” Lew said.“My view is that strategic benefit is worth taking the risk of getting into that conversation about. But that’s a decision that the government of Israel will have to make and the people of Israel will have to make,” he told a conference hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) think-tank.The United States on Monday described as “near-final” a bilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia. Once completed, it would be part of a broad deal presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to decide whether to make concessions — including committing to paving the way for a future Palestinian state — to secure a normalization of ties with Riyadh.Netanyahu had long promoted such a diplomatic prize, and in the months prior to Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, was said to have been overseeing intensified efforts to clinch closer military and intelligence ties with Riyadh.But, seven months into a war with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, whom Israel swore to eradicate following the October 7 terror onslaught, a ceasefire is elusive and Netanyahu has insisted that it is premature to discuss day-after Palestinian rule.“Of course, we want to expand the circle of peace. We haven’t been shy about this,” Israeli government spokesperson Tal Heinrich said. “[But] any peace initiative that jeopardizes Israel’s security is not something that we see as real peace.”Addressing the IDI event separately, President Isaac Herzog argued that bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia would be a setback to Iran-backed Hamas.“I very much hope that this possibility is being seriously considered, as the empire of evil sought on October 7 to destroy the chance for normalization,” Herzog said.“Our struggle, in the end, is not only a fight against Hamas. It is a wider, strategic, global and historic battle, and we must do everything to integrate into the grand vision of normalization.”The Netanyahu government, however, has said a failure to defeat Hamas could harm Israeli credibility in the eyes of US-aligned Arab Sunni powers, which worry about Islamist terrorism.Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, is a former leader of the center-left Labor party, which advocates an eventual two-state solution with the Palestinians.However, in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, in which thousands of Hamas-led terrorists slaughtered some 1,200 people across southern Israel — most of them civilians — and seized 252 hostages, Herzog pushed back against US rhetoric regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.“In order to get back to the idea of dividing the land, of negotiating peace or talking to the Palestinians, etc., one has to deal first and foremost with the emotional trauma that we are going through and the need and demand for a full sense of security for all people,” he said in December.

Colombia to open embassy in Ramallah after cutting ties with Israel-Colombian foreign minister says he believes efforts to have more countries recognize a Palestinian state will gather steam-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 9:42 am-MAY 23,24

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the opening of an embassy in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo told journalists on Wednesday.“President Petro has given the order that we open the Colombian embassy in Ramallah, the representation of Colombia in Ramallah, that is the next step we are going to take,” Murillo said.At the beginning of this month, Petro, who had already recalled the Colombian ambassador from Tel Aviv, said he would break diplomatic relations with Israel over its prosecution of the war against Hamas in Gaza. The embassy was closed on May 3.Ramallah serves as the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas. In addition to governing parts of the West Bank, the PA is at the center of ongoing debate about who could govern Gaza in place of Hamas, the terror group Israel seeks to topple there in response to its shock attack on October 7.Murillo added he believes more countries will soon begin backing the recognition of a Palestinian state before the United Nations, efforts Colombia has already supported.On May 10, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommended the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.”Petro has heavily criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has requested to join South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Petro of being “antisemitic and full of hate” following Colombia’s decision to cut ties with the Middle Eastern country, saying the move was a reward for Hamas.The order came the same week that a trio of European nations— Norway, Ireland, and Spain— announced that they would recognize a State of Palestine, a move that drew ire from the Israeli government, with Netanyahu similarly calling such recognition a “reward for terror.”Colombia was not the first Latin American country to cut ties with Israel since war broke out with Hamas. Bolivia did so at the end of October last year while several other countries in Latin America, including Chile and Honduras, have recalled their ambassadors.War erupted on October 7 when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel by land, air, and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 252 hostages.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 35,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though only some 24,000 fatalities have been identified at hospitals. The toll, which cannot be verified, includes some 15,000 terror operatives Israel says it has killed in battle. Israel also says it killed some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.Two hundred and eighty-six IDF soldiers have been killed during the ground offensive against Hamas and amid operations along the Gaza border. A civilian Defense Ministry contractor has also been killed in the Strip.

A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.

ISAIAH 23:15-17
15  And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16  Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17  And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.

REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

As supernatural claims flourish online, the Vatican revamps apparition rules for 1st time since 1978-Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY-Fri, May 17, 2024 at 10:38 a.m. EDT

It's about to become very rare for the Vatican to gives its stamp of approval to supernatural claims of weeping statues of the Virgin Mary and divine apparitions.Under new guidelines revealed Friday, the Vatican has radically reformed its process for evaluating seemingly supernatural phenomena. The document, compiled by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, is a bid for the Catholic Church to exert more control over unverified claims of faith-based events – including anything from stigmata wounds mirroring those of Jesus Christ, to holy visions.Approved last month by Pope Francis, the rules officially take effect Sunday and offer instructions to bishops, who have long been responsible for evaluating reported claims.In the document, church leaders make clear that the intention of the guidelines' revisions is not to deny all new claims that emerge.“The Church needs clear procedures,” the document states. The norms "are not intended to control or (even less) stifle the Spirit."The reforms strengthen the criteria that bishops will use to investigate and possibly reject reports of alleged miraculous events.However, Vatican approval will be required before ruling on the validity of those reports. The Dicastery of Congregation of the Faith, which is in charge of religious discipline within the Catholic church, will also weigh in on each case.The new guidance outlines six possible conclusions that church leaders investigating events can reach, the most direct of which is outright rejection.Significantly, the church will no longer endorse or verify any event as supernatural in origin. In that case, labeled as nihil obstat, the church will be determining that, while the event is not confirmed as supernatural, nothing about it is contrary to the faith.While bishops may promote it, Catholics will no longer be compelled to believe it, the document makes clear.New norms replace 1978 guidelines-The last time the Vatican issued rulings on supernatural phenomena was in 1978, but those guidelines were kept secret until 2011.While the document does not reference specific fraudulent cases that made it necessary to replace those rules, the Vatican did acknowledge that the 1978 norms “are no longer adequate” – especially in the internet age.Social media has allowed wild claims and obvious hoaxes to proliferate online, spreading like wildfire and capturing the imaginations of faithful Catholics eager to believe in the supposed divine phenomena. In the document, church leaders expressed concern about charlatans attempting to make money or gain power by manipulating people's beliefs.“The use of purported supernatural experiences or recognized mystical elements as a means of or a pretext for exerting control over people or carrying out abuses is to be considered of particular moral gravity,” the document states.Pilgrims flock to Lourdes, France, Fatima, Portugal after verified apparitions-Reported visions of the Virgin Mary and other divine apparitions, as well as stigmata appearing on hands and feet, have rippled through the Catholic Church for as long as it's existed.Those recognized by the Vatican have inspired mass pilgrimages to the sights where they are said to have occurred.Millions of faithful have for decades been drawn to Lourdes, France, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in the 19th century, as well as in Fátima, Portugal, where she was alleged to have appeared again in 1917 to a group of children.The church may have no desire to detract from such significant events, which have become a touchstone of the Catholic faith for many. But as Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez wrote in the document, "there are serious critical issues that are detrimental to the faithful.""I am thinking of the use of such phenomenon to gain 'profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest," wrote Fernandez, head of the Vatican's doctrinal office.Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYEric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@ gannett.comThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vatican revamps rule on apparitions, supernatural phenomena claims

Pope Francis calls conservatism a ‘suicidal attitude’ by one ‘who clings to something’May 17, 2024 | Tom Tillison |

Pope Francis, a figure of global influence, has reinforced a label that some critics have affixed to him due to his political inclinations — Pope Karl, as in Karl Marx.In a forthcoming interview with “60 Minutes,” Pope Francis will echo former President Barack Obama’s sentiments, both taking a critical stance towards conservative Americans.“Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude,” the pope told CBS News anchor Nora O’Donnell. “Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box.”The Pope addresses his conservative critics in the church.“Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude,” says Pope Francis. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, the Pope sits down with @NorahODonnell. https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW pic.twitter.com/HPYgVm4kIp— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) May 16, 2024The irony in such a close-minded statement is off the charts, as the Holy See targets those who share a different political belief than he does.In 2008, while speaking at a San Francisco fundraiser, Obama infamously said something very similar about traditional white Americans in rural settings.“You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them,” he said. “They fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.”“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,” Obama continued.CBS touted the segment as “the first time a pope has given an in-depth, one-on-one interview to a U.S. broadcast network.” In a press release, CBS said the pope “spoke candidly with O’Donnell about the wars in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, and the migration crises around the world and on the U.S. southern border.”And his “deep commitment to inclusivity.”“The 87-year-old, Argentinian-born pope – the first named Francis and first from the Americas – is known for his dedication to the poor and marginalized, and for being the most unconventional head of the Church in recent memory,” the network said.“The wide-ranging conversation also touches upon the Church’s handling of its own sexual abuse scandals; Francis’ deep commitment to inclusiveness within the Church; the backlash against his papacy from certain corners of U.S. Catholicism; and an exploration of his thinking on surrogate parenthood,” CBS added.The interview was conducted on April 24, will air as part of “60 Minutes” on Sunday, May 19.Here’s a quick sampling of responses from social media users who disagree with Pope Karl Francis, as seen on X:The pope is a Marxist.— Neptune (@Ops_Overlord) May 16, 2024“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10— Megan Basham (@megbasham) May 17, 2024The Catholic Church is literally supposed to cling to something. That attitude leads to eternal salvation. — matt dooley (@mdooley) May 16, 2024-Imagine forsaking Scripture and Christ for temporary acceptance from the world.Yikes. — Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) May 17, 2024-What is suicidal about not wanted by to be exposed to error and sin? What is suicidal about desiring to hold to a higher standard? — Lepanto Institute (@LepantoInst) May 17, 2024-Thanks, but I’ll continue clinging to eternal truths. I appreciate your interest in theology though. — Jock Jams Nationalism (@rothbard_celine) May 16, 2024I’d rather have a suicidal attitude and stand with God than be open to the evils of the world to hang with the Devil.— Dr Strangetweet Or How I Learned To Love The RT (@lone_rides) May 16, 2024.

