JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
NATO chief says alliance won’t aid Israel if Iran attacks-Jens Stoltenberg tells Der Spiegel that Jewish state is a partner but not a member, and so 'security guarantee' doesn't apply-By AP and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
BERLIN — NATO’s secretary-general said Saturday that the alliance wouldn’t come to Israel’s defense in case of attack by Iran.Jens Stoltenberg told the magazine Der Spiegel that Israel is a partner, but not a member and that NATO’s “security guarantee” doesn’t apply to the Jewish state.Stoltenberg said NATO isn’t involved in Mideast peace efforts or in conflicts in the region.NATO’s treaty requires the alliance to militarily defend members nations, of which there are 28, but not partner ones. Still, partner states regularly contribute to NATO operations such as those in Afghanistan and naval missions off Somalia and in the Mediterranean Sea.Israel has been a partner of NATO since 1994. From 2010 to 2016, its attempts to open an official mission at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels were stymied by Turkey.He spoke at a time of rising Israel-Iran tensions. Israel has been waging a campaign to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also led opposition the Iran nuclear deal, calling for it to be scrapped or fixed. The US withdrew last month.
Iran, Syria deny existence of Iranian military presence in country-Denials by senior officials from both countries come amid reported Israeli-Russian agreement to remove Iran-backed troops from border area-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Senior officials from Iran and Syria claimed Saturday there is no Iranian military presence in the country, amid reports that Israel and Russia reached an agreement for the withdrawal of Iran-backed troops from the Israeli-Syrian border area.Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iranian troops are only serving in Syria in an advisory capacity and that Iran has no military bases there.“Contrary to the unlawful presence of the US and some regional countries in Syria, Iran’s presence is not imposed and is not the result of an illegal military aggression,” he told the Shargh newspaper, according to state-run Press TV.“As we have declared earlier, Iranian advisers have no presence in southern Syria,” he added.Shamkhani’s remarks came a day after an Arabic-language daily reported Israel and Russia reached a deal to remove Iranian forces from southern Syria, while also giving Israel a green light to strike Iranian targets in Syria.The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the Asharq Al-Awsat report said.Syria’s foreign minister also denied Saturday there is an Iranian military presence on the country.“Since the beginning of the crisis, Iran has supported Syria in the war against terrorism backed and financed regionally and internationally…[there is] no Iranian military presence [in] the Syrian territories; rather there are advisers who work by the side of the Syrian Arab Army,” Syria’s official SANA news agency reported Walim Moallem saying.Moallem’s comments echoed Syrian President Bashar Assad, who days earlier claimed there are no Iranian soldiers in Syria and that reported Iranian casualties in Israeli airstrikes were a “lie.”Israel has repeatedly warned it will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in Syria or the transfer of advanced weaponry to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.Long-simmering tensions between Israel and Iran in Syria stepped up considerably in recent months, beginning in February when an Iranian drone carrying explosives was flown from the T-4 air base in central Syria into Israeli airspace, and was shot down by an IAF helicopter.Iran last month launched a few dozens rockets toward the Golan Heights, in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in April on the T-4 base in which seven Iranians were killed. Israel in return said it struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria, as well as Syrian air defense systems that fired at Israeli aircraft during the raids.Shortly after those airstrikes, the Israel Defense Forces revealed “Operation Chess,” acknowledging its ongoing intelligence and air campaign to prevent Tehran from carrying out reprisals for the April strike on T-4.
US said wary of Israel-Russia deal to remove Iranians from southern Syria-Arabic daily says Trump administration fears a reported agreement for the Syrian regime to return to border area eases pressure on Assad-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
The United States is wary of a reported agreement between Israel and Russia that would see the withdrawal of Iranian-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel and the return of the Syrian army to the south of the country, an Arabic daily reported Saturday.“The US administration wants to continue exerting pressures on the regime,” Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Western diplomats as saying.On Friday, the newspaper reported Israel and Russia had reached an agreement green-lighting Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, as well as the withdrawal of Tehran-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel.The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the report said.A Russian source told Asharq al-Awsat that Russia was tight-lipped about the agreement to maintain “balance” in its diplomatic ties with Israel and Iran.Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Iran establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon and has carried out dozens of air strikes against Iran-backed forces and attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to Hezbollah.“Russia is somehow embarrassed because the talks with the Israelis mainly focused on a plan to remove Iran and its forces from southern Syria,” the source told the paper. Russia is a main ally of Iran.Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations later said he believed a deal regarding the withdrawal of Iranian forces from the border area had been reached between his country and Israel.“As I understand it, an agreement was reached,” Vasily Nebenzya told reporters, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. “At this point, I can not answer if it is being realized, but as far as I understand, the parties that were involved in reaching an agreement are satisfied with what they have achieved.”He said even if the reported agreement was not executed immediately, it would happen in the near future.The reported agreement came after Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman met his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Thursday for talks focused on Syria.Liberman thanked Russia for “understanding” Israel’s security concerns. However, neither Jerusalem, nor Moscow, publicly acknowledged any agreement between the sides regarding Iran’s military presence in Syria.“It is important to continue the dialogue between us and to keep an open line between the IDF and Russian army,” Liberman told Shoigu.Before leaving Israel for Russia, Liberman said Israel was committed to “preventing Iran and its offshoots from establishing themselves in Syria.”The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday evening to discuss the situation in Syria. Moscow said the conversation focused on “some aspects of the Syrian settlement,” which it didn’t specify, following up on the two leaders’ talks in Moscow earlier this month.The Liberman-Shoigu meeting came on the heels of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov‘s demand Wednesday that all foreign forces — including those from Iran, Turkey and the US — leave southwestern Syria as soon as possible, as well as his remarks Monday at a press conference in Moscow that only the Syrian regime should field military forces in the country’s southern border areas.