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)
DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN
REVELATION 6:7-8 (500 MILLION DEAD EACH FROM THE 4 JUDGEMENTS)(2 BILLION TOT DEAD HERE)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
THE COVID-19 TOTALS.
WORLD OVER ALL CASES 171,368,721 DEAD 3,564,101 AS OF MON MAY 31,21
Arizona said looking to restart executions with gas used by Nazis at Auschwitz-Faced with shortage of lethal injection drugs, US state renovating its long-defunct gas chamber and buying chemicals to manufacture cyanide gas, better known as ‘Zyklon B’-By TOI staff and Agencies-1 June 2021, 12:04aM
In a bid to jumpstart its long-frozen execution program, the southwestern US state of Arizona has renovated its gas chamber and purchased the ingredients to make cyanide gas, better known as “Zyklon B,” the chemical used by the Nazis at the Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, and other death camps.The details were reported over the weekend by the UK’s Guardian news site, based on documents obtained through public records requests.They showed that Arizona authorities spent some $2,000 purchasing a solid brick of potassium cyanide in December, along with sodium hydroxide pellets and sulfuric acid, which are intended to be used to generate the deadly gas.The documents also revealed that they had “refurbished” the state’s gas chamber, built in 1949 and mothballed in 1999 after the botched execution of an inmate, Walter LaGrand.LaGrand died an “agonizing choking and gagging” death, which lasted 18 minutes from the moment the gas entered the chamber until he died, “shrouded in poisonous gas,” according to an eyewitness account published in the Tucson Citizen.The Guardian said authorities had now used “primitive” means to test the chamber at the state prison in Florence, including using a lit candle to check if the air seals were intact. They also conducted a test with water running through the system and a smoke grenade was thrown inside.The report also said prison staff engaged in role-play during the tests. Guards acted as inmates who resisted going to their death, screaming: “This is murder,” “I’m innocent,” “You’re putting me down like an animal,” and “This is against everything America stands for.”The state has been looking for ways to restart its executions, which were put on hold after another botched execution in 2014.Recent years have seen US states struggling to carry out executions by lethal injection with pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell them the drugs needed to sedate inmates, relax their muscles, and stop their hearts.Arizona had experimented with an unspecified two-drug combination, but that too was suspended after the 2014 botched execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours before he died.Some other states have reintroduced execution by firing squad and the electric chair.Arizona announced in 2019 that it would resume executions, but did not specify how. It currently has 115 inmates on death row.“Justice must be done for the victims of these heinous crimes and their families. Those who commit the ultimate crime deserve the ultimate punishment,” Attorney General Mark Brnovich said at the time.The Nazis used Zyklon B to kill millions in death camp gas chambers, which were set up to look like showers for arriving inmates.One million European Jews were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was set up by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland in 1940-1945. More than 100,000 others, including non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and anti-Nazi resistance fighters, also died there, according to the Auschwitz Museum.“You have to wonder what Arizona was thinking in believing that in 2021 it is acceptable to execute people in a gas chamber with cyanide gas,” Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told the Guardian. “Did they have anybody study the history of the Holocaust?”