 Vatican open to a "Chinese face" for the Catholic Church in outreach to Beijing-At a congress in Rome attended by representatives sent by Beijing, Pope Francis and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin extended a clear olive branch to Chinese authorities, expressing openness to a Catholic Church with a "Chinese face."
By Loup Besmond de Senneville(In Rome) May 22nd, 2024 at 11:24 am (Europe\Rome). Updated May 22nd, 2024 at 11:29 am (Europe\Rome)

A white statuette was placed on the far right of the long platform in the grand amphitheater. Tall and slender, lifting a baby above her head, Our Lady of Sheshan seemed to preside over the colloquium on Vatican-China relations held May 21 at the Pontifical Urban University.In the “Benedict XVI Aula Magna” of the Roman university that trains seminarians from “mission” countries, the Vatican reiterated its message to Chinese authorities present in Rome: the Catholic Church is not a colonial power, and the development of a Chinese Catholicism is desirable. This comes in a particular political context, as the Church has faced significant tensions since the 1950s, when relations between Beijing and the Vatican broke off, leading to the creation of a state-controlled Catholic Church, separate from Rome.Further reading: The Vatican's quiet work to improve relations with ChinaFirst, the pope himself conveyed this message. Pope Francis, who places particular importance on the Chinese issue, sent a video to the colloquium participants, subtitled in Chinese, in which he spoke of “bold paths to engage in proclaiming and witnessing the Gospel” in the country.He specifically mentioned the 1924 Shanghai Synod -- the theme of the Vatican’s colloquium -- during which Catholic leaders in China recognized the need for Chinese, rather than foreign, clergy. This effort was led at the time by Archbishop Celso Costantini (1876-1958), sent by Pius XI to China. “Evangelize, not colonize”“Costantini simply reiterated that the Church’s mission was to ‘evangelize, not colonize,’” said Francis. He added that the Church in China should therefore take on a "Chinese face." “The proclamation of salvation by Christ can only reach every human community and individual if it is expressed in their native language,” the pope said.Throughout the colloquium, Vatican representatives used this century-old perspective to drive home the same point. “In Costantini’s view, it was clear that the concept of a foreign mission had to evolve into that of a missionary Church,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. He further cited the Church leader from a century ago: “The pope is the spiritual leader of all Catholics worldwide; regardless of their nationality, this obedience to the Pope not only does not harm but purifies and revitalizes the love each person owes to their own country.”Sinicization-These words were directly addressed to the Chinese officials in attendance. Since Mao’s era (1949–1976), China has viewed religions as tools of foreign interference. Thus, from the 1950s, the regime created associations to keep all religions under its control. This movement, called “sinicization,” is particularly emphasized by the current President Xi Jinping.Further reading: Pope suggests China take Matteo Ricci as its model-The Bishop of Shanghai echoed this sentiment. “The Chinese government’s religious freedom policy does not aim to change the Catholic faith but hopes that the clergy and Catholic faithful will defend the interests of the Chinese people and free themselves from foreign powers’ control,” explained Bishop Joseph Shen Bin. “Since the founding of new China in 1949, the Church in China has always remained faithful to its Catholic faith,” he added.Skepticism in the room-“We will continue to build the Church in China as a holy and catholic Church that conforms to God’s will, embraces China’s excellent traditional cultural heritage, and pleases today’s Chinese society,” said the bishop, seated not far from Cardinal Parolin. At the end of the morning, the two men displayed their closeness, willingly posing for photographs together.However, some in the room did not hide their skepticism after hearing a speech that seemed very much in line with the party’s stance. “The bishop could have been a bit more open,” remarked a well-informed source. “Is a Church restricted to nationals of one country, excluding foreigners, especially missionaries, still truly Catholic?” questioned another.Next to the Bishop of Shanghai was Zheng Xiaojun, the 50-year-old director of the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a key player in the “sinicization” of religions. In her speech, she extensively cited the Chinese president, praising “the excellent Chinese culture” and the need to “promote understanding among peoples” to overcome any “sense of superiority.”Vatican II viewed by Beijing-The government representative also praised the Second Vatican Council, describing it as having enabled the “Roman Catholic Church” to “continuously dialogue with other Christian churches and other religions,” “liberating theology from its authoritarian and dogmatic past.”How will these explicit signs of rapprochement translate in the coming weeks? “Patience and hope are needed,” summarized Cardinal Parolin. The Vatican Secretary of State reaffirmed the Holy See’s desire to renew the 2018 agreement allowing Rome and Beijing to appoint bishops in the country jointly. More importantly, he mentioned another possibility, which would constitute a significant step in their relationship.Further reading: In the midst of the Synod, "Beijing reminds us who's boss"“We hope to have a stable presence in China,” the cardinal explained on the sidelines of the congress. “Even if it may not initially take the form of an apostolic nunciature.” Such a development would allow Rome and Beijing to take a significant step towards restoring relations.

Message of the Holy Father to the participants in the Symposium “Towards a Narrative of Hope: an International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care”, 22.05.2024

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Francis to the participants in the Symposium “Towards a Narrative of Hope: an International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care”, organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Canadian Episcopal Conference, taking place in Toronto, Canada, from 21 to 23 May 2024:Message of the Holy Father-I offer cordial greetings and best wishes to everyone taking part in the first International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care, jointly sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and I thank their respective Presidents, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and Bishop William McGrattan. I am likewise grateful to the speakers at the Symposium and all who worked to make this gathering possible.The theme you have chosen, Towards a Narrative of Hope, is both timely and necessary. Nowadays, in witnessing the tragic effects of war, violence and injustice of various kinds, it is all too easy to give in to grief and even to despair. Yet as members of the human family and especially as believers, we are called to accompany, with love and compassion, those who struggle and have difficulty finding reasons for hope (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). Indeed, hope is what gives us strength in the face of the questions raised by life’s challenges, difficulties and anxieties.This is even more true when facing a serious illness or the end of life. All who experience the uncertainties so often brought about by sickness and death need the witness of hope provided by those who care for them and who remain at their side. In this regard, palliative care, while seeking to alleviate the burden of pain as much as possible, is above all a concrete sign of closeness and solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering. At the same time, this kind of care can help patients and their loved ones to accept the vulnerability, frailty and finitude that mark human life in this world.Here, I would point out that authentic palliative care is radically different from euthanasia, which is never a source of hope or genuine concern for the sick and dying. Instead, it is a failure of love, a reflection of a “throwaway culture” in which “persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected” (Fratelli Tutti, 18). Indeed, euthanasia is often presented falsely as a form of compassion. Yet “compassion”, a word that means “suffering with”, does not involve the intentional ending of a life, but rather the willingness to share the burdens of those facing the end stages of our earthly pilgrimage. Palliative care, then, is a genuine form of compassion, for it responds to suffering, whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual, by affirming the fundamental and inviolable dignity of every person, especially the dying, and helping them to accept the inevitable moment of passage from this life to eternal life.In this perspective, our religious convictions offer a more profound understanding of illness, suffering and death, seeing these as part of the mystery of divine providence and, for the Christian tradition, a means towards sanctification. At the same time, the compassionate actions and respect shown by dedicated medical personnel and caregivers have often created the possibility for those at the end of their lives to find spiritual comfort, hope and reconciliation with God, family members and friends. Indeed, your service is important – I would even say essential – in helping the sick and dying realize that they are not isolated or alone, that their lives are not a burden, but that they always remain inherently valuable in the eyes of God (cf. Psalm 116:15) and united to us by the bonds of communion.Dear friends, I encourage all of you in your efforts to advance palliative care for the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters. May your discussions and deliberations in these days help you to persevere in love, give hope to those at the end of life and further the building of a more just and fraternal society. Upon you and your loved ones, I invoke the divine blessings of wisdom, strength and peace.Rome, from Saint John Lateran, 26 April 2024

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

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.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

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 32:18-29 (NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES LAND PROMISED ISRAEL BY GOD ARE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIED)
18 “Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised! (IN HELL FIRES)
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.
21 Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’
22 Assyria (SYRIA) is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam (IRAN) is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal (RUSSIA) are there with all their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.
28 But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.
29 Edom (JORDAN) is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.THIS IS RIGHT FROM 93:

PSALMS 83:1-8 (GODS LAND PROMISED TO ISRAEL)
1 O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,  how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they (ARAB,MUSLIMS) conspire against your people;they plot against those you cherish.(ISRAELIS)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(TREATIES) they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom (JORDAN)  and the Ishmaelites, (EGYPTIAN ARABS SO CALLED PALESTIANS) of Moab (JORDAN) and the Hagrites,(EGYPT)
7 Byblos,(HEZBOLLOH) Ammon (JORDAN) and Amalek,(SYRIAN ARABS IN THE SINAI) Philistia,(ARABS) with the people of Tyre (LEBANON).
8 Even Assyria (SYRIA) has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.