“As regards the confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria, we have agreements on the southwestern de-escalation zone. These agreements have been reached between Russia, the United States and Jordan. Israel was informed about them as we were working on them. They [the agreements] stipulate that this de-escalation zone should consolidate stability, while all non-Syrian forces must be withdrawn from this area,” Lavrov said.Lavrov’s comment apparently referred to areas including the Syrian Golan Heights region abutting the Israeli Golan Heights and the border with Jordan, and indicated that Russia was open to Israeli demands that Iranian forces be kept far from Israel’s borders.The return of the Syrian army to Israel’s northern border in return for the distancing of Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah from the area has been the subject of back channel discussions between Israel and Russia over recent weeks.Liberman visited Russia with a defense establishment delegation, hoping to flesh out the understandings to give Syrian President Bashar Assad control over the Syria-Israel border region.Netanyahu’s office continues to insist publicly that Israel demands the complete ouster of Iran and Hezbollah from the whole of Syria.A source told the Ynet news site on Thursday that “Israel is uninterested in partial agreements, but rather in an exit of all Iranian forces from Syria.”On Wednesday, Netanyahu told ministers that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo primarily to urge the US government to demand that an evolving agreement on troop deployment in Syria between the US, Russia and Jordan make clear that Iranian forces must leave the whole of the country.The agreement appears to be slated to demand that Iranian and Iran-backed forces stay 20 kilometers from the Israeli and Jordanian borders.Amidst a flurry of activity relating to Iran, Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel’s National Security Adviser, flew to Washington on Wednesday to coordinate positions with the Trump administration.Next week, Netanyahu will leave for France and Germany to discuss Iran’s role in Syria and the nuclear deal which the Europeans are trying to salvage after the US withdrawal earlier this month. He is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Michael Oren, French envoy in Twitter spat over UN Gaza vote-Deputy minister accuses Paris of hypocrisy by supporting 'anti-Semitic resolution; French envoy questions whether Oren even read it and says he 'insulted France'-By TOI staff and Agencies-JUN 4,18
Israeli deputy minister Michael Oren on Saturday slammed France for supporting a UN Security Council resolution on Gaza, saying Paris was hypocritical for supporting an “anti-Semitic resolution.”Oren’s comments, in a tweet, prompted outrage from France’s ambassador in Israel Hélène Le Gal who accused Oren of not even reading the resolution and “insulting France.”On Friday the United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for protective measures for the Palestinians that won backing from ten countries at the Security Council. A US resolution condemning Hamas also failed.“Praise for the US for vetoing Security Council resolution on Gaza that didn’t mention Hamas and condemned the IDF for defending Israel,” tweeted Oren, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office who is responsible for diplomacy.Praise for the U.S. for vetoing Security Council resolution on Gaza that didn’t mention Hamas and condemned the IDF for defending Israel. Shame on France for supporting it. French government cannot say it’s against anti-Semitism and vote for this anti-Semitic resolution.— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) June 2, 2018-“Shame on France for supporting it. French government cannot say it’s against anti-Semitism and vote for this anti-Semitic resolution,” said Oren, a former ambassador in Washington.His critique was not welcomed by Le Gal.“Shame on you M. Oren for insulting France on the eve of the visit of your Prime Minister to Paris,” she tweeted back. “You didn’t read the resolution. It was not perfect but condemned all the violence against Israel. France is adamantly supporting Israel’s security.”Shame on you M. Oren for insulting France on the eve of the visit of your Prime Minister to Paris. You didn’t read the resolution. It was not perfect but condemned all the violence against Israel. France is adamantly supporting Israel’s security.— Hélène Le Gal (@HeleneLeGal) June 2, 2018-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Paris and Berlin next week, with talks expected to focus on Iran.At the UN, France, China, and Russia were among the countries that voted in favor of the draft put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries. Four countries, Ethiopia, the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland abstained.A draft resolution requires nine votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no veto from the five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council the measure was “wildly inaccurate in its characterization of recent events in Gaza” by condemning Israel for the violence.The Kuwait-drafted text had called for “measures to guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and requested a UN report to propose an “international protection mechanism.”The US, meanwhile, brought its own text to the council: A proposal that would condemn Hamas for its role in the escalation of violence in Gaza in the last two months.The United States was the only country that voted in favor of the draft resolution in the Security Council. Eleven countries abstained while Bolivia, Kuwait, and Russia opposed it.Israeli envoy to the UN Danny Danon lamented the failure of Washington’s motion, saying “Peace and stability will come to our region only when the international community is brave enough to call out the terrorists by name.”He condemned Kuwait’s “hypocritical” resolution that did not “even mention the terrorists of Hamas as the root cause of violence and unrest in our region.” However, he asserted that, thanks to the Americans’ position, “the rules of the game are changing in the Security Council and that the double standard against Israel will not stand.”It was the second time that Haley has resorted to US veto power to block a UN measure on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.In December, Haley vetoed a draft resolution that rejected President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem after all 14 other council members supported it.In two months of mass protests at the Gaza border, some 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded by Israeli military fire. Dozens of the fatalities were members of terror groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad acknowledged. Israel said its troops were defending its border and accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of the protests.Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also bombarded southern Israel with rockets and mortar shells Tuesday, and Israel responded by striking targets throughout Gaza. Hamas said Wednesday it had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel.Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas seeks to destroy Israel, and has said the border protests are intended to erase the border and ultimately “liberate Palestine.”
IDF troops open fire at Gazans breaching border fence-Army says Palestinians were seeking to damage 'security infrastructure' in Israel, fled back into Strip after being shot at-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Israeli troops opened fire on two Palestinians spotted crossing into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon, the army said, amid heightened tensions along the Gaza border.The Israel Defense Forces said troops patrolling the area saw the “terrorist cell” as it breached the border along the southern portion of the border fence. Soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, who fled back into Gaza.The army said the Palestinians were seeking to damage “security infrastructure” in Israel.There were no reports of injuries.Elsewhere along the border Saturday, incendiary kites flown from Gaza sparked fires near two Israeli communities adjacent to the Palestinian territory. Firefighters were working to put out the burning fields encroaching on Kibbutz Nir Am and Kibbutz Kissufim.On Friday, the army said “thousands of rioters” participated in clashes along the security fence, “burning tires adjacent to the security fence and attempting to damage security infrastructure.”The army said that an IDF vehicle came under fire during the riots and that a Palestinian who breached the border fence in northern Gaza planted a grenade that exploded. No Israeli soldiers were injured.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said a volunteer medic was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during the clashes that injured another 100 protesters.Palestinians identified the dead woman as Razan al-Najjar, 21. She was shot near Khan Younis in the south of the territory, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, bringing the toll of Gazans killed by Israeli fire since the end of March to 123, according to a count by the Hamas-run ministry.Hamas and fellow terror organization Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that dozens of those killed were their members.According to Qudra, Najjar was a volunteer with the ministry, wearing the white uniform of a medic when she was shot in the chest attending to a wounded protester near the fence.Israel says it is facing weekly attacks by violent protesters at the border. It says the riots are orchestrated by Hamas, which rules Gaza, and used as cover for attempted terror attacks and breaches of the border fence.In response to reports of Najjar’s death, the IDF said soldiers at the scene were using riot dispersal means against the protesters and live fire in accordance with army regulations, but would investigate the incident.It added that cases such as Najjar’s, “in which civilians are allegedly killed by IDF fire, are thoroughly examined by the relevant levels of command and are checked by the General Staff Fact Finding Assessment Mechanism.”Agencies contributed to this report.
