CROSS STANDS UNTOUCHED BY WILFIRE ALL AROUND IT-MIRACLE OF GOD

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.


Amid the flames caused by wildfires in Southern California near Azusa Pacific University stands a 10- to 12-foot cross on top of a mountain peak. (Ryland Talamo Photography, courtesy CBN News)

Cross Remains Standing Amid Wildfire That Destroyed 1,700 Acres

2:00PM EST 1/20/2014 CBN NEWSWildfires in Southern California near Azusa Pacific University have claimed at least 1,700 acres and destroyed at least six homes.But amid the flames, one iconic structure is still standing.A 10- to 12-foot cross on top of a mountain peak in the Azusa mountains is visible for miles. The cross was originally erected in 2007, and many local residents often hike up to the lookout spot where it stands overlooking the San Gabriel Valley.This week, flames ripped through the area and the cross appeared to be lost, according to early local reports. But the wood structure, which has become a fixture on Azusa Peak, survived unscathed."Everything in the mountains is burnt and gone, including the "A" for Azusa. After houses were burnt down, hundreds evacuated and the city covered in smoke, there was one thing left, not only standing, but untouched. God is good, God is powerful and God is worthy of all praise," one local person posted on Facebook.The photo pictured, taken by freelance photographer Ryland Talamo, was taken about 1 p.m. PST Thursday, after the fire's flames, which had engulfed the area, had died down."It's almost shining through the smoke because the sun reflects off the white paint, thus increasing visibility even with all the smoke and ash in the air," Talamo said."For students at APU, it is common for groups of us to hike the Garcia Trail to the top of the mountain and sit at the foot of the cross. It reminds us that, though we are a part of a specific university, we are also a part of a larger community, not only limited to Azusa, but the rest of the world as well," he said. "It is a symbol and a reminder that God watches over His children in every circumstance, all the time."

OPEN LETTER TO STEPHEN HARPER OF CANADA ON SETTLEMENTS.

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.

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

GENESIS 12:1-3
1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3  And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

DEAR STEPHEN HARPER.-JAN 21,2014
I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU STICK UP FOR ISRAEL.AND DEFEND THEM FIERCLY LIKE MYSELF.BUT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR STANCE ON SETTLEMENTS.CANADA MUST CHANGE ITS STANCE ON THE SETTLEMENTS ISSUE.STEPHEN WE CAN NOT FORCE ISRAEL FROM NOT BUILDING ON THEIR OWN LAND.GOD TOLD ISRAEL TO REBUILD ON THEIR LAND.SO WE AS CANADIANS MUST REVERSE OUR STANCE ON SETTLEMENTS AND MUST ALLOW ISRAEL TO REBUILD ON ANY PART OF THEIR LAND THEY WANT.

IF IRAN OR AMERICA OR THE U.N OR CHINA TOLD US HERE IN CANADA.USE CAN NOT BUILD HOUSES IN OTTAWA,TORONTO OR KITCHENER.WE WOULD SAY TO THEM COUNTRIES OR ORGANIZATIONS TO GO FLY A KITE.

BUT THE WORLD INCLUDING CANADAS POLICY ON ISRAEL BUILDING HOUSES ON THEIR OWN LAND IS.ISRAEL YOU CAN NOT BUILD HOUSES ON YOUR OWN LAND.SO THE ARAB MUSLIMS CAN STEAL HALF OF JERUSALEM FROM USE.AND USE CAN NOT BUILD ON THOSE ARAB AREAS THAT WILL BE THEIR FUTURE STATE.

