JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
ISAIAH 51:3-4
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Iran warns it can make weapons-grade material in days if nuke deal scotched-Statement seen as indication Tehran willing to push back against Trump, who has threatened to scrap the 2015 sanctions-lifting agreement-By Nasser Karimi August 22, 2017, 11:59 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s atomic chief warned Tuesday the Islamic Republic needs only five days to ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent, a level at which the material could be used for a nuclear weapon.The comments by Ali Akbar Salehi to Iranian state television come as US President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to renegotiate or walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal.Salehi’s warning, along with recent comments by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, show Iran is willing to push back against Trump while still acknowledging they want to keep the deal, which lifted crippling economic sanctions on the country.“If there is a plan for a reaction and a challenge, we will definitely surprise them,” said Salehi, who also serves as one of Rouhani’s vice presidents. “If we make the determination, we are able to resume 20 percent-enrichment in at most five days.”He added: “Definitely, we are not interested in such a thing happening. We have not achieved the deal easily to let it go easily. We are committed to the deal and we are loyal to it.”Iran gave up the majority of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium as part of the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, including Trump’s predecessor, president Barack Obama. The accord, which lifted sanctions on Iran, currently caps the Islamic Republic uranium enrichment at 5 percent.While Iran long has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, uranium enriched to 20 percent and above can be used in nuclear bombs. Iran processed its stockpile of near 20 percent uranium into a lower enrichment, turned some into fuel plates to power a research reactor and shipped the rest to Russia as part of the deal.The Obama administration and most independent experts said at the time of the deal that Iran would need at least a year after abandoning the deal to have enough nuclear material to build a bomb. Before the deal was struck, they said the timeframe for Iran to “break out” toward a bomb was a couple of months.While the economic benefits of the deal have yet to reach the average Iranian, airlines in the country have signed deals for billions of dollars of aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. Car manufacturers and others have swept into the Iranian market as well as the country has boosted its oil sales. Abandoning the deal would put those economic gains in jeopardy.Rouhani, a moderate cleric within Iran’s theocratically overseen government, warned last week that it could ramp up its nuclear program and quickly achieve a more advanced level if the US continues “threats and sanctions” against his country.Rouhani’s comments were sparked by Trump signing a sanctions bill imposing mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. The US legislation also applies terrorism sanctions to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and enforces an existing arms embargo.
Quietly, Kushner and US delegation tour region, to arrive in Israel-3 top Trump aides to land in Jewish state Wednesday night, after meeting with leaders of United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 5:08 pm
US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday night with a US peace delegation, after quietly meeting with leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.According to Politico, the US delegation — which also consists of Special Envoy for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell — headed to the Middle East on Sunday.They were to hold meetings in Israel on Thursday, according to the report. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in Russia on Wednesday for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.The White House had announced the trip by the three top aides to kickstart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but gave no dates.Trump has asked his delegation to focus the talks on this trip around several broad themes, including finding “a path to substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, combating extremism [and dealing with] the situation in Gaza, including how to ease the humanitarian crisis there,” according to a senior White House official.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that the entire Trump administration is in “chaos,” and indicated that the White House disarray was affecting peace efforts.“I don’t even know how they are dealing with us, because his entire administration is in chaos,” Abbas told a delegation of dovish Israeli lawmakers visiting Ramallah.Abbas told parliamentarians from the Meretz party that he had met with US officials more than 20 times since Trump’s election in November 2016, yet still had little idea what their plans for peace negotiations were.