Gaza preschoolers stage mock killing of Israeli soldier-Graduation at Islamic Jihad-linked preschool features dramatization of Israel's destruction by kids in military fatigues armed with toy guns-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Children at a Gaza preschool linked to a Palestinian terrorist organization recently held a graduation ceremony in which the preschoolers wore military uniforms and brandished toy machine guns as they performed a mock hostage-taking and killing of an Israeli solider, a media watchdog group said.Footage of the May ceremony at the Al-Hoda preschool showed the children clad in Islamic Jihad fatigues storming an Israeli building on “Al-Quds Street,” capturing a classmate dressed in traditional ultra-Orthodox Jewish garb and killing another dressed in an IDF uniform.After the hostage is whisked off stage and the soldier is laying prone on the ground, one of the children displays a sign that says “Israel has fallen” in both Arabic and Hebrew. The five-minute performance is set to loud explosions and gunfire.After the performance, several children in military uniforms armed with toy guns return to the stage to demonstrate military formations while an address by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat plays in the background.The Middle East Media Research Institute, which provided a translation of the video, reported that Al-Hoda is affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, and has held similar ceremonies in the past.MEMRI said that unlike in previous years, Al-Hoda did not post the footage of the graduation to its usual social media channels, instead directing parents to a separate YouTube channel that featured the performance.The graduation ceremony came amid an upsurge in violence in Gaza.In two months of mass violent protests at the Gaza border, some 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded by Israeli military fire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that dozens of the fatalities were their own members.Israel has accused Hamas of using the clashes as a cover to carry out attacks and attempt to breach the border fence.Both Gaza-based terrorist groups also took responsibility for bombarding southern Israel with dozens of rockets and mortar shells earlier this week. The IDF responded by striking Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets throughout Gaza, before an unofficial ceasefire was reportedly reached between the sides.
Army thwarts attempted tractor ramming attack in Hebron, assailant killed-IDF says Palestinian man shot dead after trying to run over troops with small tractor in West Bank city; no soldiers injured-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Israeli troops thwarted an attempted car-ramming attack Saturday in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, the army said.The driver of the vehicle tried to run over soldiers stationed on a road leading to the Tomb of the Patriarchs but was shot dead by troops, according to the Israel Defense Forces.The army said the Palestinian assailant first attempted to run over an officer and another soldier with a small tractor.“The force performed the protocols for stopping a suspicious person, during which the terrorist turned around and continued to drive in order to run over civilians passing by,” the IDF said.“Another soldier standing on the roof of a nearby building identified the threat toward the civilians on the road and opened fire at the terrorist, from which he was killed,” it added.The army said the attacker was a 35-year-old from the nearby village of Beit Ummar. Palestinian media named him as Rami Sabarnah.No soldiers were injured during the incident, the IDF said.
Netanyahu to push hard line on Iran during Europe trip-Future of nuclear deal after US pullout and Iranian presence in Syria expected to dominate PM's talks with heads of France, Germany and UK-By AFP and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Europe Monday to push his hawkish stance on Iran to leaders looking to salvage the nuclear agreement after the United States withdrew.Netanyahu, a fierce opponent of the agreement and the Iranian regime, will meet in turn with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.Germany, France and the United Kingdom are three of the signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between world powers and Iran, aimed at keeping Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.The European leaders have been scrambling to preserve the landmark deal after slamming US President Donald Trump’s May 8 decision to withdraw and reimpose sanctions.The fallout from America rejecting the accord is likely to dominate the talks, with Netanyahu expected to firmly oppose European efforts to sustain it.“I will discuss with them ways to block Iran’s nuclear aspirations and Iran’s expansion in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said on Monday of his European meetings, noting the issues were “crucial to Israel’s security.”After years lobbying against the 2015 deal, the decision by close ally Trump to ditch the accord has been greeted as a major triumph by Netanyahu, who has long opposed the deal.The prime minister has dismissed European insistence that the agreement is the best option to prevent Tehran getting the bomb, like Trump arguing that it in fact brought Tehran closer to obtaining nuclear weapons.He has also said that a cash influx into Iran following the lifting of international sanctions as part of the accord has fueled the expansion of Tehran’s military influence in the region, especially in neighboring Syria.-‘No alternative’-But while the US retreat from the deal is seen as a personal victory for Netanyahu, it could also represent a leap into the unknown for Israel and the broader Middle East.While foes Iran and Israel have been kept at bay for decades, an unprecedented May 10 escalation in Syria that saw Israel bomb Iranian targets after Iran fired rockets upon the Golan Heights, has sparked fears of open war.“An Iranian departure from southern Syria alone will not suffice,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday.“The long-range missiles that Iran is working to station in Syria will endanger us even beyond the range of several kilometers from southern Syria; therefore, Iran needs to leave Syria altogether.”While Netanyahu has publicly insisted Iran must withdraw from all of Syria, Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat reported Friday that Israel and Russia had reached an agreement on the withdrawal of Tehran-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel, as well as allowing Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria-The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the report said.Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations later said he believed a deal had been reached, but said he did not know if it was already being implemented and was mum on its specifics.Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Iran establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon and has carried out dozens of air strikes against Iran-backed forces and attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to Hezbollah.The Europeans have acknowledged concerns over Iran’s regional military activities and its ballistic activities, but sought to maintain the JCPOA while creating a separate arrangement on these issues.Contrary to what the US and Israel say, Europe insists the 2015 agreement works and Iran has abided by it.“There is no alternative,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday.Merkel, May and Macron are still waiting for the Israelis and Americans to present another way to curb Iran’s nuclear program, but are under no illusions it will happen in next week’s meetings, according to a European diplomat.Divided on other issues, the Europeans have emphasized their cohesion on the JCPOA, fearing that ripping it up could benefit hardliners in Iran and push Tehran to resume large-scale uranium enrichment.If that happens, the fear is it will once again make striking Iran a real option for Israel.On Thursday, a former Mossad chief said that in 2011 Netanyahu had ordered him and the military chief of staff to prepare an attack on Iran within 15 days.According to Tamir Pardo’s interview on the “Uvda” television program, such a directive could either mean “he really means it,” or be a means to deliver a message, for example to the US, and perhaps drive it to take action.Other major issues look set to be left on the sidelines in the talks with European leaders.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the spotlight after the worst military flare-up in Gaza since a 2014 war raised fears this week of yet another full-blown conflict in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.The exchange of fire, which saw Israel strike dozens of targets in response to the firing of over 100 rockets and mortars at southern Israeli communities by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups, came after weeks of deadly Hamas-led clashes along the border.But along with other subjects, such as bilateral relations or the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, it will likely remain overshadowed by Iran.Expectations of any progress on the conflict with the Palestinians are low.Peace prospects remain as distant as ever and the diplomatic process in limbo as the sides wait for a plan long promised by the Trump administration.