Lapid, Bennett said hoping to tell Rivlin Tuesday they can form government-TV report says the Yesh Atid, Yamina leaders are aiming to swear in their emerging coalition on June 9, despite hurdles-By TOI staff-MAY 31,21-Today, 10:42 pm
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chief Naftali Bennett are optimistic about their prospects for forming a power-sharing government that will replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as premier, according to a television report Monday, though several potential roadblocks appeared to emerge on their route to securing a ruling majority.The two hope to inform President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday that they are able to form a government, with the aim of having it sworn next week on June 9, Channel 12 reported. Lapid, who is currently tasked with forming a government, has until Wednesday night to tell Rivlin he can do so.The parties were earlier reported to have made “significant progress” following overnight coalition talks, after Bennett’s announcement Sunday that he will seek to form a government with Netanyahu’s political opponents. Lapid predicted during a faction meeting that Netanyahu is on the verge of being ousted, but acknowledged that “obstacles” remain.One such possible hurdle was Yamina No. 2 Ayelet Shaked’s demand that she be appointed to the Judicial Appointments Committee, getting the spot slated for Labor chief Merav Michaeli.Shaked, a former justice minister, was quoted by the Kan public broadcaster as telling Yamina activists that if the demand is not met, “there won’t be a government.”The move was coordinated with Bennett, according to Channel 13 news.There was no immediate response from Michaeli, but reports indicated the matter was solvable. She earlier said during a Labor faction meeting that the center-left party “remains completely committed to making every effort so this will happen,” referring to the establishment of a government.The centrist Blue and White party is also eyeing Michaeli’s seat on the committee, Channel 12 reported.In an interview with the network, Yamina MK Matan Kahana refused to comment directly on Shaked’s demand, but said that the panel was very important to the party.He said he was “certain” that Shaked, who has not spoken publicly since Bennett’s declaration, supports the Yamina leader. Kahana stressed the party would join the government with Lapid, saying Yamina tried to honor its campaign promises, but came to the realization that there was no chance of forming a right-wing government.Along with Shaked’s demand, New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar was calling for the coalition agreement to include a clause on the attorney general’s job being split into two positions, according to Channel 13. He was also reportedly seeking to anchor continued West Bank settlement construction in law. Both positions are likely to be opposed by the more dovish factions in the prospective coalition.Meanwhile, Channel 12 said Bennett has told the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties — which are part of Netanyahu’s right-wing religious bloc — that the new government will look out for their interests. It also reported the Haredi factions were concerned that Labor MK Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi, would be appointed Diaspora minister.If Yamina and the “change bloc” of anti-Netanyahu parties resolve their points of contention, they will need the support of the Islamist Ra’am and/or part of the Joint List of three majority Arab parties.Shaked met Monday with Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas, who the Haaretz daily said demanded that one of his party’s lawmakers be appointed deputy interior minister. Shaked, who reports have indicated will be interior minister if the government if formed, was said to express fierce opposition to the demand.The meeting with Abbas came as Shaked and Bennett come under heavy pressure from Netanyahu and his right-wing religious bloc to scrap plans for a government with the prime minister’s political opponents,.Under the emerging rotation deal between Yamina and Yesh Atid, Bennett will serve as prime minister for two years before handing the reins to Lapid. Joining the coalition will be a mix of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties that refuse to join a government led by Netanyahu, who is on trial in three criminal cases.
Edelstein to challenge Netanyahu as Likud leader if party goes to opposition-Health minister tells associates he believes he has a good chance of winning if ‘change bloc’ manages to form a government, amid growing signs of dissent in ruling party-By Shalom Yerushalmi-MAY 31,21-Today, 10:00 pm
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein plans to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the leadership of Likud, should the party head to the opposition, Zman Yisrael, the Times of Israel’s Hebrew sister-site, reported Monday.The report comes as a diverse coalition of parties that refuse to sit with Netanyahu appear to be on the brink of forming a so-called “change government,” leading to the first open expressions of dissent from within Likud against its longtime leader.In conversations with associates, Edelstein, who has also served as speaker of the Knesset, has expressed confidence that his chances of defeating Netanyahu in party primaries are good.Edelstein was planning to make a final decision if the new government under Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina’s Naftali Bennett gets sworn in.Parties opposed to Netanyahu on Monday stressed that the government they were working to form was not finalized, while accusing the prime minister of inciting against them as he increasingly faces the prospect of losing the premiership.“There are still plenty of obstacles in the way of the formation of the new government,” Lapid, who is currently tasked with stringing together a coalition, said during a faction meeting. “That’s our first test. To see if we can find smart compromises in the coming days to achieve the greater goal.”Nevertheless, Lapid said Israel could enter a “new era” within a week.If Lapid forms a government, Edelstein will ask to delay the Likud party primaries to give himself time to solidify his challenge. However, this will require a change in party procedure that will need to be ratified by committees still staffed by Netanyahu loyalists.Edelstein is popular in Likud, placing first in the most recent primaries. Netanyahu competed in a separate leadership primary against Gideon Sa’ar, who later left Likud to form the New Hope party, now part of the “change bloc.”Edelstein is not the only one eyeing Netanyahu’s throne.Finance Minister Israel Katz told Likud activists on Sunday that in an attempt to prevent the party’s fall from power, he had suggested that Netanyahu step aside temporarily to enable the formation of a right-wing government.The development confirmed several reports in Hebrew media over the past two months that were vehemently denied by Katz at the time.Katz wrote that he recently proposed to Netanyahu that he hold fresh primaries for the party leadership, with the winner replacing the incumbent as prime minister for a single year, after which Netanyahu would presumably return.Katz apparently thought this would allow right-wing parties that oppose Netanyahu personally, including Sa’ar’s New Hope, to join the government. Katz believed he would win the primaries and temporarily become prime minister.