“Each time they reiterate their commitment to a two-state solution and the stop to settlement building,” he said, according to Hebrew media reports. “I urge them to tell Netanyahu that, but they refrain.”While Ramallah has officially welcomed US peace efforts, officials have begun to grumble about what they see as a lack of commitment to a two-state solution or finding a way forward, as well as a bias toward Israel’s positions.Netanyahu has welcomed the upcoming visit by the three top US officials.A White House official told The Times of Israel earlier this month that Trump believes an “opportunity” has opened up to advance his peace initiative.“He believes that the restoration of calm and the stabilized situation in Jerusalem after the recent crisis on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif has created an opportunity to continue discussions and the pursuit of peace that began early in his administration,” the official said.Recently off-the-record remarks by Kushner — made to a casual gathering of congressional interns — were leaked to the media in which he said there may not be a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nearly 1 in 10 Americans think neo-Nazi views okay, poll finds-Number of those not opposed to white supremacist ideology rises to 17% among Trump supporters, says Washington Post/ABC survey-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 10:00 am
A new poll indicates that nearly one in ten Americans believe that neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology is “acceptable.”The survey, which was published Monday by ABC News/Washington Post, was conducted in the wake of the violent white nationalist rally earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a woman was killed when a white supremacist drove into a group of counter-protesters.According to the poll of 1,014 respondents, 9 percent of people said that neo-Nazi views are okay to hold, while 83% said such ideology is “unacceptable” and 8% had no opinion.Among Republicans, 13% said that neo-Nazi views were acceptable, and the number climbs to 17% among Trump supporters.Respondents to the poll were also asked about the “alt-right,” a loosely defined group that counts among its ranks white supremacists and anti-Semites, with 10% saying they supported the group, while 50% said they oppose it and 41% said they have no opinion.Although the alt-right prominently features white supremacists and neo-Nazis, only 39% of those polled said they believe the group holds such views, while 21% said it does not. Another 39% said they have no opinion.The violent rally in Virginia, which saw hundreds of white supremacists marching through the college town to ostensibly protect Confederate statues, sent a chill through the American body politic, which only intensified when US President Donald Trump seemed to blame both the marchers and protesters.Trump initially did not name white supremacists in his condemnation of the violence, although a day later he called neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan “repugnant.” Trump then later appeared to walk back his statement, saying there was “blame on both sides” for the violence.Only 28% of respondents said they approved of Trump’s response to the rally, with 56% disapproving.Asked if the US president equated white supremacists with counter-protesters, 42% said he did, while 23% said he did not.Responses were split sharply between Republicans and Democrats. Sixty-two percent of Republicans said they approve of Trump’s response, while 28% of independents and only 6% of Democrats said they approve.Despite disagreement among members of the two parties on Trump’s response, there was widespread disapproval on both sides of neo-Nazi views.Overall, 37% said they approve of Trump’s presidency, while 58% said they disapprove.The numbers were largely unchanged from an ABC News/Washington Post poll in July conducted prior to the Charlottesville rally.The survey, which was done by Langer Research Associates, had a margin of error of 3.5 points. The party breakdown for the respondents was 33% Democrat, 22% Republican and 42% independent.
Soldiers, settlers clash during removal of illegal homes in Yitzhar-Army removes six prefab structures placed on private Palestinian land next to West Bank settlement-By Alexander Fulbright and Jacob Magid August 22, 2017, 9:05 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israeli forces clashed with settlers overnight Tuesday during the removal of a number of illegal homes near the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.Residents of the settlement burned tires and “were violent toward soldiers,” the Defense Ministry unit in charge of administering the West Bank said in a statement.The troops removed six structures — prefab trailer homes, also known as caravans — that had been placed next to Yitzhar without permits.A defense official said that the structures had been placed on private Palestinian land outside the settlement’s municipal boundaries. The official also said an additional two structures were dismantled but not removed.A spokesman for the settlement said the two homes that were dismantled were a part of the Kumi Ori outpost.The far-right Honenu legal aid group said the IDF did not have the authority to remove the structures as they were placed on land under Palestinian Authority civil jurisdiction, but the army said the removal of the homes was done in accordance with IDF policy.Yitzhar, south of Nablus, is seen as a center of so-called hilltop youth extremism, and residents there have a history of violent confrontations with the army and police.In June, the IDF arrested three people during clashes surrounding the demolition of an illegal structure in the settlement.