DR SAMUEL DOCTORIANS VISION - SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

3 soldiers killed in north Gaza; IDF advances in Rafah, locates rocket launchers-More than half of Philadelphi Corridor now under Israeli control; airstrike on UNRWA school in central part of Strip takes out Hamas operatives, weapons depot
By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies 22 May 2024, 5:15 pm
 
Three Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting in northern Gaza on Wednesday, the military said, as Israeli tanks advanced to the edge of a district in the heart of Rafah in the Strip’s south following what residents said was one of the most intense nights of bombardment since Israel launched its offensive there earlier this month.The slain troops were named as:Master Sgt. (res.) Gideon Chay DeRowe, 33, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit, from Tel AvivCpt. Israel Yudkin, 22, an officer in the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, from Kfar Chabad-Staff Sgt. Eliyahu Haim Emsallem, 21, of the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, from Ra’anana-Emsallem and Yudkin were killed in a Hamas sniper attack in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun. Another soldier of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion was seriously wounded in the same incident, the Israel Defense Forces said.DeRowe was killed by an explosive device in a building in northern Gaza. The military said another soldier of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion and a Yahalom reservist were also seriously wounded in the same blast.Their deaths brought the toll of slain troops in the IDF’s ground offensive against Hamas and during operations along the Gaza border to 286. A civilian Defense Ministry contractor has also been killed in the Strip.Meanwhile, the IDF’s assault on Hamas in Rafah, in the Strip’s south, has set some 950,000 people fleeing what had been a refuge for around half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.Some 300,000 to 400,000 civilians remain in Rafah, mostly in the coastal area and some parts of the center of the city, according to information seen by The Times of Israel on Monday.The IDF has asserted that Rafah is Hamas’s last major stronghold in Gaza, and where four of its battalions are located: Yabna (South), Shaboura (North), Tel Sultan (West) and East Rafah. Two more Hamas battalions remain in central Gaza, in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah camps.Israel believes Hamas leaders and many operatives are hiding in Rafah, and also that an unspecified number of the remaining 124 hostages kidnapped in the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities are being held in the city. Israel says it has no choice but to attack the city to root out the Hamas battalions there.The military has been slowly moving into the eastern outskirts of Rafah since the start of the month, as Palestinians have evacuated to the al-Mawasi area, designated by the IDF as a “humanitarian zone,” on the Strip’s coast, and to central Gaza.Residents quoted by Reuters said tanks had taken up new positions on Wednesday further west than before along the southern border fence with Egypt, and were now stationed on the edge of the Yabna neighborhood in the center of Rafah.“There has been no stopping of Israeli fire all night, from drones, helicopters, warplanes and tanks,” one resident of Rafah told Reuters.The IDF said Wednesday that it had deployed an additional battalion to Rafah, as it began operating in the city’s Brazil and Shaboura neighborhoods, following “information on terror targets in the area.”The Nahal Brigade joined the 162nd Division which has been operating in Rafah since earlier this month. Nahal was the fifth IDF brigade to be operating in the city in southern Gaza, after the 401st, Givati, Commando and Negev brigades.The IDF said that the operation in Rafah was being carried out in an “accurate manner… while preventing harm to the civilian population as much as possible, after the civilians have evacuated the area.”Ahead of the push deeper into Rafah, the military said it carried out a wave of fighter jet strikes against Hamas targets in the area.Also Wednesday, the IDF said that troops of the 401st Armored Brigade located several rocket launchers on the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Gaza and Egypt.The primed launchers were destroyed, the military said.So far amid the operation in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the IDF has captured just over half of the Philadelphi Corridor — which runs for a total of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) all along the Gaza-Egypt border — according to information seen by The Times of Israel on Monday.The military has said that it has located dozens of tunnel shafts and “a number of significant underground routes” in the eastern Rafah area that are currently under investigation or being prepared to be demolished.It has not, however, detailed how many of the tunnels cross into Egypt. In the past, Hamas used such tunnels to smuggle in weapons and supplies.The United States and other allies had pressed Israel for months not to invade the city, citing the likely humanitarian consequences. Though on Tuesday, a senior Biden administration official told reporters that “it’s fair to say that the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed.”The US had predicted that it would have taken some four months to evacuate the population of more than one million sheltering in Rafah, while the majority appear to have left the area in just two weeks.Meanwhile, the IDF said Wednesday that it carried out an airstrike against a United Nations school in central Gaza’s Nuseirat where members of Hamas were gathered.According to the Israel Defense Forces, a member of Hamas’s anti-tank unit and a member of the terror group’s elite Nukhba force were at the school, which is administered by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).The UNRWA site had been used to store weapons, including mortars, guns and explosive devices, the army said, citing secondary blasts seen after the strike, which the military said indicated weapons storage.The strike was “carefully planned and carried out using precise munitions” while “avoiding harm to uninvolved [civilians] as much as possible,” the IDF said.Israel has previously accused UNRWA of enabling Hamas to use its facilities in Gaza for terror. It has also provided evidence that several agency employees are members of terror groups and were involved in the October 7 attack.The UN rejects the allegations, and an independent review published at the UN’s request in April said that Israel had not provided supporting evidence for them.A separate airstrike killed five Hamas operatives who were also gathered at a school in the area of Gaza City’s Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods, the military said.The IDF said that those killed in that strike were Fadi Salim, the head of the propaganda unit in Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, three members of Hamas’s intelligence unit, and another Nukhba member.Another airstrike, in the southern Gaza Strip, killed Ahmed Yasser al-Qara, a “prominent” member of Hamas’s anti-tank unit who participated in the October 7 onslaught, the IDF said. Also killed in that strike were a Nukhba member and an operative of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the military.The IDF said it delayed the strike targeting al-Qara after a child was identified in the vicinity of the building. It waited until the child was a safe distance away before launching the attack.Meanwhile, in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF was pressing on with a major operation against Hamas in the Jabaliya area.The fighting in Jabaliya has been described by the IDF as “intense,” and by some officers as the “most violent” battles amid the war.On Wednesday, the IDF said primed rocket launchers were found by troops of the 7th Armored Brigade amid operations in Jabaliya, as were dozens of rockets along with explosive belts, IEDs, grenades, and other weapons.Also in Jabaliya, the military said soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade directed a drone strike against a Hamas weapons depot where eight terror operatives were gathered.According to the military, the Hamas operatives were involved in rocket fire, launching drones, and observing Israeli forces in Gaza.Troops have raided and demolished dozens of sites belonging to terror groups amid the operation that began earlier this month, the military said.On May 12, the IDF pushed into Jabaliya for the third time, in a surprise operation aimed at dismantling Hamas cells that had regrouped there after the military withdrew months ago.According to the IDF, more than 200 terror operatives have been killed by troops amid the fighting in Jabaliya, and dozens of rocket launchers have been destroyed.Speaking to officers in Jabaliya on Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military was willing to carry out risky missions to recover the bodies of slain hostages.“The mission… is to kill as many [Hamas] commanders as possible, as many terrorists as possible, to destroy the infrastructure. This pressure… will also help us to bring hostages alive and we are ready to carry out dangerous and complicated operations to bring the bodies of our hostages back to be buried in Israel,” Halevi said.The bodies of four hostages killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 were recently recovered from a tunnel in Jabaliya. A paratrooper officer was killed during fighting above ground in the area of the operation.Separately, several more gunmen were killed by troops in the central Gaza Strip, the IDF added.Over the past day, the Israeli Air Force struck more than 130 targets across the Gaza Strip, including cells of terror operatives, buildings used by terror groups, observation posts, and other infrastructure, the military said Wednesday.The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists kill close to 1,200 people in southern Israel and seize 252 hostages.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 35,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though only some 24,000 fatalities have been identified at hospitals. The tolls, which cannot be verified, include some 15,000 terror operatives Israel says it has killed in battle.

Authorities close Mount Meron ahead of Lag B’Omer over Hezbollah rocket threat-City of Tiberias also blocks access to Rabbi Akiva gravesite fearing too many pilgrims will throng shrine over holiday-By Canaan Lidor,Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 1:38 pm

The mountainside gravesite of second-century rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in northern Israel was ordered largely shut Tuesday as Israeli authorities sought to stop thousands of religious Jews from attending an annual pilgrimage there in close range of Hezbollah missiles fired from southern Lebanon.An emergency law passed Tuesday by the Knesset shuttered the shrine on Mount Meron for all but a handful of approved attendees over the Lag B’Omer holiday early next week, an event that normally attracts more than 100,000 revelers and is considered the world’s largest Jewish pilgrimage.The site was also declared a closed military zone by Israel Defense Forces Homefront Command chief Rafi Milo, blocking public access through Monday, May 27, a day after the holiday.Located some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Lebanon, Meron and surrounding areas have been repeatedly targeted by rockets and other weapons launched by Hezbollah since October 8, when the Iran-backed group began attacking northern Israel on a near-daily basis in support of fellow terror organization Hamas in Gaza.On May 15, Hezbollah fired 60 rockets at Meron, which houses a military air traffic control base on its peak. Some of the rockets were intercepted while others caused “minor damage,” according to the IDF, which reported no injuries as a result of the attack.The law passed Tuesday limits the presence of people at the Meron shrine compound to 30 at any given time.The law permits three of the traditional annual bonfires, with participation capped at 10 approved guests each. One fire will be permitted at the Bar Yochai tomb, and two more will take place at the nearby Bnei Akiva yeshiva.“One needs to understand what led us to this situation,” said Jewish Heritage Minister Meir Porush, who will determine who can attend the event. “Unlimited access would mean tens of thousands of people arriving and a terrible catastrophe could happen if the place is targeted with rockets. We must not take such risks with human lives.”Separately, Tiberias Mayor Yossi. Crowd sizes at the annual Mount Meron event have been a major concern since 2021, when 45 people were killed in a crush as they traversed a slippery walkway at the shrine during Lag B’Omer.The holiday, which falls on Sunday, May 26, this year, is traditionally recognized as the anniversary of Bar Yochai’s death, and is customarily celebrated with large bonfires and other outdoor events. Jewish tradition also associates the day with the end of a plague affecting students of Rabbi Akiva in the first century CE.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts in northern Israel on a near-daily basis.So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in the death of 14 IDF soldiers and reservists and 10 civilians. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.Hezbollah has named 309 members who have been killed by Israel in skirmishes and counterattacks, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 61 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.