EU, China vow to uphold Iran nuclear deal-As signatories scramble to salvage pact after US exit, European foreign policy chief says all parties have 'duty' to implement 2015 accord-By Agencies and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
The European Union and China said they will do their utmost to keep afloat an international agreement to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons despite the US abandoning the pact.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that “we will be unswerving in upholding it.”Speaking alongside EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, he said the agreement has been endorsed by the UN and that “every party has the duty to implement it.”Mogherini, who helps oversee the implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal, praised China and said Beijing, the EU and other partners are working “in full coordination” to save the pact.China, Russia and the Western European powers of UK, France, and Germany, all of which signed the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, are scrambling to save the pact following US President Donald Trump’s decision to quit the agreement and reinstate sanctions.Trump faulted the deal for not addressing Iran’s ballistic missile program or support for regional terror groups, while also arguing it brought the Iranians closer to obtaining nuclear weapons.His criticism of the deal has been echoed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will travel to Germany, France and Britain next week for talks expected to focus on Iran.Beijing, Iran’s top trade partner and one of the biggest buyers of its oil, has signaled that it intends to keep working with the Islamic regime despite the US move.Next week, China’s President Xi Jinping will meet Iran’s Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on June 9-10 in Qingdao, according to Wang. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend the summit.The summit will discuss a three-year action plan to “fight the three evil forces” — terrorism, separatism and extremism — and strengthen cooperation on tackling cybersecurity breaches and drug trafficking, Wang said.China will also push for “reforms to the multilateral trading regime” connecting the markets of SCO members, which account for nearly 40 percent of the global population, he said.Chinese businesses are expected to step up activities in Iran to fill the void left by the exit of US companies and the possible withdrawal of European rivals for fear of punitive measures enforced by the US.
Israeli firefighters battle to contain huge blazes sparked by Gaza fire kites-Three separate blazes rage, destroy hundreds of acres of fields and a nature reserve along the Gaza border-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Firefighters were working to put out three large fires along the Gaza Strip border, believed to have been started by incendiary kites flown from the coastal enclave on Saturday.The largest fire was near to Kibbutz Carmia, adjacent to the northern Gaza Strip. Preliminary estimates suggested that between 2,000 to 3,000 dunam (500 to 740 acres) of fields and parts of a nature reserve adjacent to the kibbutz were destroyed.Officials at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority estimated that at least one third of the Carmia reserve had been destroyed.Residents were working alongside with firefighters to try to contain the fires that have become almost daily occurrences since the start of the “March of Return” protests along the border at the end of March.During the protests, Gazans have been flying kites into Israel outfitted with Molotov cocktails and containers of burning fuel, setting fire to large swaths of land.It has become a widely adopted tactic during the weekly “March of Return” clashes on the Gaza border, which Israel accuses the Hamas terror group of orchestrating as a cover for attacks and attempts to breach the border fence.Firefighters were also working to gain control of a blaze near Kibbutz Be’eri, which borders the central Gaza Strip.Earlier Saturday, an additional fire had broke out in fields belonging to Kibbutz Nir Am also along the northern Gaza Strip.On Thursday, firefighters battled similar brush fires between the Kissufim and Ein Hashlosha kibbutzim that authorities suspect were caused by firebomb-laden kites flown across the security fence by Palestinians.Local residents told Israel Radio they were concerned that they would not be provided compensation for the damage, as the burden for proving they were victims of a terror attack fell on them.Zionist Union MK Eitan Brosh told the radio that lawmakers from his party would tour the area Sunday and work to provide the residents with solutions to their ongoing distress.The violent demonstrations were meant to end on May 15, but Hamas leaders have said they want them to continue.In the past month, at least 300 attack kites have been flown across the border, starting hundreds of fires and causing an estimated tens of millions of shekels’ worth of damages.Military planners have begun implementing new measures to combat the assaults, including options drawn from the IDF’s responses to rocket launches and other terror attacks.
Israel says it won’t recognize Ugandan Jewish community — report-Interior Ministry rules man from Abayudaya cannot immigrate, rolling back recognition from Jewish Agency-By JTA 4 June 2018
Israel has ruled that it will not recognize Uganda’s Jewish community, according to an newspaper report Thursday.The Interior Ministry denied the request of a Ugandan Jew, Kibitz Yosef, to immigrate to Israel, Haaretz reported. The ministry said Yosef, who is staying at a kibbutz in southern Israel, had to leave the country by June 14, according to the report.A representative told Haaretz that the decision represented Israel’s stance on the Ugandan Jewish community, not just the applicant in question. The ministry said Yosef could challenge its decision in the High Court of Justice.The Uganda community, also called the Abayudaya, numbers approximately 2,000 and traces its roots to the early 20th century, when a former leader read the Bible and embraced Judaism. Most members were converted under the auspices of U.S. Conservative rabbis and thus are not recognized as Jewish by Israel’s mostly ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.In 2016, the Jewish Agency for Israel recognized the community, seemingly opening a path for its members to immigrate to Israel. However, the Abuyudaya have struggled to obtain recognition to do so. In December, Israel denied a visa application by a member of the community to study at a yeshiva in Israel, leading to accusations of racism.This week, the Chief Rabbinate published a list of draft criteria for religious courts in the Diaspora to have its conversions accepted in the Jewish state. If enacted, Jewish converts in America may face additional hurdles in being recognized as Jewish by the Chief Rabbinate, which controls Jewish marriage, divorce, conversion and burial in the Jewish state. However, it does not have authority over who can immigrate to the country.