EU threatens to halt Israeli produce exports over moth fears-Following warning from Europe, Agriculture Ministry increases efforts to battle crop-damaging insect-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 5:45 pm
The European Union has threatened to prohibit the export of some Israeli produce to Europe amid concerns over a moth known to damage crops, the Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday.An Agriculture Ministry statement said the EU warned that the export of certain produce will be halted on January 1, 2018, if Israeli farmers don’t meet new EU health rules and protocols on dealing with the false codling moth.The ministry also warned that the moth presents a threat to produce exports to the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea.The moth, which is found primarily in Africa, has become more of a nuisance in recent years for Israeli farmers.Among the over 70 types of crops the moth ruins by laying its eggs on them are citrus fruits, pomegranates, mango, grapes, corn and peppers, all of which are grown in Israel.The Agriculture Ministry said in light of the threat to produce exports, it has increased its efforts in recent weeks to help farmers and agricultural organizations better combat the threat posed by the moth.It said however that eliminating the moth would be difficult, as the insect reproduces a number of times each year and its eggs and larvae are difficult to detect.The ministry also said that countries importing Israeli produce require the use of environmental friendly pesticides, which are less effective in killing off the moth.
Cue the camels! Israelis are throwing themselves one-of-a-kind outdoor weddings-Young couples have become dissatisfied with the ‘copy and paste’ approach of wedding halls, which they view as inauthentic-By Andrew Tobin August 22, 2017, 4:27 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JTA – In this tiny country, there are only so many places to have a wedding. Or so you would think.But a growing number of Israelis are creating one-of-a-kind outdoor weddings from the ground up. In some cases, they even start with the ground.“We brought in bulldozers for one couple,” said Ori Fuks, an Israeli wedding producer. “They wanted to get married on an avocado farm, so we built them a parking lot.”“Nature weddings,” as they are sometimes called, are an increasingly popular option for young Israeli couples seeking unique nuptials. In recent years, an industry has emerged around the bespoke outdoor events, offering an alternative to the traditional wedding hall blowout.Shani Maaman, a 31-year-old high-tech worker from Jerusalem, and her husband-to-be, Ran, were determined to do their wedding themselves. With the help of Israeli wedding blogs and Facebook groups, they spent months planning and preparing a wedding they felt reflected who they are.Unlike some couples, Maaman and her fiance did not start from zero. Instead they converted a biblical tourism center, called Genesis World, into a bohemian desert getaway with Bedouin-style tents and cushions, billowing macramé decorations and a caravan of camels on hand. A DJ played world music-inspired beats late into the night.“Nature weddings have become common, but I know that our wedding was very, very special,” Maaman said. “The nice thing about the place was that because it’s not for weddings, it doesn’t feel commercialized. They don’t charge you for every little extra. If you want another area to chill out, they give it to you no problem.”Fuks said many young Israelis have become dissatisfied with the “copy and paste” approach of wedding halls, which they see as inauthentic. Having grown up working in two such venues owned by his family, in 2009 he started his own company called Bloom, which specializes in nature weddings at sites with little to no infrastructure.“Young Israelis want their wedding to be their own,” he said. “They want to feel like they’re hosting you in their own home. That’s why we come and say, anything you want, we can create it.”Fuks lets couples customize nearly every aspect of their wedding, starting with the location. In addition to the avocado farm, he uses forests, deserts, vineyards and fields. Last year he threw a wedding in a pallet factory. He works with suppliers to bring in the desired amenities, like generators for electricity, a kitchen and bar, a sound system, lighting, restrooms, tents and flowers.Immediately after the event, everything is dismantled. No infrastructure can stay in place, Fuks said, because he rents the properties from private owners and may or may not have the required permits. Fortunately, he said, he has never had a wedding shut down.Fuks said business has grown steadily over the years to about 30 weddings a year, mostly in the relatively sunny months between March and October. At the same time, he said he has seen his competitors in the nature wedding industry proliferate, from just a couple eight years ago to as many as 10 experienced competitors and countless upstarts today.A saleswoman at one of Israel’s poshest wedding halls said the growing popularity of nature weddings has not cut into her clientele. But speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her job, she said she expects that to change in the near future. Among her Tel Aviv friends, she said, wedding halls are already out of style.