US treasury chief troubled by Smotrich’s threat to cut off Palestinian banks-Janet Yellen says ties to Israeli banks crucial for Ramallah, allowing funds for services and salaries, urges moves to bolster economy in West Bank to prevent violence-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 2:18 pm-MAY 23,24

STRESA, Italy — US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday she was concerned by a threat from Israel to cut off Palestinian banks from their Israeli correspondent banks, a move that would close a critical lifeline for the Palestinian economy.Yellen said in prepared remarks ahead of a G7 finance ministers meeting in Italy on Thursday that the US and its partners “need to do everything possible to increase humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, to curtail violence in the West Bank, and to stabilize the West Bank’s economy.”Far-right Finance Minister Belazel Smotrich has indicated that Israel may not renew a waiver that expires on July 1 that allows Israeli banks to process shekel payments for services and salaries tied to the Palestinian Authority, in response to the PA’s efforts for international recognition of a state and for what he said was its bid to obtain international arrest warrants against Israelis over the war in Gaza.If the waiver is canceled, Israeli firms will not be able to receive money from Palestinian banks or deposit Palestinian checks, impacting business ties.Yellen said it was important to keep open the Israeli-Palestinian correspondent banking relationships to allow battered economies in the West Bank and Gaza to function and help ensure security.“These banking channels are critical for processing transactions that enable almost $8 billion a year in imports from Israel, including electricity, water, fuel, and food, as well as facilitating almost $2 billion a year in exports on which Palestinian livelihoods depend,” Yellen said.She added that Israel’s withholding of revenues collected on behalf of the PA also threatens the West Bank’s economic stability.“My team and I have also engaged directly with the Israeli government to urge action that would bolster the Palestinian economy and, I believe, Israel’s own security,” Yellen said.In a letter sent to Netanyahu in April and widely reported by Hebrew media, Smotrich wrote that the PA is an immediate danger to Israel and called on the premier to annex the West Bank if the Palestinians don’t desist from their actions.He also threatened to cut off hundreds of millions of shekels in Palestinian tax revenue that Israel collects for the PA and that he had previously held up against the background of the Gaza war. The move helped cause a financial crisis in the PA until an agreement was eventually reached to transfer the funds via Norway as a way to ensure none were diverted to the Gaza Strip.Norway on February 18 said it had agreed to assist in the transfer of funds earmarked for the PA that were collected by Israel but withheld over Jerusalem’s refusal to transfer money destined for Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.Israel had argued the portion of the funds that Ramallah uses to pay for services and employees in Gaza — roughly NIS 260 million ($73 million) monthly — could wind up in the hands of Hamas, the terror group it has vowed to eliminate.The first transfer of funds came at the end of February.The PA’s diplomatic efforts against Israel have become fruitful in recent weeks, increasing the likelihood of punitive measures by Israel.The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backed Palestinian statehood in a symbolic vote earlier this month, and on Wednesday, the leaders of Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced that their countries will recognize a Palestinian state within days.Also this week, the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said he has applied for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity in the war against Hamas in Gaza.Alongside the Israeli leaders, Khan also announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas’s senior leadership — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh.

Vessel targeted by missile attack off Yemen — security firms-UK Navy’s monitoring group says munition exploded in sea, caused no injuries or damage; no initial claim of responsibility-By Agencies Today, 12:02 pm-MAY 23,24

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A missile attack targeted a commercial vessel transiting southwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah without causing any damage or casualties, maritime security firms said on Thursday, in an attack likely carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.The vessel was “suspiciously approached” 68 nautical miles (125 kilometers) off Hodeidah, Ambrey said, without identifying the ship or the flag that it was flying.“The vessel had undergone what she described as a ‘missile attack’ at the location,” it added, noting that “no injuries or damages were reported.”The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by the Royal Navy, also reported an incident at the same location near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the southern Red Sea, with “a missile impacting the water in close proximity” to the ship.“Vessel and all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call,” it said in an advisory.The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take hours or even days for them to acknowledge their assaults, which began in November.The group, which controls the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country’s Red Sea coast, says their campaign is in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war that was sparked by Palestinian terror group Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, in which some 1,200 people were murdered in Israel and 252 were taken hostage.The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel, and sunk another since November, according to the United States Maritime Administration.Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of Houthi attacks has dropped, though the rebels have claimed to shoot down US surveillance drones.Their attacks have prompted US and British reprisal strikes and the formation of an international naval coalition to protect the vital trade route.On Wednesday, US military forces shot down four drones in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.“It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM posted on social media platform X.A day earlier the Iran-backed Houthis claimed that they had shot down an American drone over the country on the Arabian Peninsula. The US military acknowledged reports but didn’t comment.

Analysis-Despite threats, Egypt is not about to tear up peace with Israel-Cairo, eager to see war end and economy back on track, is open about its frustrations, but it has long-standing interests in preserving deal with Jerusalem that have not changed
Lazar Berman-Today, 11:57 am-MAY 23,24

Based on frantic media coverage emanating from Cairo, the long-standing ties between Israel and Egypt seemed like they were about to unravel.After Israeli troops finally embarked on the ground incursion into the Rafah border area on May 7, Cairo’s public reaction was swift and furious.“Egypt warns Israel of ‘dire repercussions,’” read the CNN headline.Unnamed Egyptian officials told reporters the Israeli offensive could endanger the 1979 peace accord between the countries. Other officials warned that the diplomatic ties could be downgraded.Then Egypt’s Foreign Ministry put out a statement that it would join South Africa’s “genocide” case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.Egypt also halted coordination for aid trucks to pass from its territory into Gaza, insisting that the other side of the Rafah Crossing be under Palestinian control before it resumes deliveries.“The current situation vis-a-vis Egypt is the worst it has been since the war began,” one unnamed Israel official told the Haaretz daily newspaper.Then, the threats stopped.More significantly, Egypt made no move to actually join the ICJ case.It also hosted a senior Israeli delegation in an attempt to smooth tensions.The angry declarations from Egypt were to be expected, and do not signal an impending break in ties from a country that has long-standing interests in a multi-faceted relationship with Israel.But they do reflect deep concerns Egypt has about the persistence of the war between Israel and Hamas, and what might come after.Deep interests-Egypt’s behavior is driven by core interests — economic, security, and regional — it intends to protect amid the fighting in Gaza.Egypt is suffering deep economic fallout from the conflict. Even before Hamas attacked on October 7, the Egyptian economy was in a steady decline. Rising debt caused the country to slash social services and basic subsidies over the past decade, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 cut off its main sources of wheat imports. Cairo had to devalue the pound in order to receive a crucial loan from the International Monetary Fund, and sky-high inflation continues to climb.The fighting next door in Gaza has only made a bad situation worse.One of Egypt’s main sources of foreign currency — which it needs in order to repay almost $200 billion in foreign debt and to import key commodities — is international shipping through the Suez Canal. That traffic has dropped by 50% because of attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen on ships sailing through the Red Sea.Tourism, another key source of foreign currency and a sector that accounts for over 8% of GDP, is also in sharp decline because of the war. (Some Egyptian pundits have surmised that the fact that the Giza pyramids sound similar to Gaza has further deterred tourists.)On top of those challenges, Egypt has also seen an influx of up to 100,000 Gazan refugees since the war started.The situation at the Rafah Crossing doesn’t make the economic situation easier for Egypt. With the El-Arish to Rafah corridor providing a significant portion of aid flowing into Gaza, the government was making money by charging processing fees on every shipment.But it was Cairo that decided to halt aid shipments once Israel hoisted its flag on the Gaza side of the crossing.The flag was seen in Egypt as a violation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, which Israel signed with the Palestinian Authority after pulling out of the Gaza Strip. It stipulates that the PA would control the Gaza side of the crossing under European Union supervision. The AMA was effectively suspended after the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza, but Egypt wants to see the PA back in control on the border.“Egypt’s reaction is meant to make clear to Israel that its presence at the border crossings is illegitimate in Cairo’s eyes, and that uncoordinated decisions will have a price – damage to bilateral ties,” explained Ofir Winter, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.Egypt has another important motivation for its refusal to accept Israel’s presence at the Rafah border.“It is also meant to signal to critics of the Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi regime in Egypt and in the Arab world that Cairo is not cooperating with Israel on the capturing of the Rafah Crossing,” said Winter.“If conditions were different, they would prefer we were there all the time,” said Haim Koren, a former Israeli envoy to Egypt and South Sudan and researcher at the Mitvim think tank. “But they can’t say anything like that in times like these.”Since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, the first between Jerusalem and an Arab country, its rulers have been vulnerable to criticism from anti-Western states and Muslim Brotherhood supporters at home that it is a collaborator with the Zionist enemy.That sensitivity is behind the call from Egypt’s Sissi urging Egyptians to take to the streets to protest against Israel before it even started the ground incursion in late October.“Muslim Brotherhood officials outside Egypt are trying to incite protest and criticism against the Egyptian regime through messages on satellite channels and social networks,” Winter said. “Although it is likely that the majority of the Egyptian public is more concerned with the economic hardship and the daily war of existence than with the war in Gaza, public opinion considerations influence the conduct of the regime.”Hamas and the Brotherhood-That is not to say Sissi and the ruling elite have any sympathy for Hamas. They see it as an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed political movement founded in Egypt.Top police, prison and intelligence officials blame Hamas for participating in a mass prison break in 2011 that released over 20,000 inmates, including jailed Hamas members and criminals who fueled a massive crime wave. Among the Muslim Brotherhood leaders freed in the coordinated attack was Mohammed Morsi, the man Sissi overthrew as president then held in prison until his death in 2019.The regime also accused Hamas of being involved along with the Muslim Brotherhood in the 2016 killing of the country’s top prosecutor Hisham Barakat.Sissi, who declared the Brotherhood a terrorist group when he came to power in 2014, has been pursuing the organization vigorously, as it represents the main threat to his rule.In March, an Egyptian court sentenced to death by hanging eight senior leaders of the movement, including two former supreme guides. The Muslim Brotherhood continues to work to bring Sissi down from its headquarters abroad, especially in Turkey and Qatar.At the same time, there does seem to be some quiet sympathy for Hamas — or at least a willingness to turn a blind eye for money — among Egyptian officers. IDF forces in Rafah have found around 50 cross-border tunnels, which could not have been dug without the knowledge of some security forces on the other side.Still, the regime wants to prevent a flood of Gazan refugees from pouring across the border into the Sinai, adding hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed and allowing Hamas fighters to link up with Salafi and Muslim Brotherhood terrorists. Cairo remembers when Hamas set off explosions along the border fence in 2008, enabling up to half of Gaza’s population to cross unchecked into Egypt. It took almost a year for Egypt to round up the last of the Gazans in northern Sinai and return them to GazaA golden opportunityAmid all the pitfalls, if Sissi plays his cards right, the war in Gaza can recast Egypt’s regional standing.“Egypt sees that this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of the current crisis to find a solution for the Palestine issue,” said Michael Barak, senior researcher at Reichman University’s International Institute for Counterterrorism.“Egypt is also trying to fortify its image in the Arab world,” he continued, “meaning that Egypt is interested in signaling to the United States that it is a very crucial ally in the region that it is able to bring Israel and Hamas to the negotiating table, and to help reach a ceasefire.”It will go to significant lengths to try to shorten the war, even at the risk of straining ties with Washington. CNN reported that Egyptian intelligence changed the terms of a hostage deal Israel agreed to without the knowledge of the other mediators. That ham-fisted attempt angered Qatar, the US, and Israel, and talks have been stalled since.Until it achieves that key aim, Cairo is seeking urgently from Israel clarity over the future of the Gaza Strip and the management of the Rafah Crossing before it agrees to work together on aid or the day after Hamas.Alongside the denunciations, Egypt has also sent ample signals that it isn’t planning on doing anything too drastic against Israel.“The peace agreement with Israel has been Egypt’s strategic choice for 40 years, and it represents a main pillar of peace in the region to achieve peace and stability,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on the same day his ministry announced it would join the ICJ suit.After accusing Israel of evading ceasefire efforts, Sissi said last week at the Arab League Summit that “despite the current gloomy picture, Egypt still clings to the hope that the voices of reason, justice and truth will ultimately prevail, saving the region from endless waves of wars and bloodshed.”Notably — unlike envoys from countries like the UAE — Egypt’s ambassador continues his work from Tel Aviv, and Israel’s envoy does the same in Cairo.Security cooperation remains close, with delegations quietly going back and forth regularly.None of this should come as a surprise. Egypt is a country with consistent and deep interests, and decision-makers stay in power for many years.“They know how many shared interests they have with us,” Koren said.