“I believed my chances of election were high, due to my roots in the movement and my extensive experience and the senior positions in which I successfully served as agriculture, transportation, intelligence, foreign, and now finance minister,” Katz said.Netanyahu rejected the offer.Channel 12 political analyst Amnon Abramovich on Sunday night quoted two unnamed Likud ministers expressing their dismay over Netanyahu’s refusal to put party interests ahead of his own.“What’s astounding is that he’s prepared to give the prime ministership to [rivals Benny] Gantz, to [Naftali] Bennett or to Sa’ar, that he’s prepared to go into the opposition — just so long as there is not a different candidate [for prime minister] from the Likud,” Abramovitch quoted them as saying about Netanyahu.In the light of Katz’s proposal, the long-serving prime minister’s political demise would at least partly stem from Netanyahu’s refusal to temporarily step aside and allow a right-wing government to be formed with a different Likud leader at the helm.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)
IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)
ISAIAH 34:10
10 It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
031 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32 And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)
COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AM
EZEKIEL 39:11-22
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Ashkelon park renovation to unveil Israel’s largest Roman basilica to public-After years of excavation in Tel Ashkelon National Park, archeologists plan to restore some of the massive marble columns and statues, build 2 kilometers of accessible paths-By TOI staff-MAY 31,21-Today, 9:09 pm
The Tel Ashkelon National Park in southern Israel is undergoing a large-scale renovation project that will open up previously unseen parts of the heritage site, including a recently excavated 2,000-year-old Roman basilica, the largest one ever found in the country, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.The massive basilica, with its hundreds of ornately carved imported marble columns and statues, was originally discovered in the 1920s, but only fully excavated in recent years, with two major digs taking place between 2008 and 2012 and again in 2016-2018.Now, archeologists are planning to try and restore parts of the edifice that were destroyed in an earthquake in 363 CE, including erecting sculptures and marble columns found in excavations at the site in a bid to give visitors a sense of the splendor of the building that formed the heart of Roman-era Ashkelon, when it was a bustling seaport.“During the Roman period, the public life of the city revolved around its basilica, where its citizens transacted business, met for social and legal matters, and held performances and religious ceremonies,” the Israel Antiquities Authority said.“The huge building was covered with a roof and divided into three parts – a central hall and two side halls,” a statement said, adding that the marble columns and capitals that surrounded the hall and supported the roof were some 13 meters (42 feet tall.Dr. Rachel Bar-Natan, at the excavation of the basilica in the Tel Ashkelon National Park. (Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)-The floor and roof were also made of marble, all of it imported from Asia Minor.Among the more than 200 marble items found were dozens of column capitals with plant motifs, some bearing an eagle — the symbol of the Roman Empire. Pillars and heart-shaped capitals stood in the corners of the building.Excavation of the basilica in the Tel Ashkelon National Park. (Yoli Schwartz/ Israel Antiquities Authority)-During the original excavations carried out by the British who ruled the country in the 1920s, archeologists unearthed huge statues, including one of Nike, the Roman goddess of victory, supported by the god Atlas holding a sphere, and a statue of Isis – an Egyptian deity depicted as Tyche, the city’s goddess of fortune.IAA excavation directors Rachel Bar-Natan, Saar Ganor, and Fredrico Kobrin said in the statement that they believe the building was initially built during the time of King Herod the Great, whose family was believed to have been from the area, and then later extensively renovated during the Roman Severan Dynasty, in the second and third centuries CE.Statues found during the excavation of the basilica in the Tel Ashkelon National Park. (Yaniv Cohen/ Nature and Parks Authority)-“Herodian coins discovered in the bedding of the structure’s ancient floors show that it was built at the time of one of the greatest builders ever to have lived in the country,” they said.“The writings of the historian Josephus mention Herod’s construction in the city of Ashkelon and list fountains, a bathhouse and colonnaded halls. Today, based on the new archaeological evidence, we can understand the origins of the historical record,” they said.In addition to the basilica, the public will be able to see for the first time the ancient odeon (theater) discovered at the site, which will also be renovated.The project, a collaboration between the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the city of Ashkelon and the Leon Levy Foundation, will also see the creation of some two kilometers (1.2 miles) of accessible pathways through the park.The basilica in Tel Ashkelon National Park, (Emil Aladjem/ Israel Antiquities Authority)“I am convinced that the restoration and conservation work in the park, the new archaeological discoveries and the development work – including new accessible paths – will contribute significantly to the park’s natural beauty and strengthen its status as the most beautiful and well-kept national park in Israel,” said Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam.The statement did not say how much the project would cost or when it is expected to be complete, saying only that it would “soon” be open to visitors “on completion of the development, conservation and restoration work.”