STEPHEN HARPER.I SAY.WE AS CANADIANS MUST END THAT THINKING AND WE AS SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL-MUST ALLOW ISRAELIS TO BUILD WERE EVER THEY WANT ON THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND.STEPHEN-CANADA MUST NOT BE HYPOCRITICAL WHEN IT COMES TO ISRAEL AND THE FALSE PEACE PROCESS.IF WE SAY WE STICK UP FOR ISRAEL.WE MUST STICK UP FOR ISRAEL IN EVERY WAY.AND ALLOW THEM TO BUILD ON THEIR LAND.WE MUST TALK OUT AGAINST THE ARABS SHOOTING ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL DAILY ALMOST.AND WE MUST DEMAND THE ARABS BETTER SAY ISRAEL IS A JEWISH STATE AND WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED.UNLIKE NOW THE ARABS GET AWAY WITH DENYING ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE.AND THE ARAB/MUSLIMS ARE ALWAYS THREATENING TO OBLITERATE ISRAEL FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.CANADA HAS TO STICK WITH ISRAEL IN EVERY WAY.AND ALWAYS TALK OUT WHEN THE ARAB-MUSLIMS SAY PROPAGANDA AGAINST ISRAEL TO GET THE WORLD TO SIDE WITH THEM AND STEAL ISRAELS LAND AND ISRAELS CAPITAL JERUSALEM.UNDER THE GUISE OF A FALSE PEACE PROCESS.

AND STEPHEN HARPER OUR PM. IN CANADA-WOULD WE GLADLY SET FREE 104 MURDERERS FROM OUR JAILS IN CANADA FOR A PEACE PROCESS WERE THE ARABS WANT TO DESTROY YOU.INFACT ISLAM AND THE ARABS WANT TO BEHEAD ALL CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.AND WE AS CANADIANS WHO CLAIM WE STAND FOR ISRAEL.ALLOW OURSELVES TO HAVE A STANCE AGAINST ISRAEL BUILDING ON THEIR OWN LAND.WHEN THE SAME ARABS WE STICK UP FOR ON SETTLEMENTS WANT US CANADIANS AND CHRISTIANS BEHEADED SO THEY COULD STEAL OR BURN AND RIOT OUR HOMES.ITS NOT RIGHT STEPHEN.CANADA MUST CHANGE ITS STANCE AND SUPPORT ISRAEL BUILDING HOUSES ON THEIR OWN LAND WERE EVER THEY WANT.

THANKS STEPHEN FOR READING MY LETTER- STAN L-ONTARIO CANADA. 
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THEM PEACEFUL ARABS ARE SO PEACEFUL THAT STEPHEN HARPER HAD TO CANCEL HIS TRIP UP TO THE DOME OF THE MURDERERS DUE TO VIOLENCE THAT COULD BE DONE TO HIM.CANADA WE MUST SUPPORT ISRAEL IN EVERY WAY AGAINST THE ARAB MURDERERS.FORGET A 2 STATE SOLUTION.ITS ISRAELS LAND AND ONLY ISRAELS LAND.AND CANADA WE KNOW THAT OUR COUNTRY WILL BE TAKING IN BALESTINIAN REFUGEES FROM THE SO CALLED PEACE PROCESS.WHY SHOULD CANADA GET THEM TO POLLUTE AND RIOT AND BURN AND BEHEAD OUR PEOPLE.THESE BALESTINIAN REFUGEES SHOULD BE SENT TO MUSLIM-ARAB COUNTRIES.WE SUPPORT ISRAEL-NOT THE PALESTINIANS CANADA DOES. 

REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE (NOT REBUILT DOME OF THE MURDERERS)REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a(MEASURING) reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out,(TO THE WORLD NATIONS) and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.(JERUSALEM DIVIDED BUT THE 3RD TEMPLE ALLOWED TO BE REBUILT)

DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Islamic Waqf Revises History: 'Temple Mount, Kotel are Muslim'

Muslim group supervising Temple Mount makes new claims: King Solomon was Muslim, and the Western Wall is holy to Islam.-By Maayana Miskin-First Publish: 1/21/2014, 7:59 PM-Israelnationalnews