Chants of ‘Death to Israel’ as masses throng Raisi funeral procession in Tehran-Khamenei leads prayers over coffins of president and seven others killed in helicopter crash; funeral attended by top Hamas, Hezbollah officials-By AFP 22 May 2024, 8:10 am

TEHRAN, Iran — Huge crowds of Iranians thronged the streets of the capital Tehran on Wednesday for the funeral procession of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash.In the city center, mourners clutching portraits of Raisi gathered in and around the University of Tehran, where Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the prayers.Flanked by top officials, Khamenei said prayers over the coffins of the dead, who also included Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.The leader of Palestinian terror group Hamas outside of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, joined the procession, as did the deputy leader of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.“I say once again… we are sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its support for the Palestinian people,” Haniyeh told the crowd to chants of “Death to Israel.”Raisi’s helicopter crashed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in northwestern Iran on Sunday as he headed back to the city of Tabriz after attending a ceremony on the border with Azerbaijan.A huge search and rescue operation was launched, involving help from Turkey, Russia and the European Union. State television announced Raisi’s death early on Monday.Raisi, who was widely expected to succeed Khamenei as supreme leader, was 63.In the capital, huge banners went up hailing the late president as “the martyr of service,” while others bade “farewell to the servant of the disadvantaged.”Tehran residents had received phone messages urging them to “attend the funeral of the martyr of service.”From the university, the coffins will be driven to the huge Enghelab Square in the city center and on to Azadi Square, state media said.Funeral rites for Raisi and his entourage began on Tuesday with processions through Tabriz and the Shiite clerical center of Qom drawing tens of thousands of black-clad mourners.From Tehran, the bodies will be taken to Iran’s second city of Mashhad, Raisi’s hometown in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites at the Imam Reza shrine.Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, has declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a June 28 election for Raisi’s successor.Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who was Amir-Abdollahian’s deputy, has been named acting foreign minister.The country’s armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri has ordered an investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash.The hardline Raisi was elected president in 2021, succeeding the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities.The ultra-conservative’s time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with Israel.After his death, global allies Russia and China and regional powers voiced their condolences, as did NATO, while the UN Security Council observed a minute of silence. Israel has expressed exasperation over the expressions of mourning, noting Raisi’s past overseeing executions of thousands of Iranians in the 1980s and his championing of repressive, hardline policies.Messages of condolence also flooded in from Iran’s allies around the region, including Syria, Palestinian terror group Hamas and Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Tehran.Burial in Mashhad-Funeral rites for the late president and his entourage began on Tuesday with tens of thousands of black-clad mourners in attendance in the city of Tabriz and the Shiite clerical center of Qom.From Tehran, the bodies will be moved to South Khorasan province before being transferred to Raisi’s home city of Mashhad in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites at the Imam Reza shrine.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran’s Khamenei tells visiting Hamas chief that Israel ‘will one day be eliminated’‘Palestine will rise from the river to the sea,’ Iranian supreme leader tells Ismail Haniyeh as he and other representatives of Tehran-backed groups attend Raisi’s funeral-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 3:57 am

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei met Wednesday with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who visited Tehran as the Palestinian terror organization’s representative at the funeral for Iran’s president Ebrahaim Raisi after he died in a helicopter crash.“The divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled and we will see the day when Palestine will rise from the river to the sea,” Khamenei told Haniyeh during a meeting at his office.The Hamas politburo chief responded: “God willing we will see that day together.”The Iranian leader also commented on the anti-Israel protests that pro-Palestinian students are holding on university campuses in the United States and elsewhere.“Who would have believed that one day, slogans in support of Palestine would be raised in US universities and that the flag of Palestine would be raised there? Who would have believed that one day in Japan and demonstrations in support of Palestine, the slogan ‘Death to Israel; would be chanted in Persian?” he was quoted as saying by the Tehran Times.Earlier, Haniyeh joined the funeral procession for Raisi, as did the deputy leader of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem. Representatives of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who like Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, were also in attendance.“I am here on behalf of the Palestinian people, in the name of the resistance factions of Gaza … to express our condolences,” Haniyeh told the crowd, who chanted “Death to Israel.”“I say once again… we are sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its support for the Palestinian people,” he added.God's promise to free #Palestine from the river to the sea will be realized pic.twitter.com/cRbUAStK0q— Khamenei Media (@Khamenei_m) May 22, 2024-Haniyeh was also among the representatives of armed groups who attended prayers led by Khamenei over the coffins of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others who died in the crash on Sunday.Haniyeh recounted Raisi telling him this year that Hamas’s October 7 onslaught against Israel, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, was an “earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity.”Iran, which does not recognize Israel and whose leaders have openly called for its destruction, has been a vocal supporter of the Hamas-led atrocities, with Khamenei saying three days after the devastating attack that Israel “cannot recover from the defeat of October 7.”

Government delays vote to approve rehabilitation plan for northern border towns-Cabinet to now vote Monday on proposal as details hashed out, with ministers and council heads criticizing plan; minister says some money allocated to already funded projects-By ToI Staff Today, 1:56 am-MAY 22,24

The government on Wednesday evening postponed an expected vote to approve a rehabilitation plan for northern communities battered by Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, amid ongoing disputes over the proposed program.The NIS 3.5 billion ($950 million) plan has encountered criticism from ministers and council heads who view it as insufficient. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met municipal heads of cities and towns near Israel’s northern border on Monday, he promised a decision on the funds would be reached within 48 hours.Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office told the Ynet news site that the vote is now set to happen next Monday, with Wednesday’s meeting instead aimed at altering the program as requested by the local leaders.Around 60,000 residents of towns and villages along Israel’s northern border have been forced from their homes since October due to near-daily cross-border rocket and anti-tank missile attacks by Hezbollah and other terrorists in southern Lebanon. The attacks have persisted despite constant Israeli warnings that it could launch a war to push the threat away from the border and return normalcy to the region, with most evacuees facing the prospect of remaining homeless for the foreseeable future.“The vote on the plan has been delayed until Monday in order to legally review the decision, and since final changes were made even today, the short time frame did not allow voting yet,” said Moshe Davidovich, who is chair of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and also heads a group of northern regional council heads.Davidovich said there was progress in answering the demands of regional council leaders. He said that he expected the government to hold a vote on the budget and provide northern residents with hope of returning home.Earlier Wednesday, Tourism Minister Haim Katz said he planned to vote against the plan because it does not provide an adequate response for the north’s tourism industry.“Ignoring the tourism industry and the hundreds of thousands of workers who rely on it is a tragedy for generations,” he said in a statement.Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter told Ynet that funds were allocated for projects that were unnecessary or had already been accounted for, and also grumbled that he was not part of the panel of ministers managing the emergency efforts.Citing an example, Dichter said no funds were set aside to repair drainage infrastructure that’s been destroyed, while millions of shekels were allocated to clearing chicken coops in the threatened area, despite funds already having been earmarked for that project.He also said millions were allocated to encourage Israelis to volunteer in areas targeted by Hezbollah, instead of employing foreign workers.“They will involve the agriculture minister if they want or not. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the area of the evacuated communities and must be part of the response. How is it that the agriculture minister is not part of this committee, it’s ridiculous. There’s no other words to describe it,” Dichter said.One issue raised earlier this month is that the plan includes NIS 1.4 billion ($375 million) to provide to all northern towns for protection from rocket fire, while Kiryat Shmona — which has been frequently targeted since Hezbollah initiated the cross-border skirmishes — itself needs NIS 2 billion ($536 million) to adequately deal with the issue.Another complaint was that the program does not provide tax benefits to northern residents, thereby disincentivizing residents and businesses from returning to the bombarded area.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in ten civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 14 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.Hezbollah has named 311 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 61 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed.