In Israel, Ted Cruz says Biden showed ‘weakness,’ emboldened Hamas-Texas senator is one of several prominent Republicans visiting the country after recent fighting in Gaza; Netanyahu gushes to Lindsey Graham that ‘no one has done more for Israel’-By Agencies and TOI staff-may 31,21-Today, 11:32 pm
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused US President Joe Biden of being soft on Israel’s foes and inviting further violence during a deadly 11-day war that left Israelis rattled and turned parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble.One of four prominent Republicans in Israel in the conflict’s aftermath, Cruz told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that the Democratic president’s policies, including a call for Israel to wind down the war, had “emboldened” Hamas’s terrorist rulers. He said the US owes Palestinians no humanitarian aid as long as there is a danger of that money flowing to Hamas.“The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more you’re going to see terrorist attacks escalating,” Cruz said after a day of touring Israel’s Iron Dome rocket-defense system and and viewing damage in Ashkelon.Cruz also refused to rule out another run for president in 2024, keeping alive the prospect of a new Republican brawl for the party’s presidential nomination — and perhaps a rematch with former president Donald Trump.The fighting erupted May 10 when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of protests and clashes over Israel’s policing of a flashpoint holy site.Before the ceasefire took effect May 21, Hamas had fired over 4,000 rockets toward Israeli cities, while Israeli warplanes struck some 1,000 targets in Gaza. The fighting left 13 dead in Israel and over 240 fatalities in Gaza. The Israeli army said most of those killed in Gaza were terror combatants.Throughout the fighting, Biden and many other world leaders maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself, even as concern — and protests in places like Turkey, Pakistan and Britain — mounted over the use of force leveled at Gaza.Cruz’s remarks were a stark departure from a once-customary practice of refraining from talking domestic politics while overseas, particularly about the sitting US commander in chief.At least two of the four American Republicans visiting Israel this week have apparent presidential ambitions — and all are in hot pursuit of support from pro-Israel evangelical voters that form a core part of the GOP’s base.Besides Cruz, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who also served as Trump’s CIA director, tweeted Sunday that he was in Tel Aviv attending the retirement party of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen.“Great to be with good friends in Tel Aviv!” Pompeo tweeted.Great to be with good friends in Tel Aviv! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/EnMYW1tAXv — Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) May 30, 2021-Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina was also touring damage caused by rocket fire and meeting with Israeli leaders.“No one has done more for Israel than you, Sen. Lindsey Graham,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. Graham, standing next to him, held up a sign that said, “More for Israel.” In a tweet later, he explained, to “help protect and defend from Hamas rocket attacks.” On Tuesday, Graham will tour rocket damage in Israel, he said in a press release.Prim-Netanyahu enjoyed warm relations with Trump, alienating many segments of the Democratic Party. His relations with Biden have been cordial, but cooler.Cruz and Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee toured the rubble in Ashkelon where a Hamas-fired rocket hit an apartment and killed the caregiver of an older woman. Cruz tweeted photos.Heartbreaking. Countless times, I’ve seen a Mezuzah hanging on a door frame. This is the first time I’ve seen one on a home bombed by terrorists. A Hamas rocket killed the caretaker of the elderly lady who lived here in Ashkelon, in southern Israel. This is all that remains. pic.twitter.com/fHBJGFOnRx — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 31, 2021-Hagerty, who was Trump’s ambassador to Japan, also criticized the various steps taken by Biden to reverse Trump’s policies. Biden, for instance, has pledged some $360 million in aid to the Palestinians, including money to help repair war damage in Gaza. Trump cut off nearly all US aid to the Palestinians.“Any monies that go to the Gaza Strip that are, quote, intended for infrastructure, can be easily diverted by Hamas,” Hagerty, seated next to Cruz, said.Where Hagerty was diplomatic, Cruz was blunt. “Appeasing terrorists doesn’t produce peace,” he said of Biden.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Asked whether he would rule out running for president, Cruz demurred, replying that the 2016 campaign was “the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”