A page from the Waqf's new guidebook-Israel news photo: Rabbi Chaim Richman

The Islamic Waqf, which supervises the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, has issued a pamphlet that makes new claims regarding the Mount - arguing, among other things, that King Solomon was a Muslim and that there is no Jewish connection to either the Temple Mount or the Western Wall (Kotel).Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute supplied Arutz Sheva with a copy of the pamphlet, which is currently being distributed to visitors to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount.In one section, titled, “Al-Buraq Wall and NOT the Wailing Wall,” the pamphlet teaches, “Al-Buraq wall is part of the western wall of the Al-Aqsa mosque.” The pamphlet goes on to link the wall to Islam, stating that it is known as the site where Mohammed “tied his winged steed, Al-Buraq.” (According to Islamic legend Muhammed did not die but flew to heaven on a winged horse called Al-Buraq.)“Jews and some Christians, while falsely claiming it is part of their so-called ‘Temple,’ have made a ritual of standing in front of it, and wailing over the power they say was lost to Muslims. Despite the lack of a shred of proof to support these claims, they have turned it into a Jewish shrine since occupation in 1967, and have been conducting so-called archaeological excavations beneath it… in preparation for laying hands over the whole Mosque,” the pamphlet continues.The Temple Mount is Judaism's holiest site, and is widely recognized as the former site of the biblical Temple. The Mount is also the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.The “informative” pamphlet is full of “utterly ludicrous, Kafkaesque lies,” Richman said. He noted that guidebooks to the holy site published by the Waqf in 1925, and again in 1950, recognized the site’s Jewish history, including the existence of the Temple built by King Solomon.
King Solomon claimed as Muslim
The updated pamphlet denies historical evidence that the Biblical King Solomon ever built a Jewish Temple, offering the following argument as proof: “Solomon was just another prophet of Islam, and therefore, he could not have the authority to build a structure for the worship of any other god but Allah.”In a section titled “Marwani Prayer hall and NOT Solomon’s Stables” the claim that King Solomon was Muslim was reiterated.“Solomon – peace be upon him - was one of the prophets of Islam,” stated the pamphlet, which accused “Jews and crusaders” of referring to an underground chamber near the Temple Mount as “Solomon’s stables” in a deliberate attempt “to try to lead people into believing that the structure is part of the so-called ‘temple.’”Previous Waqf pamphlets, however, referred to Solomon’s Stables as “Solomon’s Stables.”The pamphlet also repeatedly claimed the existence of Israeli schemes against the holy site. Regarding a continuation of the Western Wall – which the pamphlet claimed as a Muslim site called “Ribat al-Kurd” – the pamphlet warned, “Occupation authorities still endanger this and other parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Temple Mount activists: Waqf is running scared
Rabbi Richman, a long-time Temple Mount activist, noted that the Waqf’s outrageous claims could indicate success in the battle for Jewish rights at the holy site.“The Muslim Waqf is terrified by the great increase in Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, and by the successful media campaign that the Temple Institute has waged in the international media clearly demonstrating the centrality of the location and its importance to the Jewish people,” he explained.“In other words, we are winning, and they are trying even harder to undermine Jewish connection to the Temple Mount” as a result, he continued.The latest anti-Jewish incitement regarding the Temple Mount follows a series of recent incidents in which Jewish visitors faced discrimination.Jews were barred from bringing dried fruit onto the Mount last week, apparently due to fear that they would celebrate Tu Bishvat, and this week a religious Jewish woman was told she could not enter the site because her dress did not conform to Muslim standards of modesty.On Monday, it was reported that Waqf officials have been violating Israeli laws to preserve antiquities by planting trash cans atop the Mount.Jewish activists have countered with a push to end rules that discriminate against Jews at the holy site. Among other things, MKs from the Jewish Home party have put forth a bill that would allow Jews to legally pray at the site for the first time since 1967.

HIGHEST LEVEL OF POISON IN DEATH OF 2 ISRAELI INFANTS IN JERUSALEM

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.

1,500-year-old church, elaborate mosaic found in south

Archaeologists announce the uncovering of an impressive Byzantine structure in the south; site open to public for two days