Day after backing ICC, France says there’s no comparison between Israel and Hamas-‘These simultaneous requests for arrest warrants should not create an equivalence,’ French FM says; Israel’s Katz urges him to clearly call ICC prosecutor’s move unacceptable-By ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 1:08 am

A day after his ministry issued a statement of support for the International Criminal Court when its prosecutor announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, French Foreign Minister Stephane Séjourné told parliament on Tuesday, “These simultaneous requests for arrest warrants should not create an equivalence between Hamas and Israel.”In the Monday night statement released by its foreign ministry, France said it “supports the International Criminal Court, its independence and the fight against impunity in every situation” after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was requesting arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Muhammad Deif.Acknowledging that Hamas’s actions during its October 7 on Israel were antisemitic, the Monday statement said it would be up to the ICC’s preliminary chamber to rule on the Israeli arrest warrants based on evidence presented by Khan. “For many months now, France has been warning about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and particularly the unacceptable nature of the civilian losses in the Gaza Strip, and insufficient humanitarian access,” it said.Changing tone on Tuesday, Séjourné stressed that Hamas is “a terrorist group that celebrated the October 7 attacks” in which it killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and took another 252 hostages.Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (left), announces he is seeking arrest warrants from the court’s judges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh (ICC); Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a video address (Screenshot/GPO), May 20, 2024.Israel, by contrast, is “a democratic state that must respect international law in the conduct of a war that it did not itself start,” Séjourné noted.Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, speaking in Paris at an event attended by Séjourné, urged him “to announce loud and clear that the decision of the Chief Prosecutor is unacceptable to you and the French government – regardless of the authority of the court.”“This is what our friends around the world did, and this is what I expect from our friend, the French government,” Katz said, referring to denunciations of the prosecutor’s move by US President Joe Biden among others.Katz was speaking at an event marking 75 years of relations between Israel and France.Earlier Tuesday, an unnamed French diplomat told Ynet that France was not expressing automatic support for the arrest warrants.“We differentiate between Hamas leaders and Israeli leaders,” the diplomat said. “We try not to pass moral judgment but focus on facts that clearly show that there is no comparison between Hamas’s crimes, which we defined as antisemitic, and what is being done in Gaza.”

In poll, 70% of New Yorkers say anti-Israel campus protests ‘went too far’Clear majorities of respondents say they back peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrations and ‘an immediate ceasefire,’ but 61% feel the protests ‘crossed the line into antisemitism’By Luke Tress Today, 6:39 am-MAY 22,24

New York Jewish Week via JTA — Majorities of New Yorkers support peaceful student demonstrations for those suffering in Gaza, but say recent campus pro-Palestinian protests have “crossed the line into antisemitism,” according to a poll released on Wednesday.The Siena College poll of nearly 1,200 registered voters in New York state, taken last week, also found that majorities of New Yorkers support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war but believe the “protests went too far” and justified police action in shutting them down.According to the poll, 72% of respondents “support students with passionate views peacefully demonstrating in support of those suffering in Gaza.” Sixty-four percent say they “support an immediate ceasefire.”But 70% say “the protests went too far and I support the police being called in to shut them down.” And 61% agreed with the statement, “Demonstrators seem to have forgotten that Hamas started this war by killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages. Now it feels like these demonstrations have crossed the line into antisemitism.”Answers from New York City respondents did not differ significantly from the statewide results. The survey had a margin of error of 3.9%.A different survey released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University found that 55% of Americans said they opposed “the student protests being held on college and university campuses responding to Israel’s actions in Gaza?” while 36% said they supported the protests. That survey did not ask respondents for more detailed responses about the protests.The New York poll, conducted as most protest encampments across the state and country were winding down, comes amid ongoing debate over the protests and police action to clear them. Supporters of the protests say the mass arrests amount to a violation of First Amendment rights, but many Jewish students and organizations have said the encampments created a hostile atmosphere for Jews and included numerous examples of antisemitic rhetoric and behavior.The NYPD has come under fire for clearing protesters from Columbia University’s campus on April 18 and April 30 after being called onto campus by the university administration. Police also forcefully cleared demonstrators from other campuses including at the City College of New York, resulting in more than 100 arrests, and were filmed Among Jewish respondents, 87% said the protests crossed the line into antisemitism, although the survey polled a relatively small sample size of roughly 130 Jews. A majority of Jews oppose a ceasefire, and Jewish respondents were divided on whether to support students peacefully protesting suffering in Gaza.A majority or plurality of every political, racial and income group surveyed agreed that the protests had featured antisemitism, although liberal, Black and Latino voters, and those with lower incomes, were more split.Nearly half of respondents, 48%, supported $26 billion in funding for Israel including $9 billion for humanitarian aid in Gaza, while 33% opposed.

Egypt warns it may withdraw from Gaza war mediation over ‘attempts to doubt’ its role-Threat comes after officials told ToI that Cairo mishandled the latest round of hostage-for-truce talks and as it’s blamed by Israel, US for withholding aid from Strip
By Jacob Magid-and Agencies Today, 5:01 am-MAY 22,24

Egypt threatened on Wednesday to withdraw as a mediator in Gaza hostage-for-truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas.“Attempts to cast doubt and offend Egypt’s mediation efforts… will only lead to further complications of the situation in Gaza and the entire region and may push Egypt to completely withdraw from its mediation in the current conflict,” Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, said in a statement published on social media.Rashwan said that Cairo’s participation as a mediator resulted from “repeated requests and insistence” from Israel and the US. Egypt said some “parties” recently directed blame toward Egyptian and Qatari mediators and accused them of being biased, he added.The comments followed a CNN report confirming what two officials told The Times of Israel last week — that Egypt mishandled the latest round of hostage talks, contributing to their collapse.According to the two officials, Cairo presented separate proposals to Israel and Hamas. The one discussed with Israel was closer to Jerusalem’s stance, leaving a window for it to continue the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught after the truce and hostage deal was implemented. Meanwhile, the one presented with Hamas was closer to its demand for the initial truce to be turned permanent.The officials said this strategy was not coordinated with the other mediators and that it particularly angered CIA director Bill Burns, who has been one of the main brokers.Wednesday’s threat from Egypt was similar to the one issued by Qatar last month, when its prime minister announced a review of its mediator role, in light of criticism from Israel. That review has not led to Doha withdrawing from the talks, and it appeared unlikely that Cairo will take such a step either.Egypt has also come under fire from the US for what Washington says has been Cairo’s withholding of aid for Gaza.Earlier Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Egypt to do everything it can to make sure humanitarian aid is flowing into Gaza.Blinken told a hearing in the House of Representatives that fighting near the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, which Israel seized earlier this month, has made the environment for providing assistance challenging. The military says Hamas has used the crossing for terror purposes. It is widely believed arms and other banned items are smuggled into the Strip from Egypt.Egyptian security sources say Egypt opposes Israel’s presence at the crossing and wants it to withdraw.“So we need to find a way to make sure that the assistance that would go through Rafah can get through safely, but we do strongly urge our Egyptian partners to do everything that they can on their end of things to make sure that assistance is flowing,” Blinken said.The matter was also raised during a phone call Wednesday between Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, with a statement from the former’s office saying he “encouraged the Israeli government to conclude talks with Egypt to reopen Rafah crossing and resume the flow of aid from Egypt through Kerem Shalom.”The US readout said Austin also told Gallant of the need for an “effective mechanism” to coordinate humanitarian and military operations in Gaza.On Tuesday, a senior US official briefing reporters offered very rare criticism of Egypt over what they said was Cairo’s withholding of UN humanitarian assistance from Gaza.“What should be going into Kerem Shalom is the UN assistance, which is now in Egypt. Egypt is holding that back until the Rafah crossing situation settles out,” the senior administration official said.“We do not believe that aid should be held back for any reason whatsoever. Kerem Shalom is open. The Israelis have it open. And that aid should be going through Kerem Shalom,” the official added.Israel has been more explicit in blaming Cairo, with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer telling MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday that the hold-up was Egypt’s fault.“Right now, Egypt is withholding 2,000 trucks of humanitarian assistance from going into Gaza because they have a political issue about the Rafah crossing,” Dermer said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Israel's growing diplomatic isolation a 'concern' -- Sullivan-US officials say they’re in close contact with Israel over ongoing Rafah operation-Sullivan: IDF offensive so far is ‘more targeted and limited’; Blinken says administration still has concerns over ‘possible use of heavy bombs’ and is in talks with Jerusalem-By Jacob Magid,Reuters and ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 11:49 pm

WASHINGTON — US officials said Wednesday that the White House is in regular contact with Israel over its ongoing operation in Rafah, but stopped short of calling for it to be halted.The comments came a day after a senior administration official said Israel has been tailoring its plans for Rafah in a manner that has been initially satisfactory to the US.US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who visited Israel last week, said during a press conference on Wednesday that Israel’s military operations in Rafah have not reached the level that the Biden administration warned against.Sullivan called the IDF’s operations thus far “more targeted and limited,” and said it has so far “not involved major military operations into the heart of dense urban areas.”He stressed that the US is following the offensive closely and “will continue to take briefings from Israel about how they are refining their approach.”Sullivan doubled down in denying a Washington Post report claiming the US was withholding intelligence on Hamas leaders from Israel to coax Jerusalem not to invade Rafah. He insisted that the US has constantly shared this intel and will continue to do so, as it has the same goal as Israel of removing Hamas’s leaders.Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the Biden administration remains concerned about Israel’s possible use of heavy bombs against civilians in Rafah and is in contact with Jerusalem about it.US President Joe Biden’s administration said this month that it had reviewed the delivery of weapons that Israel might use for a major invasion of Rafah, and as a result paused a shipment of bombs to Israel.“We have an ongoing conversation with Israel about this and about our concerns about the use of these particular weapons in that particular way in that particular place. And those concerns remain,” Blinken told a House of Representatives hearing.Israel is still due to get billions of dollars of aid in the form of US weaponry.“The other assistance that we’ve been providing for Israel’s defense continues and will continue because, again, the president is determined that Israel have what it needs to defend itself,” Blinken told the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.Speaking at a press conference, Sullivan said reports that none of the aid from the new temporary Gaza pier had reached civilians is false, and that two-thirds of the shipments are either en route to civilians or have already reached them.The top Biden aide acknowledged that the situation on the ground is dynamic and that the US is continuously in talks with stakeholders to ensure that the aid is secured and delivered to those in need.However, he did say that Israel could do a better job connecting its military strategy to a broader diplomatic one: “We believe the only way to defeat Hamas and [ensure] Israel’s long-term security is to connect the military effort to a holistic integrated strategy,” he said. “That’s something that we think Israel could be clearer about publicly as well as privately. We’ll continue to work on that.”Sullivan was also asked about Israel’s increasing diplomatic isolation.“We certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel, drift in another direction. That is of concern to us because we do not believe that contributes to Israel’s long-term security or vitality,” he said.“That’s something we discussed with the Israeli government… A strategic approach to defeating Hamas, protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance and then pursuing that vision of regional integration will put Israel in the best stead to engage countries around the world and revitalize a lot of the partnerships and friendships that have been a source of great strength for Israel over time,” he added.Speaking to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Blinken placed some of the blame for the holdup in aid transfers on Egypt. The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt has remained closed since May 7, when Israeli forces seized the main border crossing, closing a vital route for aid into the besieged enclave as it began operations against Hamas in the southernmost city in Gaza.The military says Hamas has used the crossing for terror purposes. It is widely believed arms and other banned items are smuggled into the Strip from Egypt.Fighting near the crossing has made providing assistance challenging, but aid could still be getting through, Blinken said, an apparent reference to the Kerem Shalom crossing near Rafah, which is still operating.“We need to find a way to make sure that the assistance that would go through Rafah can get through safely, but we do strongly urge our Egyptian partners to do everything that they can on their end of things to make sure that assistance is flowing,” Blinken said.Egyptian security sources say Egypt opposes Israel’s presence at the Rafah crossing and wants it to withdraw.Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday that the Israeli military presence and operations put truck drivers in danger, which has led to the cessation of aid crossing the border.Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday that the hold-up was Egypt’s fault.“Right now, Egypt is withholding 2,000 trucks of humanitarian assistance from going into Gaza because they have a political issue about the Rafah crossing,” Dermer said.