Gantz, IDF backpedal from claim that AP journalists ‘drank coffee with Hamas’Defense minister and army spokesperson say comments from military chief justifying bombing of Gaza tower housing both media and terror group wing meant to be figurative-By AP and TOI staff 1 June 2021, 1:31 am
Iisrael’s defense minister on Monday distanced himself from comments made by his military chief after Israel bombed a Gaza Strip high-rise housing an Associated Press office and other news outlets, saying the remarks were not meant to be taken literally.In an article published on the website of Channel 12 news over the weekend, the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, was quoted as saying that “the building was destroyed justly” and he did not have a “gram of regret.”The article claimed that the Hamas group that rules Gaza used various floors of the Jalaa Tower for “significant electronic warfare” meant to disrupt Israeli air force GPS communications.The article then said Kohavi had told “a foreign source” that AP journalists drank coffee each morning in a cafeteria in the building’s entrance with Hamas electronics experts, whether they knew it or not.The AP called the comments “ patently false,” noting that “there was not even a cafeteria in the building.”Asked about Kohavi’s comments, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told foreign journalists that the military chief was only speaking in figurative terms.Then the chief of staff talked about it, he was trying to portray the atmosphere, not the actual aspects,” Gantz said.Gantz again alleged that “there was Hamas infrastructure in offices that operated from this building.”Asked to respond to Gantz’s comments, the military spokesman’s office also said Kohavi’s statements were meant to be figurative.“It was never claimed that AP journalists were knowingly interacting with Hamas personnel. On the contrary, due to the nature of Hamas’ activities, AP journalists had no means of knowing that Hamas personnel were in the building,” it said.“The chief of the general staff explained the possible circumstances of such an encounter where the terrorist organization Hamas embeds itself within the civilian population and uses civilian buildings for military purposes,” it said.The Israeli army gave occupants of the building one hour to evacuate before the May 15 airstrike. No one was injured, but the high-rise was flattened into a pile of rubble.Military Intelligence officials have said the seriousness of the electronic warfare issue justified the attack on the building, as well as the decision to bring down the entire structure, rather than just a surgical strike on the floors where Hamas was operating, as this might not have destroyed all of the capabilities in the tower.The AP has said it had no indication of a Hamas presence in the building and was never warned of any possible presence before that day. It has called for an independent investigation and urged Israel to make public its intelligence.Gantz said Israel has shared its intelligence with the US government. But he indicated that Israel has no intention of making the information public, saying it did not want to divulge its sources.The US has said Israel has provided it with information to back up the assertion through intelligence channels, though it has not commented on whether it accepts the claim or believes it justified bringing down the entire building.Last week, three Israeli officials told The New York Times that some in Jerusalem regret bombing the building, saying any benefit of destroying Hamas electronic equipment in the tower had been outweighed by the public relations damage caused by attacking a building used by the press.Some Israeli military officers had argued against the May 15 strike on the building before it was eventually approved, the report said. Israeli officials were persuaded to authorize the strike after being presented with information about alleged Hamas operations in the building, in the knowledge that no people would be hurt, the Times reported.But following the major international outcry, some officials now believe the move was a mistake, the report said.Press freedom groups condemned the attack, which marked a new chapter in the already rocky relationship between the Israeli military and the international media.AP president Gary Pruitt called for an independent investigation into the strike.Sally Buzbee, AP’s executive editor, said the news agency has had offices in the building for 15 years and was never informed or had any indication that Hamas might be in the building.A report in The Atlantic in 2014 claimed that Hamas members had repeatedly burst into the AP’s offices in the building and threatened staff, actions it asserted went unreported.The IDF accused Hamas of hiding behind the offices of the press outlets in the tower and using them as human shields.“The Hamas terror group intentionally locates its military assets in the hearts of civil populations in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.Judah Ari Gross and agencies contributed to this report.