“People want their wedding to make them feel special,” she said. “But this industry is all about money. You spend money you don’t have, and we make money. In a couple years, everyone will be planning their own weddings.”However, nature weddings are not necessarily less expensive. Fuks said his average wedding costs about $40,000, which is at the high end of the national average, according to a 2015 survey. Maaman’s $25,000 wedding is at the low end.Lira Wieman, the owner of LW Events, said nature weddings are nothing new for her clients, who include Israel’s rich and famous. Nearly three-quarters of the weddings she does are in nature, she said. In May, she produced a high-profile desert wedding for model Shlomit Malka and actor Yehuda Levy.“They wanted a Burning Man-style event,” Wieman said, referring to the American countercultural festival. “It was crazy — three days on an isolated ranch with a 24-hour DJ party.”To some extent, Maaman’s wedding — which was also Burning Man inspired — was countercultural, too. Like a growing number of Israelis, she and her husband eschewed the Chief Rabbinate, the Orthodox authority that controls Jewish marriage in Israel. They opted for a secular humanist rabbi, and because only an Orthodox rabbi can perform a wedding in Israel, they have yet to be officially married.Maaman said they plan to eventually marry abroad and have the union recognized by Israel’s secular bureaucracy, or to enter a common law marriage – two increasingly popular options.She said their motivation for not going through the Chief Rabbinate was more personal than principled. They wanted to do the wedding on a date that is forbidden by Jewish law and, more important, to have an egalitarian ceremony. Under the macrame huppah, Maaman joined her husband in the traditional concluding ritual of breaking a glass in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem.“We’re not like ‘anti’ people,” she said. “What guided us was making it our wedding, fit to us. We did what we needed to do.”
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Iran warns it can make weapons-grade material in days if nuke deal scotched-Statement seen as indication Tehran willing to push back against Trump, who has threatened to scrap the 2015 sanctions-lifting agreement-By Nasser Karimi August 22, 2017, 11:59 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s atomic chief warned Tuesday the Islamic Republic needs only five days to ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent, a level at which the material could be used for a nuclear weapon.The comments by Ali Akbar Salehi to Iranian state television come as US President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to renegotiate or walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal.Salehi’s warning, along with recent comments by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, show Iran is willing to push back against Trump while still acknowledging they want to keep the deal, which lifted crippling economic sanctions on the country.“If there is a plan for a reaction and a challenge, we will definitely surprise them,” said Salehi, who also serves as one of Rouhani’s vice presidents. “If we make the determination, we are able to resume 20 percent-enrichment in at most five days.”He added: “Definitely, we are not interested in such a thing happening. We have not achieved the deal easily to let it go easily. We are committed to the deal and we are loyal to it.”Iran gave up the majority of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium as part of the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, including Trump’s predecessor, president Barack Obama. The accord, which lifted sanctions on Iran, currently caps the Islamic Republic uranium enrichment at 5 percent.While Iran long has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, uranium enriched to 20 percent and above can be used in nuclear bombs. Iran processed its stockpile of near 20 percent uranium into a lower enrichment, turned some into fuel plates to power a research reactor and shipped the rest to Russia as part of the deal.The Obama administration and most independent experts said at the time of the deal that Iran would need at least a year after abandoning the deal to have enough nuclear material to build a bomb. Before the deal was struck, they said the timeframe for Iran to “break out” toward a bomb was a couple of months.While the economic benefits of the deal have yet to reach the average Iranian, airlines in the country have signed deals for billions of dollars of aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. Car manufacturers and others have swept into the Iranian market as well as the country has boosted its oil sales. Abandoning the deal would put those economic gains in jeopardy.Rouhani, a moderate cleric within Iran’s theocratically overseen government, warned last week that it could ramp up its nuclear program and quickly achieve a more advanced level if the US continues “threats and sanctions” against his country.Rouhani’s comments were sparked by Trump signing a sanctions bill imposing mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. The US legislation also applies terrorism sanctions to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and enforces an existing arms embargo.