Germany’s AfD bars candidate from EU campaigning after he defends some SS members-Unclear if far-right party’s top contender for European Parliament, Maximilian Krah, is still running, after he said not all members of the notorious Nazi unit were war criminals-By Kirsten Grieshaber 22 May 2024, 8:45 pm

BERLIN, Germany (AP) — Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party on Wednesday banned its top candidate in next month’s European election from making any further campaign appearances and said that he would resign from the party’s board immediately.The public demotion came after Maximilian Krah told an Italian newspaper that not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals.Krah, 47, had already been under scrutiny after authorities in Brussels searched his offices at the European Parliament, in connection with one of his assistants who was arrested last month on suspicion of spying for China. German media have alleged that Krah has had ties himself to China and also Russia.The scandals involving Krah come at a most inconvenient time for the Alternative for Germany, or AfD — only a few weeks before the party is hoping to make big gains at the European election. It had been riding high in the polls last year, but has become less popular this year after millions of Germans protested its radical far-right stance.In addition to Krah, the no. 2 on the AfD’s list for the European Parliament election, Petr Bystron, last month separately denied allegations in a Czech daily that he may have received money from a pro-Russian network.AfD’s top party board said in a statement after an emergency meeting to discuss Krah’s recent missteps that there had been “massive damage to the party in the current election campaign, for which the lead candidate had provided the pretext.”It said Krah took full responsibility and will resign from his position on the federal executive board with immediate effect. It was not immediately clear whether he was still running for the European Parliament.The latest party crisis was triggered by an interview Krah gave last week to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, in which he said, “I will never say that anyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a criminal,” German news agency dpa reported.When asked whether the SS were war criminals, he replied, “There was certainly a high percentage of criminals, but not all of them were criminals.”In reaction to that interview, France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen from the Rassemblement National party indicated that Krah had overstepped a red line. So far, the Rassemblement National, or RN, had been working together with the AfD in the European Parliament, but now the French far-right is considering ending its cooperation with the AfD on the European level, dpa reported.RN party leader Jordan Bardella said on TF1 that “I think that the AfD, with whom we have worked together in the European Parliament for five years, has crossed lines that are red lines for me,” dpa reported.

'The world must look at this cruel atrocity,' says Herzog-Hostage families release clip of 5 female troops’ abduction to push for their freedom-In footage, Hamas terrorist describes the terrified, bloodied soldiers as ‘women who can get pregnant’; father of Liri Albag asks: ‘What else can we do to wake the nation up?’By ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 8:24 pm

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum released harrowing footage on Wednesday showing the abduction of five female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, describing the video as a “damning testament to the nation’s failure to bring home the hostages.”The video was taken by body cameras worn by Hamas terrorists that day, as they attacked the base near the Gaza border, and it shows Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, in the footage, filmed 229 days ago. All five are still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.The families of the five soldiers asked to have the footage broadcast, with some of the parents saying that the goal is to wake up the nation, and especially the leadership, to work more urgently to secure their release. “I want you to broadcast this footage every day at the start of the news,” said Liri Albag’s father Eli, in the Channel 12 studio after the footage was screened, “until somebody wakes up.”The three-minute video cleared for release begins inside a shelter on the base at around 9 a.m., when terrorists are tying the hands of the five, surveillance soldiers whose job is to monitor activity at the border, who appear shocked, horrified, wounded, and bloodied.One of the terrorists yells at them, “You dogs — we will step on you!”“I have friends in Palestine,” Levy, who participated in an Israeli-Palestinian co-existence project, says. Then Albag requests “someone who speaks English.” The terrorists respond by yelling at the captive soldiers to be quiet and ordering the group to sit down. “Our brothers died because of you. We will shoot you all,” one of the terrorists tells them.Warning: Graphic footageOne of the terrorists then asks Albag to call his friend in Gaza, though it is unclear why, while another asks where they are from, to which Berger replies she is from Tel Aviv.The footage cuts to the terrorists praying, still in the shelter. One of the terrorists describes the hostages as “women who can get pregnant.”“These are the Zionists,” one says, and another says: “You are very beautiful.”The video cuts to the terrorists bringing the soldiers outside to their vehicle, as gunfire is heard in the background. Daniella Gilboa is limping, having been injured in the leg. It then cuts again to the soldiers inside the vehicle, while terrorists yell at them.In a statement after the release of the video, President Isaac Herzog said he would continue to offer the families of hostages “strength and love.”“The world must look at this cruel atrocity. Those who care about women’s rights must speak out. All those who believe in freedom must speak out, and do everything possible to bring all of the hostages home now,” he said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “horrified” by the footage and vowed to do all he could to return the hostages home.“The cruelty of the Hamas terrorists only strengthens my determination to fight with all my might until Hamas is eliminated in order to ensure that what we saw this evening doesn’t happen ever again,” he wrote on X.Many family members of the hostages have blamed Netanyahu and the government for foot-dragging that has prevented a deal to release their loved ones from being reached.A still from footage showing the capture and abduction of Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy at the Nahal Oz base on October 7, 2023 (The Hostages Families Forum)Several media commentators expressed bewilderment at how the terrorists did not appear to be in a rush to leave the base, spending time tormenting the soldiers, and slowly taking them to the vehicles undisturbed, and without any sign of security forces coming to the rescue.Nahal Oz was invaded by dozens of terrorists on October 7, and they spent some three hours at the base, Channel 12 said, without the IDF coming to the rescue.The video was released ahead of a war cabinet meeting on Wednesday night and was declaredly aimed at pressuring ministers to step up efforts to reach a deal with Hamas to release the hostages. Negotiations on a truce deal have been stalled since April. The only previous deal, in November, saw 105 hostages released during a week-long truce.“The disturbing video has been the reality of Agam, Daniella, Liri, Naama, Karina, and 123 other hostages for 229 days,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “The video is a damning testament to the nation’s failure to bring home the hostages, who have been forsaken for 229 days.”“The Israeli government must not waste even one more moment – it must return to the negotiating table today!” it added.The parents’ reasoning-Relatives of the five said that the three minutes and ten seconds of broadcast footage was heavily censored, with their oversight, for publication.Eli Albag, Liri’s father, told Channel 12 News that the original footage is over 13 minutes long. The IDF Spokesman’s Office is understood to have made the full footage available to the families and allowed them to decide what to show to the public.“This is the most sensitive version… and still terribly harsh,” said Albag. “We are exposing ourselves and our daughters. We went back and forth over and over about whether to release it. Three of the mothers have not seen the footage, are not prepared to see the footage, cannot bear to see the girls [in the footage].”“It’s been 229 days since then,” he said, “and we are living it minute by minute… I have no words to describe the horrors: At that base, 54 male and female soldiers were murdered. Those girls sat for two hours with 11 bodies of female soldiers and one male soldier in their line of sight.”He asked: “What else can we say? Where else can we shout? What else can we do to wake the nation up?”Asked why the decision was taken to have the footage broadcast, and told that the war cabinet is meeting Wednesday night to discuss the hostages, Albag said: “If this film doesn’t change the thinking, this is the last bullet we have, to tell them. What else do you want? What else can we do? If that doesn’t influence them…”It took five years to reach a deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, he noted, “and they paid so much more” to get him out of Hamas captivity. “Wake up! There are 128 hostages. One hundred and twenty-eight. The number is beyond comprehension. Somebody has to wake up. And if this doesn’t wake them up, I don’t know what else to say.”When it was put to Albag that Hamas has been preventing a hostage-ceasefire deal, he said that “the only way” to free the hostages was to “end the war.” He said he did not believe the IDF would be able to extricate them, and lamented that three IDF soldiers were killed in Gaza earlier Wednesday “in an area [the IDF] had already cleared [of Hamas gunmen].”Ayelet Shahar Levy, mother of Naama Levy, said that in the film, “We see our heroic daughters in the worst hour it is possible to imagine… That was their reality on October 7 and that’s the ongoing attack they are facing for 229 days.”She added in a Channel 12 interview: “I just hope they are managing to somehow stay brave and courageous in the passing days. We partly know what they are going through in Hamas hands. I don’t have the words to explain what I feel…“Who needs to see this film?” she asked rhetorically. “Apart from the parents, we thought the decision-makers — the ministers, the cabinet — that was the important thing. And not all agreed to watch it,” she said, referencing reports that security cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich, Yariv Levin, Eli Cohen and Avi Dichter have not watched the footage. (Levin later Wednesday indicated he had seen the footage.)Yoni Levy, Naama’s father, told the TV channel that he can see that his daughter is “scared to death,” but also that “her survival instinct” is working, when she tells one of the terrorists that “she has friends in Palestine.”“I have watched the footage several times and it doesn’t get any easier,” he said. “But for them, this film continues… For them, now, 229 days, 330,000 minutes, they’ve been living this. That’s why we’re screaming out.”He added: “The hostages have become just one more in the chain of unsolved problems that the State of Israel is facing. Our goal is to say, people, this cannot be. Look what they go through in three minutes. Everything can wait. There is nothing more urgent than to return them. To return all 128,” he said.“The State of Israel is strong enough… It can settle accounts with all of those despicable people…. [For the hostages,] we cannot drag our feet any longer.”Clockwise, from top left: Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Agam Berger and Liri Albag, who were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)-Albag’s sister Shay told the Kan public broadcaster that the footage showed her sister’s strength. She noted that in the longer footage, the soldiers were sitting with the terrorists at the base for two hours, while “nobody came to save them.”“It was so important for us to publish this footage so that the entire world sees, these are animals, and it will take time to digest it,” she said.War cabinet minister Benny Gantz said his “stomach turned” when he first saw the video, and that he would not stop thinking about the captives until they are all returned.“But the responsibility of leaders is not just to look the reality in the eye, it is to create a different reality even when it comes to difficult decisions. And that is our responsibility,” he wrote on X.Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer wrote on X that the footage showed “the greatest human evil in the modern era.”He called for international women’s rights groups to make a statement and said that the most important goal of the ongoing war was to return them home.It is believed that 124 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 16 have also been recovered from the Strip, including three mistakenly killed by the military.The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 37 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.Hamas is also holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