UN nuclear watchdog says no access to key Iran enrichment data since February-Lacking data, IAEA forced to issue estimate of uranium stockpiles; says there was likely a slowdown in enrichment after mysterious blast in April at Natanz facility-By KIYOKO METZLER and David Rising-MAY 31,21-Today, 10:45 pm
VIENNA (AP) — The United Nations’ atomic watchdog has not been able to access data important to monitoring Iran’s nuclear program since late February, when the Islamic Republic started restricting international inspections of its facilities, the agency said Monday.The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in a confidential document, distributed to member countries and seen by The Associated Press, that it has “not had access to the data from its online enrichment monitors and electronic seals, or had access to the measurement recordings registered by its installed measurement devices” since February 23.While the IAEA and Iran earlier acknowledged the restrictions limited access to surveillance cameras at Iranian facilities, Monday’s report indicated that they went much further. The IAEA acknowledged it could only provide an estimate of Iran’s overall nuclear stockpile as it continues to enrich uranium at its highest level ever.Iran started limiting inspections in a bid to put pressure on the government of US President Joe Biden to lift crippling sanctions reimposed after then-president Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran unilaterally in 2018.Under the deal, the IAEA placed around 2,000 tamper-proof seals on nuclear material and equipment. Those seals communicated electronically to inspectors. Automated measuring devices also provided real-time data from the program.Talks are currently underway in Vienna for the US to rejoin the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.Since the US withdrawal from the agreement, Iran has been steadily violating its various restrictions, including on the types of centrifuges it’s allowed to use, the amount of enriched uranium it is allowed to stockpile, and the purity to which it is allowed to enrich.In the IAEA report, the agency for the first time released estimates of Iran’s stockpile rather than precise figures, saying that as of May 22, Iran’s total stockpile was 3,241 kilograms (7,145 pounds), up about 273 kilograms (600 pounds) from the last quarterly report.That was down from an increase of nearly 525 kilograms (1,157 pounds) reported in the last quarterly report.Though it was not immediately clear what led to the decrease, it comes as an explosion in April at its underground Natanz nuclear facility affected centrifuges there. Iran has yet to offer a full accounting of what happened in an attack it described as “nuclear terrorism.” Israel, which is widely suspected of carrying out the assault, has not commented publicly on it.The nuclear deal signed in 2015 with the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia only permits Iran only to keep a total stockpile of 202.8 kilograms (447 pounds) of enriched uranium.The agency said the current stockpile includes 62.8 kilograms (138.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 20% purity, and 2.4 kilograms enriched to 60% purity — well above the 3.67% purity allowed under the JCPOA.Despite Iran’s violations of the deal, the other nations involved have stressed that the agreement was still important as it allowed international inspectors to continue their surveillance of Iran’s nuclear facilities.Under a confidential agreement called an “Additional Protocol” with Iran, the IAEA collects and analyzes images from a series of surveillance cameras installed at Iranian nuclear sites. Those cameras helped it monitor Tehran’s program to see if it is complying with the nuclear deal.Iran’s hard-line parliament in December approved a bill that would suspend part of UN inspections of its nuclear facilities if European signatories didn’t provide relief from oil and banking sanctions by February.IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was able to negotiate a last-minute deal in February, however, under which promised the IAEA it would hold onto footage shot by its surveillance cameras and would hand them over if diplomats reached a deal in Vienna to lift the sanctions it faces. Otherwise, Tehran said it would delete the images.That deal has yet to come, but Grossi was able to negotiate a one-month extension last week.That means his agency still cannot access the images taken by the cameras for the time being, but could regain access to the material if a deal is reached — a situation Grossi called an emergency measure that was “not ideal.”The last-minute discussions further underscored the narrowing window for the US and others to reach terms with Iran as it presses a tough stance with the international community over its atomic program.The negotiations and tensions over the program come as Iran faces an upcoming June 18 presidential election to select the replacement for the relative moderate Hassan Rouhani, whose administration reached the 2015 nuclear deal. Analysts believe hard-liners have an edge going into the vote.