By Lazar Berman January 22, 2014, 4:24 pm 0-The times of Israel

A 1,500-year-old church with an impressive mosaic and five inscriptions was uncovered in a town in the south of Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authorities announced Wednesday.“An impressive basilica building was discovered at the site, 22 meters long and 12 meters wide,” said Daniel Varga, one of the two archaeologists directing the excavations, which were funded by the Israel Land Authority and located near Kiryat Gat. “The building consists of a central hall with two side aisles divided by marble pillars. At the front of the building is a wide open courtyard (atrium) paved with a white mosaic floor, and with a cistern. Leading off the courtyard is a rectangular transverse hall (narthex) with a fine mosaic floor decorated with colored geometric designs; at its center, opposite the entrance to the main hall, is a twelve-row dedicatory inscription in Greek containing the names Mary and Jesus, and the name of the person who funded the mosaic’s construction.”The mosaic in the nave, or main hall, was especially striking, with 40 medallions depicting a zebra, leopard, turtle, wild boar, birds, and various geometrical designs. The medallions also contain dedicatory inscriptions in honor of two local church figures, Demetrios and Herakles. Two narrow halls to side of the nave also featured colored mosaic floors.Archaeologists uncovered evidence of a flourishing local Byzantine culture at the site, including a pottery workshop and glass vessels. The region, near Israel’s southern coastal plain, was home to an important Byzantine settlement. Archaeologists believe that residents produced and sold wine that found its way across the Mediterranean region. The church itself, which served the surrounding towns, sat on the road between Ashkelon and Jerusalem, where archaeologists have uncovered other Byzantine settlements.

This, however, is the first Byzantine church found in the area.The site, at Moshav Aluma. will be open to the public Thursday and Friday of this week, before it is covered again.IAA said it will cover over again the remains of the church itself, but it plans on removing the mosaic and putting it on display in a local museum or visitors’ center.

Dept. Foreign Minister Tells EU Envoy to End 'Double-Standards'

In meeting with EU Ambassador, Elkin gives documents showing PA incitement and EU hypocrisy in different conflict zones.-By Ari Yashar-First Publish: 1/22/2014, 5:19 PM-Israelnationalnews

Ze'ev Elkin and Lars Andersen-Noa Arad, Foreign Ministry

Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin (Likud Beytenu) met with EU Ambassador Lars Andersen on Wednesday, to discuss the summoning of Israeli ambassadors by EU states last Thursday after plans to build roughly 1,800 new homes in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem were announced. EU envoys were summoned by Israel in response, to explain their countries' "hypocrisy" in attacking Israeli building plans whilst ignoring Palestinian incitement.Elkin expressed his disappointed with the EU's one-sided policy against Israel in the meeting. It is worth noting that a building freeze was not stipulated as a precondition for the ongoing peace talks."At the same time that they're criticizing us on every building announced, there's no declared criticism on the (rocket) firing from Gaza and the barrage in the region," said Elkin, referring to the outburst of at least 6 rockets last Wednesday that has security officials saying that for all intents and purposes the Gaza ceasefire is dead."The source of the conflict does not lie in the settlements of Judea and Samaria," emphasized Elkin. "After all, the conflict started well before 1967. The conflict started because the Arabs didn't agree to accept the fact that the Jews have the right to a country in any borders."Elkin also gave Andersen a document detailing the Palestinian Authority's (PA) systemic incitement dehumanizing Jews and idolizing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The documents also showed how the PA funds terrorists in Israeli prisons and awards them massive stipends.The minister showed another documented detailing the difference in the EU's policy on Israel with it's policy on different conflict regions, such as their support of the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus, which Elkin himself called out last Friday.In an even more blatant double-standard, the document also notes how the EU voted in favor of allowing its members to fish in the waters of occupied Western Sahara. That police stands in sharp contrast to the recently-issued European Union "guidelines" which boycott Jewish businesses in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and parts of Jerusalem, on the grounds that the EU considers those areas to be "occupied territories".Last Thursday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu similarly criticized the EU for its "hypocrisy" in opposing Jewish housing in Judea and Samaria."This is hypocrisy. The EU calls our ambassadors in because of the construction of a few houses? When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors about incitement that calls for Israel's destruction?" Netanyahu asked foreign correspondents at his annual new year reception. "It's time to stop this hypocrisy. This imbalance... doesn't advance peace, I think it pushes peace further away."

Jerusalem: Poison on Scene 'the Highest Level Ever Recorded'

Fire commander tells Arutz Sheva that poison found in Givat Mordechai apartment which killed two infants was at record-breaking levels.-By Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 1/22/2014, 5:27 PM-Israelnationalnews

Fire brigade, medics at Jerusalem poisoning scene-Flash90

Commander Reshef Eli Basson, whose fire brigade unit arrived at the scene of a Jerusalem family's poisoning Wednesday, revealed to Arutz Sheva that the poison levels at the Givat Mordechai home were the highest ever recorded. Basson stated that when the meter was brought out, the toxicity level astounded his team - to the point where "I wondered how the exterminator could have left his materials inside the apartment."
"Jerusalem residents have suffered a difficult week," he continued. "I advise everyone to be careful."