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
NATO chief says alliance won’t aid Israel if Iran attacks-Jens Stoltenberg tells Der Spiegel that Jewish state is a partner but not a member, and so 'security guarantee' doesn't apply-By AP and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
BERLIN — NATO’s secretary-general said Saturday that the alliance wouldn’t come to Israel’s defense in case of attack by Iran.Jens Stoltenberg told the magazine Der Spiegel that Israel is a partner, but not a member and that NATO’s “security guarantee” doesn’t apply to the Jewish state.Stoltenberg said NATO isn’t involved in Mideast peace efforts or in conflicts in the region.NATO’s treaty requires the alliance to militarily defend members nations, of which there are 28, but not partner ones. Still, partner states regularly contribute to NATO operations such as those in Afghanistan and naval missions off Somalia and in the Mediterranean Sea.Israel has been a partner of NATO since 1994. From 2010 to 2016, its attempts to open an official mission at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels were stymied by Turkey.He spoke at a time of rising Israel-Iran tensions. Israel has been waging a campaign to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also led opposition the Iran nuclear deal, calling for it to be scrapped or fixed. The US withdrew last month.
Iran, Syria deny existence of Iranian military presence in country-Denials by senior officials from both countries come amid reported Israeli-Russian agreement to remove Iran-backed troops from border area-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Senior officials from Iran and Syria claimed Saturday there is no Iranian military presence in the country, amid reports that Israel and Russia reached an agreement for the withdrawal of Iran-backed troops from the Israeli-Syrian border area.Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iranian troops are only serving in Syria in an advisory capacity and that Iran has no military bases there.“Contrary to the unlawful presence of the US and some regional countries in Syria, Iran’s presence is not imposed and is not the result of an illegal military aggression,” he told the Shargh newspaper, according to state-run Press TV.“As we have declared earlier, Iranian advisers have no presence in southern Syria,” he added.Shamkhani’s remarks came a day after an Arabic-language daily reported Israel and Russia reached a deal to remove Iranian forces from southern Syria, while also giving Israel a green light to strike Iranian targets in Syria.The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the Asharq Al-Awsat report said.Syria’s foreign minister also denied Saturday there is an Iranian military presence on the country.“Since the beginning of the crisis, Iran has supported Syria in the war against terrorism backed and financed regionally and internationally…[there is] no Iranian military presence [in] the Syrian territories; rather there are advisers who work by the side of the Syrian Arab Army,” Syria’s official SANA news agency reported Walim Moallem saying.Moallem’s comments echoed Syrian President Bashar Assad, who days earlier claimed there are no Iranian soldiers in Syria and that reported Iranian casualties in Israeli airstrikes were a “lie.”Israel has repeatedly warned it will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in Syria or the transfer of advanced weaponry to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.Long-simmering tensions between Israel and Iran in Syria stepped up considerably in recent months, beginning in February when an Iranian drone carrying explosives was flown from the T-4 air base in central Syria into Israeli airspace, and was shot down by an IAF helicopter.Iran last month launched a few dozens rockets toward the Golan Heights, in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in April on the T-4 base in which seven Iranians were killed. Israel in return said it struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria, as well as Syrian air defense systems that fired at Israeli aircraft during the raids.Shortly after those airstrikes, the Israel Defense Forces revealed “Operation Chess,” acknowledging its ongoing intelligence and air campaign to prevent Tehran from carrying out reprisals for the April strike on T-4.
US said wary of Israel-Russia deal to remove Iranians from southern Syria-Arabic daily says Trump administration fears a reported agreement for the Syrian regime to return to border area eases pressure on Assad-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
The United States is wary of a reported agreement between Israel and Russia that would see the withdrawal of Iranian-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel and the return of the Syrian army to the south of the country, an Arabic daily reported Saturday.“The US administration wants to continue exerting pressures on the regime,” Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Western diplomats as saying.On Friday, the newspaper reported Israel and Russia had reached an agreement green-lighting Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, as well as the withdrawal of Tehran-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel.The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the report said.A Russian source told Asharq al-Awsat that Russia was tight-lipped about the agreement to maintain “balance” in its diplomatic ties with Israel and Iran.Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Iran establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon and has carried out dozens of air strikes against Iran-backed forces and attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to Hezbollah.“Russia is somehow embarrassed because the talks with the Israelis mainly focused on a plan to remove Iran and its forces from southern Syria,” the source told the paper. Russia is a main ally of Iran.Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations later said he believed a deal regarding the withdrawal of Iranian forces from the border area had been reached between his country and Israel.“As I understand it, an agreement was reached,” Vasily Nebenzya told reporters, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. “At this point, I can not answer if it is being realized, but as far as I understand, the parties that were involved in reaching an agreement are satisfied with what they have achieved.”He said even if the reported agreement was not executed immediately, it would happen in the near future.The reported agreement came after Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman met his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Thursday for talks focused on Syria.Liberman thanked Russia for “understanding” Israel’s security concerns. However, neither Jerusalem, nor Moscow, publicly acknowledged any agreement between the sides regarding Iran’s military presence in Syria.“It is important to continue the dialogue between us and to keep an open line between the IDF and Russian army,” Liberman told Shoigu.Before leaving Israel for Russia, Liberman said Israel was committed to “preventing Iran and its offshoots from establishing themselves in Syria.”The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday evening to discuss the situation in Syria. Moscow said the conversation focused on “some aspects of the Syrian settlement,” which it didn’t specify, following up on the two leaders’ talks in Moscow earlier this month.The Liberman-Shoigu meeting came on the heels of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov‘s demand Wednesday that all foreign forces — including those from Iran, Turkey and the US — leave southwestern Syria as soon as possible, as well as his remarks Monday at a press conference in Moscow that only the Syrian regime should field military forces in the country’s southern border areas.