Quietly, Kushner and US delegation tour region, to arrive in Israel-3 top Trump aides to land in Jewish state Wednesday night, after meeting with leaders of United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 5:08 pm
US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday night with a US peace delegation, after quietly meeting with leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.According to Politico, the US delegation — which also consists of Special Envoy for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell — headed to the Middle East on Sunday.They were to hold meetings in Israel on Thursday, according to the report. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in Russia on Wednesday for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.The White House had announced the trip by the three top aides to kickstart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but gave no dates.Trump has asked his delegation to focus the talks on this trip around several broad themes, including finding “a path to substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, combating extremism [and dealing with] the situation in Gaza, including how to ease the humanitarian crisis there,” according to a senior White House official.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that the entire Trump administration is in “chaos,” and indicated that the White House disarray was affecting peace efforts.“I don’t even know how they are dealing with us, because his entire administration is in chaos,” Abbas told a delegation of dovish Israeli lawmakers visiting Ramallah.Abbas told parliamentarians from the Meretz party that he had met with US officials more than 20 times since Trump’s election in November 2016, yet still had little idea what their plans for peace negotiations were.“Each time they reiterate their commitment to a two-state solution and the stop to settlement building,” he said, according to Hebrew media reports. “I urge them to tell Netanyahu that, but they refrain.”While Ramallah has officially welcomed US peace efforts, officials have begun to grumble about what they see as a lack of commitment to a two-state solution or finding a way forward, as well as a bias toward Israel’s positions.Netanyahu has welcomed the upcoming visit by the three top US officials.A White House official told The Times of Israel earlier this month that Trump believes an “opportunity” has opened up to advance his peace initiative.“He believes that the restoration of calm and the stabilized situation in Jerusalem after the recent crisis on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif has created an opportunity to continue discussions and the pursuit of peace that began early in his administration,” the official said.Recently off-the-record remarks by Kushner — made to a casual gathering of congressional interns — were leaked to the media in which he said there may not be a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nearly 1 in 10 Americans think neo-Nazi views okay, poll finds-Number of those not opposed to white supremacist ideology rises to 17% among Trump supporters, says Washington Post/ABC survey-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 10:00 am
A new poll indicates that nearly one in ten Americans believe that neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology is “acceptable.”The survey, which was published Monday by ABC News/Washington Post, was conducted in the wake of the violent white nationalist rally earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a woman was killed when a white supremacist drove into a group of counter-protesters.According to the poll of 1,014 respondents, 9 percent of people said that neo-Nazi views are okay to hold, while 83% said such ideology is “unacceptable” and 8% had no opinion.Among Republicans, 13% said that neo-Nazi views were acceptable, and the number climbs to 17% among Trump supporters.Respondents to the poll were also asked about the “alt-right,” a loosely defined group that counts among its ranks white supremacists and anti-Semites, with 10% saying they supported the group, while 50% said they oppose it and 41% said they have no opinion.Although the alt-right prominently features white supremacists and neo-Nazis, only 39% of those polled said they believe the group holds such views, while 21% said it does not. Another 39% said they have no opinion.The violent rally in Virginia, which saw hundreds of white supremacists marching through the college town to ostensibly protect Confederate statues, sent a chill through the American body politic, which only intensified when US President Donald Trump seemed to blame both the marchers and protesters.Trump initially did not name white supremacists in his condemnation of the violence, although a day later he called neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan “repugnant.” Trump then later appeared to walk back his statement, saying there was “blame on both sides” for the violence.Only 28% of respondents said they approved of Trump’s response to the rally, with 56% disapproving.Asked if the US president equated white supremacists with counter-protesters, 42% said he did, while 23% said he did not.Responses were split sharply between Republicans and Democrats. Sixty-two percent of Republicans said they approve of Trump’s response, while 28% of independents and only 6% of Democrats said they approve.Despite disagreement among members of the two parties on Trump’s response, there was widespread disapproval on both sides of neo-Nazi views.Overall, 37% said they approve of Trump’s presidency, while 58% said they disapprove.The numbers were largely unchanged from an ABC News/Washington Post poll in July conducted prior to the Charlottesville rally.The survey, which was done by Langer Research Associates, had a margin of error of 3.5 points. The party breakdown for the respondents was 33% Democrat, 22% Republican and 42% independent.