Suspected Gaza arson balloon sparks fire in south in apparent violation of truce-Blaze quickly brought under control; apparent cross-border incendiary attack comes as Egypt holds meetings with Israel, Hamas in bid to negotiate long-term ceasefire-By Judah Ari Gross-MAY 31,21-Today, 10:24 pm
A fire in southern Israel was apparently started on Monday by a balloon-borne incendiary device launched from the Gaza Strip, firefighters said, in what seemed to be the first violation of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terror group, following an 11-day conflict earlier this month.The incident came as the Egyptian military met with top Israeli and Hamas officials in Jerusalem and Gaza, respectively, in a bid to negotiate a long-term truce between the two sides.According to Fire and Rescue Services, the fire broke out in an agricultural field in the Sha’ar Hanegev region of southern Israel.“A fire investigator from the Ashkelon station of the Fire and Rescue Services investigated the event and determined that based on the evidence it appears as though the fire was caused by an incendiary balloon,” the department said.The blaze was quickly brought under control, the service added.The Israel Defense Forces has threatened major retaliation to any violations of the truce.For the past three years, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, mostly linked to Hamas and other terror groups, have launched thousands of balloon-borne incendiary and explosive devices into southern Israel, causing widespread fires and significant damage to agricultural fields, nature reserves, and private property.Such arson attacks were meant to be halted as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.In recent days, the head of Egypt’s intelligence services, Abbas Kamel, has led a wide-scale push to broker a comprehensive, long-term ceasefire, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and other top Israeli officials, as well as with Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.Israel has made large-scale Gaza reconstruction contingent upon Hamas releasing from captivity two Israeli civilians and handing over the remains of two IDF soldiers. Hamas is unlikely to do so without Israel agreeing to free a large number of terrorist operatives from its prisons.Gantz says Gaza rebuilding hinges on return of captives, long-term quiet-Hamas says it is willing to negotiate a prisoner exchange, but rejects linking issue to talks on Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction-By TOI staff-MAY 31,21-Today, 8:43 pm
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday that the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip following an 11-day conflict with Palestinian terror groups will be conditioned on the return of two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two IDF soldiers, as well as long-term quiet.
In a briefing with foreign reporters, Gantz said that Israel will continue to supply Gaza with products like medical supplies “needed for basic humanitarian existence,” but Israel would need its demands met before allowing the reconstruction of the Strip.“What was is not what will be,” Gantz said, according to a Hebrew-language statement from his office on his meeting with the journalists“I spoke to the Americans, Egyptians, and many other international representatives and clarified that… we will demand that the Gaza Strip’s rehabilitation be accompanied by long-term quiet and the return of the soldiers [remains, held by Hamas since 2014],” he said.“We are willing to help with fixing the area, rebuilding it, construction, etc. But it’s conditioned with the return of our boys back home, the abducted soldiers,” he said in English, according to the AP.Gantz also said the rules have changed in Israel’s dealings with Hamas and vowed a much harsher response to any violations of the new cease-fire. “We will brutally retaliate, but we will do it in our own time and will not accept the previous reality to show itself again,” he said.“In addition, we will work to strengthen our relationship with the Palestinian Authority, which I hope will want to take responsibility for some of what happens in Gaza,” the Hebrew statement quoted him as saying.His comments come as Egypt is attempting to negotiate a long-term ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza terror groups, with the prisoner swap a longtime key sticking point.Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said earlier Monday that the terror group is ready for “immediate negotiations” to reach a prisoner exchange with Israel.Sinwar made his comment following a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. The Egyptian top spy visited the coastal enclave after a series of meetings in Tel Aviv and Ramallah with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.“The matter of prisoner exchanges saw some movement during the past period, but it came to a halt due to what [Israel] went through,” Sinwar said, a possible reference to Israel’s internal political turmoil and repeated elections.Hamas holds Israeli civilians Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu along with the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul.The last major prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas was in 2011. In a controversial move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the release of 1,027 Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.One of the prisoners released in the exchange was Sinwar, who had been sentenced to life in Israeli jail for murder. He played a key role in the Shalit negotiations, with one of the Israeli negotiators later saying: “At [Sinwar’s] will, there would be a deal, and at his will, there would be no deal.”It is unclear how many prisoners Hamas will demand in exchange for the two living Israelis and the two bodies. After Sinwar’s meeting with Kamel, the Hamas leader told reporters cryptically to “write down the number 1,111.”“You will recall it well [in the future],” Sinwar said.Israel has repeatedly said it will not repeat the terms of the Shalit deal, which saw many of the released prisoners return to terror.But Hamas has consistently said it rejects linking rebuilding Gaza after the recent hostilities to a deal with Israel on the captives.“We will not accept the prisoner file being tied to the reconstruction, or the siege, or Palestinian rights. Our brothers in Egypt understand this,” senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, who serves as Sinwar’s deputy in the Gaza Strip, said Monday.During his briefing Monday, Gantz also addressed a future war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist organization.“What we saw in Gaza will be a tenth of what will happen in Lebanon,” he said, referring to Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls earlier this month. “It will be a complex fight because Hezbollah is hiding 100,000 missiles, some of them precision and long-range [missiles], and all of them are [embedded] among the civilian population,” said Gantz.He also warned that the Iran nuclear deal, which the US is negotiating to rejoin, is not sufficiently strong. The treaty, in its current form, leaves Iran six to seven years away from obtaining nuclear weapons, Gantz said.Aaron Boxerman contributed to this report.