“As regards the confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria, we have agreements on the southwestern de-escalation zone. These agreements have been reached between Russia, the United States and Jordan. Israel was informed about them as we were working on them. They [the agreements] stipulate that this de-escalation zone should consolidate stability, while all non-Syrian forces must be withdrawn from this area,” Lavrov said.Lavrov’s comment apparently referred to areas including the Syrian Golan Heights region abutting the Israeli Golan Heights and the border with Jordan, and indicated that Russia was open to Israeli demands that Iranian forces be kept far from Israel’s borders.The return of the Syrian army to Israel’s northern border in return for the distancing of Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah from the area has been the subject of back channel discussions between Israel and Russia over recent weeks.Liberman visited Russia with a defense establishment delegation, hoping to flesh out the understandings to give Syrian President Bashar Assad control over the Syria-Israel border region.Netanyahu’s office continues to insist publicly that Israel demands the complete ouster of Iran and Hezbollah from the whole of Syria.A source told the Ynet news site on Thursday that “Israel is uninterested in partial agreements, but rather in an exit of all Iranian forces from Syria.”On Wednesday, Netanyahu told ministers that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo primarily to urge the US government to demand that an evolving agreement on troop deployment in Syria between the US, Russia and Jordan make clear that Iranian forces must leave the whole of the country.The agreement appears to be slated to demand that Iranian and Iran-backed forces stay 20 kilometers from the Israeli and Jordanian borders.Amidst a flurry of activity relating to Iran, Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel’s National Security Adviser, flew to Washington on Wednesday to coordinate positions with the Trump administration.Next week, Netanyahu will leave for France and Germany to discuss Iran’s role in Syria and the nuclear deal which the Europeans are trying to salvage after the US withdrawal earlier this month. He is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Michael Oren, French envoy in Twitter spat over UN Gaza vote-Deputy minister accuses Paris of hypocrisy by supporting 'anti-Semitic resolution; French envoy questions whether Oren even read it and says he 'insulted France'-By TOI staff and Agencies-JUN 4,18
Israeli deputy minister Michael Oren on Saturday slammed France for supporting a UN Security Council resolution on Gaza, saying Paris was hypocritical for supporting an “anti-Semitic resolution.”Oren’s comments, in a tweet, prompted outrage from France’s ambassador in Israel Hélène Le Gal who accused Oren of not even reading the resolution and “insulting France.”On Friday the United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for protective measures for the Palestinians that won backing from ten countries at the Security Council. A US resolution condemning Hamas also failed.“Praise for the US for vetoing Security Council resolution on Gaza that didn’t mention Hamas and condemned the IDF for defending Israel,” tweeted Oren, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office who is responsible for diplomacy.Praise for the U.S. for vetoing Security Council resolution on Gaza that didn’t mention Hamas and condemned the IDF for defending Israel. Shame on France for supporting it. French government cannot say it’s against anti-Semitism and vote for this anti-Semitic resolution.— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) June 2, 2018-“Shame on France for supporting it. French government cannot say it’s against anti-Semitism and vote for this anti-Semitic resolution,” said Oren, a former ambassador in Washington.His critique was not welcomed by Le Gal.“Shame on you M. Oren for insulting France on the eve of the visit of your Prime Minister to Paris,” she tweeted back. “You didn’t read the resolution. It was not perfect but condemned all the violence against Israel. France is adamantly supporting Israel’s security.”Shame on you M. Oren for insulting France on the eve of the visit of your Prime Minister to Paris. You didn’t read the resolution. It was not perfect but condemned all the violence against Israel. France is adamantly supporting Israel’s security.— Hélène Le Gal (@HeleneLeGal) June 2, 2018-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Paris and Berlin next week, with talks expected to focus on Iran.At the UN, France, China, and Russia were among the countries that voted in favor of the draft put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries. Four countries, Ethiopia, the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland abstained.A draft resolution requires nine votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no veto from the five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council the measure was “wildly inaccurate in its characterization of recent events in Gaza” by condemning Israel for the violence.The Kuwait-drafted text had called for “measures to guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and requested a UN report to propose an “international protection mechanism.”The US, meanwhile, brought its own text to the council: A proposal that would condemn Hamas for its role in the escalation of violence in Gaza in the last two months.The United States was the only country that voted in favor of the draft resolution in the Security Council. Eleven countries abstained while Bolivia, Kuwait, and Russia opposed it.Israeli envoy to the UN Danny Danon lamented the failure of Washington’s motion, saying “Peace and stability will come to our region only when the international community is brave enough to call out the terrorists by name.”He condemned Kuwait’s “hypocritical” resolution that did not “even mention the terrorists of Hamas as the root cause of violence and unrest in our region.” However, he asserted that, thanks to the Americans’ position, “the rules of the game are changing in the Security Council and that the double standard against Israel will not stand.”It was the second time that Haley has resorted to US veto power to block a UN measure on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.In December, Haley vetoed a draft resolution that rejected President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem after all 14 other council members supported it.In two months of mass protests at the Gaza border, some 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded by Israeli military fire. Dozens of the fatalities were members of terror groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad acknowledged. Israel said its troops were defending its border and accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of the protests.Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also bombarded southern Israel with rockets and mortar shells Tuesday, and Israel responded by striking targets throughout Gaza. Hamas said Wednesday it had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel.Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas seeks to destroy Israel, and has said the border protests are intended to erase the border and ultimately “liberate Palestine.”
IDF troops open fire at Gazans breaching border fence-Army says Palestinians were seeking to damage 'security infrastructure' in Israel, fled back into Strip after being shot at-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Israeli troops opened fire on two Palestinians spotted crossing into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon, the army said, amid heightened tensions along the Gaza border.The Israel Defense Forces said troops patrolling the area saw the “terrorist cell” as it breached the border along the southern portion of the border fence. Soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, who fled back into Gaza.The army said the Palestinians were seeking to damage “security infrastructure” in Israel.There were no reports of injuries.Elsewhere along the border Saturday, incendiary kites flown from Gaza sparked fires near two Israeli communities adjacent to the Palestinian territory. Firefighters were working to put out the burning fields encroaching on Kibbutz Nir Am and Kibbutz Kissufim.On Friday, the army said “thousands of rioters” participated in clashes along the security fence, “burning tires adjacent to the security fence and attempting to damage security infrastructure.”The army said that an IDF vehicle came under fire during the riots and that a Palestinian who breached the border fence in northern Gaza planted a grenade that exploded. No Israeli soldiers were injured.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said a volunteer medic was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during the clashes that injured another 100 protesters.Palestinians identified the dead woman as Razan al-Najjar, 21. She was shot near Khan Younis in the south of the territory, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, bringing the toll of Gazans killed by Israeli fire since the end of March to 123, according to a count by the Hamas-run ministry.Hamas and fellow terror organization Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that dozens of those killed were their members.According to Qudra, Najjar was a volunteer with the ministry, wearing the white uniform of a medic when she was shot in the chest attending to a wounded protester near the fence.Israel says it is facing weekly attacks by violent protesters at the border. It says the riots are orchestrated by Hamas, which rules Gaza, and used as cover for attempted terror attacks and breaches of the border fence.In response to reports of Najjar’s death, the IDF said soldiers at the scene were using riot dispersal means against the protesters and live fire in accordance with army regulations, but would investigate the incident.It added that cases such as Najjar’s, “in which civilians are allegedly killed by IDF fire, are thoroughly examined by the relevant levels of command and are checked by the General Staff Fact Finding Assessment Mechanism.”Agencies contributed to this report.