AG, state attorney: ‘No foundation’ to ICC prosecutor’s bid to arrest Israeli leaders-Israel’s two top law enforcement officials insist they examine all claims of violations of the law, so world court has no authority to investigate or charge Netanyahu and Gallant-By Jeremy Sharon-22 May 2024, 4:46 pm

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman hit back at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, describing Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as “without foundation.”The two most senior law enforcement officials in the country said that their agencies examine all claims of violations of the law, and asserted that the ICC therefore has no right or authority to investigate and charge Israeli officials.“The security forces, including the Israel Defense Forces, wage war with full commitment to the rules of international law,” Baharav-Miara and Aisman said in a joint statement.“The legal system in the State of Israel is prepared to examine any serious claim both in relation to matters of policy and in relation to individual cases,” the statement added. “As the State of Israel has made clear over the years, the [international] court lacks any authority to conduct an investigation into [this] matter.“In any case, the request to the ICC to issue arrest warrants against the prime minister and the defense minister is without foundation.”The ICC prosecutor said on Tuesday that he had decided to move forward with requesting the arrest warrants because he had not seen compelling evidence that Israeli courts were probing alleged violations of international law in Gaza.Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (center), announces he is seeking arrest warrants from the court’s judges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, May 20, 2024. (ICC)According to the ICC’s charter and the principle of complementarity, the court cannot hold trials for nationals of countries that have independent judiciaries that are able and willing to investigate and conduct legal proceedings regarding the purported crimes the court is concerned with.In Khan’s announcement on Monday that he had requested that the ICC’s judges grant arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders, he said that the charges against Israel’s premier and defense chief are for “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”“We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to State policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day,” said Khan in reference to the Israeli leaders.It will be up to the court’s pre-trial judges to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to issue warrants.Israel is not a member of the court, and even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But Khan’s announcement deepens Israel’s isolation as it presses ahead with its war, and the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.Israel says its offensive in Gaza is aimed at eliminating Hamas and the high civilian toll is due to the terror group’s use of civilians as human shields. Israel has highlighted its efforts to expand humanitarian aid to Gaza and blames the humanitarian crisis on aid agencies failing to properly distribute supplies and on looting of aid trucks by terror groups and gangs.Netanyahu on Monday termed the ICC prosecutor’s move “the new antisemitism” and on Tuesday said Khan was turning the tribunal into a “kangaroo court” and a “pariah.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Request for arrest warrants from ICC is ‘blood libel,’ says ex-Supreme Court justice-Elyakim Rubinstein also denounces ICC prosecutor for juxtaposing Israeli prime minister, defense minister with Hamas chiefs, says charge Israel is committing genocide ‘is libelous’By Jeremy Sharon-22 May 2024, 7:16 pm

Former Supreme Court justice Elyakim Rubinstein has described the request for arrest warrants by International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as “a blood libel” and illegitimate on both a substantive and procedural level.Speaking to The Times of Israel, Rubinstein also denounced Khan’s juxtaposition of Netanyahu and Gallant with the three Hamas leaders against whom the prosecutor is also seeking arrest warrants.Khan announced on Monday he was seeking warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity, on the allegation that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza, as well as for war crimes of willful killing and intentionally attacking civilians.“Requesting these arrest warrants is wrong and not appropriate in any way, not in the manner and framework in which it was done, and not in the substance [of the decision],” said Rubinstein, who served as a Supreme Court justice for 13 years, of which two were spent as deputy president.“In terms of the manner: to juxtapose the Israeli prime minister and defense minister to the Hamas criminals is awful; there is no substantive comparison between them,” he said.“Allegations of crimes against humanity such as starvation against Gazans simply have not happened — there is a hidden line connecting between the ICC allegations and the proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice on allegations of genocide, which are both blood libels,” averred the retired justice.In December, South Africa filed an application against Israel in the ICJ, a separate court in The Hague that hears disputes between nations, alleging that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.The court issued provisional measures against Israel in response to South Africa’s allegations, with the threshold for the court to issue such orders at the preliminary stage being extremely low. The ICJ is poised to issue further orders based on new South African requests for further measures against Jerusalem, following a hearing held in the court last week.“There is a connection between these two proceedings on an ethical and values level, in the negative sense of those words,” asserted Rubinstein. “We can make mistakes, no one is perfect, mistakes can happen in war. But to say Israeli policy is to commit genocide, or to say that Israel’s policy is to starve Gazans is libelous.”Asked whether the attorney general should have already been investigating the allegations being made by the ICC prosecutor, Rubinstein said he trusted that both the attorney general and the military advocate general would have dealt or would be dealing with any concrete complaints.“You can only open an investigation when you have prima facie evidence of a crime. You don’t open investigations based merely on media reports,” he noted.Asked whether the government should establish a state commission of inquiry or other mechanism to investigate the charges being sought by the ICC, Rubinstein would only say that he did not want to “give advice through the media on such issues.”Such a commission, usually headed by retired Supreme Court justices, would almost certainly head off procedures in the ICC, since the court is prohibited in principle by the Rome Statute which founded it from holding proceedings against the nationals of a country which is itself holding credible investigations into the allegations in question.But establishing a state commission would be politically difficult in Israel, since it could give the impression that there is a legitimate case to answer.

Gallant lifts order barring access to evacuated settlements in northern West Bank-Defense minister declares ‘historic move’ as settler leaders hope to reverse 2005 evacuation, but IDF swiftly closes off sites over security concerns around Jenin-By ToI Staff 22 May 2024, 6:17 pm

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday declared the end of restrictions barring Israelis from  areas of the northern West Bank that Israel pulled out of 19 years ago, while a fellow lawmaker urged the creation of new settlements in response to the announcement by three European countries that they would recognize a Palestinian state.Calling it a “historic move,” Gallant said in a statement that the expiration of military regulations blocking access to the evacuated settlement outposts of Ganim, Kadim and Sa-Nur would lead to “the development of settlement and provide security to the residents of the region.”Settlers’ hopes were swiftly dashed, though, as Israel Defense Forces Central Command head Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox signed an order again making the areas a closed military zone, Army Radio reported.Absent the military order, the move lifting restrictions on the sites where Ganim, Kadim and Sa-Nur once stood would mean that Israeli citizens could enter the areas legally, though any lawful settlement activity would have to be authorized by the government in processes that typically take years.Gallant’s announcement came a year and a day after the government granted access to the Homesh outpost, legalizing the return of settlers who had already begun visiting the site and setting up a wildcat yeshiva.The four settlements were evacuated and partially demolished at the same time that all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip were evacuated in 2005. That unilateral disengagement was accompanied by a law banning Israeli citizens from being present in those regions. The law was repealed by the Knesset last year, but military orders barring Israelis from entering remained in place until Wednesday.In Wednesday’s development, Gallant instructed the IDF to rescind the order declaring Ganim, Kadim, and Sa-Nur a closed military zone.“The Jewish hold on Judea and Samaria guarantees security, [and] the application of the law to repeal the Disengagement Law will lead to the development of settlement and provide security to the residents of the region,” Gallant said, using a biblical term for the West Bank.Yossi Dagan, who heads the Samaria Regional Council covering settlements in the northern West Bank, praised the “historic” measure as step toward undoing what he described as the “folly” of the settlements’ evacuation.The anti-settlement Peace Now organization, however, said that “the last thing Israel needs is more isolated and unnecessary settlements that will be a security burden and distance us from a required diplomatic process.”Fox first issued orders complying with Gallant’s instructions to lift restrictions, but then also signed paperwork closing the location to the public.The IDF took the precaution to prevent settlers from immediately flooding into the sites and establishing settlements, Army Radio reported.The areas are located near Jenin, which has become a major hotspot for friction as Israel has stepped up anti-terror operations there and in other parts of the northern West Bank where terror groups have managed to deeply embed themselves.“A completely different security arrangement is required in this area,” an unnamed military source was quoted telling Army Radio.Allowing Israelis back “cannot be done overnight,” the source said. “We will also have to bring many additional forces to the area, it will take time.”On Tuesday, eight Palestinians were killed as Israeli troops carried out a raid in Jenin, Palestinian health authorities said. The raid was ongoing Wednesday, with the army reporting firefights between troops and Palestinians.The right-wing government has taken steps aimed at bolstering settlement activity, including approving thousands of homes and funneling money into infrastructure projects serving Israeli settlers.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, among the most vocal proponents of settlement expansion, called Wednesday for Israel to approve 10,000 new settlement housing units in response to Ireland, Spain, and Norway saying they will recognize a Palestinian state.Smotrich, who holds a Defense Ministry role giving him authority over civilian affairs in the West Bank, also called for establishing a new community for each country recognizing Palestine and to advance a government proposal to strengthen settlement in the West Bank.