Soldiers, settlers clash during removal of illegal homes in Yitzhar-Army removes six prefab structures placed on private Palestinian land next to West Bank settlement-By Alexander Fulbright and Jacob Magid August 22, 2017, 9:05 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israeli forces clashed with settlers overnight Tuesday during the removal of a number of illegal homes near the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.Residents of the settlement burned tires and “were violent toward soldiers,” the Defense Ministry unit in charge of administering the West Bank said in a statement.The troops removed six structures — prefab trailer homes, also known as caravans — that had been placed next to Yitzhar without permits.A defense official said that the structures had been placed on private Palestinian land outside the settlement’s municipal boundaries. The official also said an additional two structures were dismantled but not removed.A spokesman for the settlement said the two homes that were dismantled were a part of the Kumi Ori outpost.The far-right Honenu legal aid group said the IDF did not have the authority to remove the structures as they were placed on land under Palestinian Authority civil jurisdiction, but the army said the removal of the homes was done in accordance with IDF policy.Yitzhar, south of Nablus, is seen as a center of so-called hilltop youth extremism, and residents there have a history of violent confrontations with the army and police.In June, the IDF arrested three people during clashes surrounding the demolition of an illegal structure in the settlement.
EU threatens to halt Israeli produce exports over moth fears-Following warning from Europe, Agriculture Ministry increases efforts to battle crop-damaging insect-By Times of Israel staff August 22, 2017, 5:45 pm
The European Union has threatened to prohibit the export of some Israeli produce to Europe amid concerns over a moth known to damage crops, the Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday.An Agriculture Ministry statement said the EU warned that the export of certain produce will be halted on January 1, 2018, if Israeli farmers don’t meet new EU health rules and protocols on dealing with the false codling moth.The ministry also warned that the moth presents a threat to produce exports to the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea.The moth, which is found primarily in Africa, has become more of a nuisance in recent years for Israeli farmers.Among the over 70 types of crops the moth ruins by laying its eggs on them are citrus fruits, pomegranates, mango, grapes, corn and peppers, all of which are grown in Israel.The Agriculture Ministry said in light of the threat to produce exports, it has increased its efforts in recent weeks to help farmers and agricultural organizations better combat the threat posed by the moth.It said however that eliminating the moth would be difficult, as the insect reproduces a number of times each year and its eggs and larvae are difficult to detect.The ministry also said that countries importing Israeli produce require the use of environmental friendly pesticides, which are less effective in killing off the moth.