Gaza preschoolers stage mock killing of Israeli soldier-Graduation at Islamic Jihad-linked preschool features dramatization of Israel's destruction by kids in military fatigues armed with toy guns-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Children at a Gaza preschool linked to a Palestinian terrorist organization recently held a graduation ceremony in which the preschoolers wore military uniforms and brandished toy machine guns as they performed a mock hostage-taking and killing of an Israeli solider, a media watchdog group said.Footage of the May ceremony at the Al-Hoda preschool showed the children clad in Islamic Jihad fatigues storming an Israeli building on “Al-Quds Street,” capturing a classmate dressed in traditional ultra-Orthodox Jewish garb and killing another dressed in an IDF uniform.After the hostage is whisked off stage and the soldier is laying prone on the ground, one of the children displays a sign that says “Israel has fallen” in both Arabic and Hebrew. The five-minute performance is set to loud explosions and gunfire.After the performance, several children in military uniforms armed with toy guns return to the stage to demonstrate military formations while an address by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat plays in the background.The Middle East Media Research Institute, which provided a translation of the video, reported that Al-Hoda is affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, and has held similar ceremonies in the past.MEMRI said that unlike in previous years, Al-Hoda did not post the footage of the graduation to its usual social media channels, instead directing parents to a separate YouTube channel that featured the performance.The graduation ceremony came amid an upsurge in violence in Gaza.In two months of mass violent protests at the Gaza border, some 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded by Israeli military fire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that dozens of the fatalities were their own members.Israel has accused Hamas of using the clashes as a cover to carry out attacks and attempt to breach the border fence.Both Gaza-based terrorist groups also took responsibility for bombarding southern Israel with dozens of rockets and mortar shells earlier this week. The IDF responded by striking Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets throughout Gaza, before an unofficial ceasefire was reportedly reached between the sides.
Army thwarts attempted tractor ramming attack in Hebron, assailant killed-IDF says Palestinian man shot dead after trying to run over troops with small tractor in West Bank city; no soldiers injured-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Israeli troops thwarted an attempted car-ramming attack Saturday in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, the army said.The driver of the vehicle tried to run over soldiers stationed on a road leading to the Tomb of the Patriarchs but was shot dead by troops, according to the Israel Defense Forces.The army said the Palestinian assailant first attempted to run over an officer and another soldier with a small tractor.“The force performed the protocols for stopping a suspicious person, during which the terrorist turned around and continued to drive in order to run over civilians passing by,” the IDF said.“Another soldier standing on the roof of a nearby building identified the threat toward the civilians on the road and opened fire at the terrorist, from which he was killed,” it added.The army said the attacker was a 35-year-old from the nearby village of Beit Ummar. Palestinian media named him as Rami Sabarnah.No soldiers were injured during the incident, the IDF said.
Netanyahu to push hard line on Iran during Europe trip-Future of nuclear deal after US pullout and Iranian presence in Syria expected to dominate PM's talks with heads of France, Germany and UK-By AFP and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Europe Monday to push his hawkish stance on Iran to leaders looking to salvage the nuclear agreement after the United States withdrew.Netanyahu, a fierce opponent of the agreement and the Iranian regime, will meet in turn with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.Germany, France and the United Kingdom are three of the signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between world powers and Iran, aimed at keeping Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.The European leaders have been scrambling to preserve the landmark deal after slamming US President Donald Trump’s May 8 decision to withdraw and reimpose sanctions.The fallout from America rejecting the accord is likely to dominate the talks, with Netanyahu expected to firmly oppose European efforts to sustain it.“I will discuss with them ways to block Iran’s nuclear aspirations and Iran’s expansion in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said on Monday of his European meetings, noting the issues were “crucial to Israel’s security.”After years lobbying against the 2015 deal, the decision by close ally Trump to ditch the accord has been greeted as a major triumph by Netanyahu, who has long opposed the deal.The prime minister has dismissed European insistence that the agreement is the best option to prevent Tehran getting the bomb, like Trump arguing that it in fact brought Tehran closer to obtaining nuclear weapons.He has also said that a cash influx into Iran following the lifting of international sanctions as part of the accord has fueled the expansion of Tehran’s military influence in the region, especially in neighboring Syria.-‘No alternative’-But while the US retreat from the deal is seen as a personal victory for Netanyahu, it could also represent a leap into the unknown for Israel and the broader Middle East.While foes Iran and Israel have been kept at bay for decades, an unprecedented May 10 escalation in Syria that saw Israel bomb Iranian targets after Iran fired rockets upon the Golan Heights, has sparked fears of open war.“An Iranian departure from southern Syria alone will not suffice,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday.“The long-range missiles that Iran is working to station in Syria will endanger us even beyond the range of several kilometers from southern Syria; therefore, Iran needs to leave Syria altogether.”While Netanyahu has publicly insisted Iran must withdraw from all of Syria, Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat reported Friday that Israel and Russia had reached an agreement on the withdrawal of Tehran-backed troops from Syria’s border with Israel, as well as allowing Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria-The reported agreement would see Iranian forces leave southwestern Syria, while allowing Israel to strike Iranian assets deep in the country. Israel agreed not to attack Syrian regime targets, the report said.Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations later said he believed a deal had been reached, but said he did not know if it was already being implemented and was mum on its specifics.Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Iran establishing a permanent presence in Syria and Lebanon and has carried out dozens of air strikes against Iran-backed forces and attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to Hezbollah.The Europeans have acknowledged concerns over Iran’s regional military activities and its ballistic activities, but sought to maintain the JCPOA while creating a separate arrangement on these issues.Contrary to what the US and Israel say, Europe insists the 2015 agreement works and Iran has abided by it.“There is no alternative,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday.Merkel, May and Macron are still waiting for the Israelis and Americans to present another way to curb Iran’s nuclear program, but are under no illusions it will happen in next week’s meetings, according to a European diplomat.Divided on other issues, the Europeans have emphasized their cohesion on the JCPOA, fearing that ripping it up could benefit hardliners in Iran and push Tehran to resume large-scale uranium enrichment.If that happens, the fear is it will once again make striking Iran a real option for Israel.On Thursday, a former Mossad chief said that in 2011 Netanyahu had ordered him and the military chief of staff to prepare an attack on Iran within 15 days.According to Tamir Pardo’s interview on the “Uvda” television program, such a directive could either mean “he really means it,” or be a means to deliver a message, for example to the US, and perhaps drive it to take action.Other major issues look set to be left on the sidelines in the talks with European leaders.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the spotlight after the worst military flare-up in Gaza since a 2014 war raised fears this week of yet another full-blown conflict in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.The exchange of fire, which saw Israel strike dozens of targets in response to the firing of over 100 rockets and mortars at southern Israeli communities by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups, came after weeks of deadly Hamas-led clashes along the border.But along with other subjects, such as bilateral relations or the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, it will likely remain overshadowed by Iran.Expectations of any progress on the conflict with the Palestinians are low.Peace prospects remain as distant as ever and the diplomatic process in limbo as the sides wait for a plan long promised by the Trump administration.