Hamas says willing to hold ‘immediate negotiations’ with Israel on prisoner swap-Announcement comes as Egyptian spy chief visits Gaza; terror group’s deputy in the Strip says he rejects any attempt to condition reconstruction on issue of captives-MAY 31,21-By Aaron Boxerman-Today, 7:09 pm
Hamas is ready for “immediate negotiations” to reach a prisoner exchange with Israel, the terror group’s Gaza ruler, Yahya Sinwar, said on Monday.Sinwar made his comment following a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. The Egyptian top spy visited the coastal enclave after a series of meetings in Tel Aviv and Ramallah with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.Israel and Hamas concluded 11 days of fighting earlier this month during which the terror group launched thousands of rockets at Israeli cities and towns, and Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, including 66 children. Palestinian terror groups in Gaza have said 80 of the total casualties were combatants, though Israel says the true figure is higher. Thirteen Israelis, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, were killed.Egyptian flags festooned the Gaza Strip to welcome Kamel, and Hamas authorities set up billboards and posters thanking Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for his support, although Egypt has long sought to keep the terror group at arm’s lengtH-“The matter of prisoner exchanges saw some movement during the past period, but it came to a halt due to what [Israel] went through,” Sinwar said, a possible reference to Israel’s internal political turmoil and repeated elections.Egyptian intelligence security guards stand near a banner showing President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during a meeting between the Egyptian intelligence chief and Hamas officials in Gaza City, on May 31, 2021. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)-Hamas holds two Israeli civilians captive — Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu — as well as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul.The last major prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas was in 2011. In a controversial move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the release of 1,027 Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.One of the prisoners released in the exchange was Sinwar, who had been sentenced to life in Israeli jail for murder. He played a key role in the Shalit negotiations, with one of the Israeli negotiators later saying: “At [Sinwar’s] will, there would be a deal, and at his will, there would be no deal.”It is unclear how many prisoners Hamas will demand in exchange for the two living Israelis and the two bodies. After Sinwar’s meeting with Kamel, the Hamas leader told reporters cryptically to “write down the number 1,111.”“You will recall it well [in the future],” Sinwar said.Israeli officials have said they will condition allowing the reconstruction of Gaza on progress in reaching a deal with Hamas that secures the return of the two captives and the two bodies.But Hamas has consistently said it rejects linking rebuilding Gaza after the recent hostilities to a deal with Israel on the captives.“We will not accept the prisoner file being tied to the reconstruction, or the siege, or Palestinian rights. Our brothers in Egypt understand this,” senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, who serves as Sinwar’s deputy in the Gaza Strip, said Monday.Al-Hayya accused Israel of “holding up” a possible ceasefire deal by not agreeing to the terror group’s conditions.“The Israeli occupation is not serious at this point. If they were serious, they could have moved forward. We’re not the ones holding up [the issue],” al-Hayya claimed.While an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting between Israel and Hamas, the truce remains tenuous. None of the underlying issues Hamas used as its rationale for attacking Israel have been resolved.The fighting was touched off after Israeli police clashed with Palestinians at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount — the third holiest site in Islam and Judaism’s holiest site — on two occasions in early May.Tensions were also running high in Jerusalem over the pending eviction of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.Another point of contention is Israel and Egypt’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel has maintained tight restrictions on the coastal enclave since 2006, a blockade it says is necessary to prevent a serious threat from Hamas, while rights groups lament the impact on Gaza’s civilian population.Egypt has reportedly invited Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to talks in Cairo on a long-term ceasefire. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi visited the Egyptian capital on Sunday, and the diplomatic shuffle is likely to increase in the coming days.Al-Hayya did not say what Hamas would demand in exchange for a long-term accord with Jerusalem. But he told reporters that Israel “must be required to stop its aggression in Gaza, Jerusalem, Sheikh Jarrah and all across Palestine.”The Hamas official also said Israel must lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip, establish a Palestinian state, and resolve the problem of Palestinian refugees whose family fled or were expelled from their homes during Israel’s establishment in 1948.“International decisions have been made in favor of a Palestinian state and refugees and so on. These must be implemented. Only then can calm and stability return,” Al-Hayya said.