Cue the camels! Israelis are throwing themselves one-of-a-kind outdoor weddings-Young couples have become dissatisfied with the ‘copy and paste’ approach of wedding halls, which they view as inauthentic-By Andrew Tobin August 22, 2017, 4:27 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JTA – In this tiny country, there are only so many places to have a wedding. Or so you would think.But a growing number of Israelis are creating one-of-a-kind outdoor weddings from the ground up. In some cases, they even start with the ground.“We brought in bulldozers for one couple,” said Ori Fuks, an Israeli wedding producer. “They wanted to get married on an avocado farm, so we built them a parking lot.”“Nature weddings,” as they are sometimes called, are an increasingly popular option for young Israeli couples seeking unique nuptials. In recent years, an industry has emerged around the bespoke outdoor events, offering an alternative to the traditional wedding hall blowout.Shani Maaman, a 31-year-old high-tech worker from Jerusalem, and her husband-to-be, Ran, were determined to do their wedding themselves. With the help of Israeli wedding blogs and Facebook groups, they spent months planning and preparing a wedding they felt reflected who they are.Unlike some couples, Maaman and her fiance did not start from zero. Instead they converted a biblical tourism center, called Genesis World, into a bohemian desert getaway with Bedouin-style tents and cushions, billowing macramé decorations and a caravan of camels on hand. A DJ played world music-inspired beats late into the night.“Nature weddings have become common, but I know that our wedding was very, very special,” Maaman said. “The nice thing about the place was that because it’s not for weddings, it doesn’t feel commercialized. They don’t charge you for every little extra. If you want another area to chill out, they give it to you no problem.”Fuks said many young Israelis have become dissatisfied with the “copy and paste” approach of wedding halls, which they see as inauthentic. Having grown up working in two such venues owned by his family, in 2009 he started his own company called Bloom, which specializes in nature weddings at sites with little to no infrastructure.“Young Israelis want their wedding to be their own,” he said. “They want to feel like they’re hosting you in their own home. That’s why we come and say, anything you want, we can create it.”Fuks lets couples customize nearly every aspect of their wedding, starting with the location. In addition to the avocado farm, he uses forests, deserts, vineyards and fields. Last year he threw a wedding in a pallet factory. He works with suppliers to bring in the desired amenities, like generators for electricity, a kitchen and bar, a sound system, lighting, restrooms, tents and flowers.Immediately after the event, everything is dismantled. No infrastructure can stay in place, Fuks said, because he rents the properties from private owners and may or may not have the required permits. Fortunately, he said, he has never had a wedding shut down.Fuks said business has grown steadily over the years to about 30 weddings a year, mostly in the relatively sunny months between March and October. At the same time, he said he has seen his competitors in the nature wedding industry proliferate, from just a couple eight years ago to as many as 10 experienced competitors and countless upstarts today.A saleswoman at one of Israel’s poshest wedding halls said the growing popularity of nature weddings has not cut into her clientele. But speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her job, she said she expects that to change in the near future. Among her Tel Aviv friends, she said, wedding halls are already out of style.“People want their wedding to make them feel special,” she said. “But this industry is all about money. You spend money you don’t have, and we make money. In a couple years, everyone will be planning their own weddings.”However, nature weddings are not necessarily less expensive. Fuks said his average wedding costs about $40,000, which is at the high end of the national average, according to a 2015 survey. Maaman’s $25,000 wedding is at the low end.Lira Wieman, the owner of LW Events, said nature weddings are nothing new for her clients, who include Israel’s rich and famous. Nearly three-quarters of the weddings she does are in nature, she said. In May, she produced a high-profile desert wedding for model Shlomit Malka and actor Yehuda Levy.“They wanted a Burning Man-style event,” Wieman said, referring to the American countercultural festival. “It was crazy — three days on an isolated ranch with a 24-hour DJ party.”To some extent, Maaman’s wedding — which was also Burning Man inspired — was countercultural, too. Like a growing number of Israelis, she and her husband eschewed the Chief Rabbinate, the Orthodox authority that controls Jewish marriage in Israel. They opted for a secular humanist rabbi, and because only an Orthodox rabbi can perform a wedding in Israel, they have yet to be officially married.Maaman said they plan to eventually marry abroad and have the union recognized by Israel’s secular bureaucracy, or to enter a common law marriage – two increasingly popular options.She said their motivation for not going through the Chief Rabbinate was more personal than principled. They wanted to do the wedding on a date that is forbidden by Jewish law and, more important, to have an egalitarian ceremony. Under the macrame huppah, Maaman joined her husband in the traditional concluding ritual of breaking a glass in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem.“We’re not like ‘anti’ people,” she said. “What guided us was making it our wedding, fit to us. We did what we needed to do.”