EU, China vow to uphold Iran nuclear deal-As signatories scramble to salvage pact after US exit, European foreign policy chief says all parties have 'duty' to implement 2015 accord-By Agencies and TOI staff-JUN 4,18
The European Union and China said they will do their utmost to keep afloat an international agreement to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons despite the US abandoning the pact.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that “we will be unswerving in upholding it.”Speaking alongside EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, he said the agreement has been endorsed by the UN and that “every party has the duty to implement it.”Mogherini, who helps oversee the implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal, praised China and said Beijing, the EU and other partners are working “in full coordination” to save the pact.China, Russia and the Western European powers of UK, France, and Germany, all of which signed the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, are scrambling to save the pact following US President Donald Trump’s decision to quit the agreement and reinstate sanctions.Trump faulted the deal for not addressing Iran’s ballistic missile program or support for regional terror groups, while also arguing it brought the Iranians closer to obtaining nuclear weapons.His criticism of the deal has been echoed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will travel to Germany, France and Britain next week for talks expected to focus on Iran.Beijing, Iran’s top trade partner and one of the biggest buyers of its oil, has signaled that it intends to keep working with the Islamic regime despite the US move.Next week, China’s President Xi Jinping will meet Iran’s Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on June 9-10 in Qingdao, according to Wang. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend the summit.The summit will discuss a three-year action plan to “fight the three evil forces” — terrorism, separatism and extremism — and strengthen cooperation on tackling cybersecurity breaches and drug trafficking, Wang said.China will also push for “reforms to the multilateral trading regime” connecting the markets of SCO members, which account for nearly 40 percent of the global population, he said.Chinese businesses are expected to step up activities in Iran to fill the void left by the exit of US companies and the possible withdrawal of European rivals for fear of punitive measures enforced by the US.
Israeli firefighters battle to contain huge blazes sparked by Gaza fire kites-Three separate blazes rage, destroy hundreds of acres of fields and a nature reserve along the Gaza border-By TOI staff-JUN 4,18
Firefighters were working to put out three large fires along the Gaza Strip border, believed to have been started by incendiary kites flown from the coastal enclave on Saturday.The largest fire was near to Kibbutz Carmia, adjacent to the northern Gaza Strip. Preliminary estimates suggested that between 2,000 to 3,000 dunam (500 to 740 acres) of fields and parts of a nature reserve adjacent to the kibbutz were destroyed.Officials at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority estimated that at least one third of the Carmia reserve had been destroyed.Residents were working alongside with firefighters to try to contain the fires that have become almost daily occurrences since the start of the “March of Return” protests along the border at the end of March.During the protests, Gazans have been flying kites into Israel outfitted with Molotov cocktails and containers of burning fuel, setting fire to large swaths of land.It has become a widely adopted tactic during the weekly “March of Return” clashes on the Gaza border, which Israel accuses the Hamas terror group of orchestrating as a cover for attacks and attempts to breach the border fence.Firefighters were also working to gain control of a blaze near Kibbutz Be’eri, which borders the central Gaza Strip.Earlier Saturday, an additional fire had broke out in fields belonging to Kibbutz Nir Am also along the northern Gaza Strip.On Thursday, firefighters battled similar brush fires between the Kissufim and Ein Hashlosha kibbutzim that authorities suspect were caused by firebomb-laden kites flown across the security fence by Palestinians.Local residents told Israel Radio they were concerned that they would not be provided compensation for the damage, as the burden for proving they were victims of a terror attack fell on them.Zionist Union MK Eitan Brosh told the radio that lawmakers from his party would tour the area Sunday and work to provide the residents with solutions to their ongoing distress.The violent demonstrations were meant to end on May 15, but Hamas leaders have said they want them to continue.In the past month, at least 300 attack kites have been flown across the border, starting hundreds of fires and causing an estimated tens of millions of shekels’ worth of damages.Military planners have begun implementing new measures to combat the assaults, including options drawn from the IDF’s responses to rocket launches and other terror attacks.
Israel says it won’t recognize Ugandan Jewish community — report-Interior Ministry rules man from Abayudaya cannot immigrate, rolling back recognition from Jewish Agency-By JTA 4 June 2018
Israel has ruled that it will not recognize Uganda’s Jewish community, according to an newspaper report Thursday.The Interior Ministry denied the request of a Ugandan Jew, Kibitz Yosef, to immigrate to Israel, Haaretz reported. The ministry said Yosef, who is staying at a kibbutz in southern Israel, had to leave the country by June 14, according to the report.A representative told Haaretz that the decision represented Israel’s stance on the Ugandan Jewish community, not just the applicant in question. The ministry said Yosef could challenge its decision in the High Court of Justice.The Uganda community, also called the Abayudaya, numbers approximately 2,000 and traces its roots to the early 20th century, when a former leader read the Bible and embraced Judaism. Most members were converted under the auspices of U.S. Conservative rabbis and thus are not recognized as Jewish by Israel’s mostly ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.In 2016, the Jewish Agency for Israel recognized the community, seemingly opening a path for its members to immigrate to Israel. However, the Abuyudaya have struggled to obtain recognition to do so. In December, Israel denied a visa application by a member of the community to study at a yeshiva in Israel, leading to accusations of racism.This week, the Chief Rabbinate published a list of draft criteria for religious courts in the Diaspora to have its conversions accepted in the Jewish state. If enacted, Jewish converts in America may face additional hurdles in being recognized as Jewish by the Chief Rabbinate, which controls Jewish marriage, divorce, conversion and burial in the Jewish state. However, it does not have authority over who can immigrate to the country.