Basson is referring to this week's double tragedy: Wednesday's poisoning of a Givat Mordechai family, which killed a 2 year-old and a 4 year-old and left two older children hospitalized in serious condition, and Sunday's gas explosion in Gilo, which killed a young couple and their infant son. Wednesday's tragedy occurred after an exterminator left highly toxic materials - the same agents used in Syria's chemical weapons - in the apartment's enclosed security room, also known as the "Mamad" or bomb shelter.Apparently, the security room's seal was less effective than the storage requirements for the chemical require, and the poison spread throughout the apartment over several days. The exterminator has been arrested and an investigation has been launched.The family's youngest children, ages 2 and 4, died from the poison Wednesday. The rest of the family has been recovering - albeit slowly - as no medication exists to treat the poison, according to hospital staff. It has also been released that the family visited a Terem medical center Tuesday after complaining of symptoms similar to a stomach virus from the poisoning. The family was told to take paracetamol and prescribed medication for morning sickness to take the next morning. 

After Gaza strike, defense minister warns Hamas of ‘heavy price’

‘We will not hesitate to continue to act with force,’ Ya’alon says hours after Israeli planes take out terror chief

By Times of Israel staff January 22, 2014, 10:37 am 4

Hours after Israel assassinated a senior Gaza terrorist, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned the Strip’s ruling Hamas organization that it would “pay a heavy price” for rocket fire on Israel.“If [Hamas] doesn’t know how to impose its authority on terrorist organizations operating from its territory we will continue to act to make it, and those who are active in terror and fire at Israel, pay a heavy price,” Ya’alon said in a statement released by his ministry on Wednesday.The Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun early Wednesday morning, killing two men, said by Israel to be terrorists behind some of the missile attacks on southern Israeli towns and communities. The air force said it carried out the strike to stop an imminent attack.Strikes on high profile targets often draw responses from Gazan rocket launchers. The eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense began in November 2012 with the assassination of Hamas chief Ahmed Jabari.While Hamas is not seen as behind the latest rocket attacks, Ya’alon said Israel still held it responsible.“We will not hesitate to continue to act with force in order to hit those who are threatening our security, and we will do that with all the methods and tools at our disposal,” he warned.

President Shimon Peres said that while Israel wants things to be quiet, it won’t refrain from responding when provoked.“It is important to stress that if it is not quiet on one side then it won’t be quiet on both sides,” Peres said. “The Gaza ruler-ship needs to decide what it wants – exchanges of fire or existence. Israel is interested in things being quiet, but if the quiet is disturbed we will respond with forcefully.”The IDF identified the target of the strike as Ahmad Zaanin, 21, a commander Gaza-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s military wing, responsible for recent rocket fire against Israel. It said he fired the rockets that targeted Israel after the funeral for prime minister Ariel Sharon ended last Monday. A second man, said to be his relative and a member of Islamic Jihad, was also killed.The Palestinian Ma’an News Agency identified the second man as Mahmoud Yousef Zaanin, 23.The men were reportedly sitting in a parked car when it was hit by an IAF missile, residents told Reuters. Unconfirmed photos which claimed to show Ahmad Zaanin circulated on social media shortly after the airstrike.The IDF said the airstrike prevented an imminent rocket attack against Israel.“Since 2009 Zaanin, with the cooperation of other terror bodies in the Gaza Strip, has endorsed numerous attacks such as sniping attacks and detonating explosive devices against IDF soldiers,” the IDF said in a statement.“In his earlier days Zaanin was affiliated with the Islamic Palestinian Jihad, during which the terrorist operated towards the execution of terror attacks, most of which were rocket attacks, against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” the military said.The airstrike came amid increased violence along the Israel-Gaza border. Since January 1, several dozen rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have exploded in Israel, the first escalation of its kind since the ceasefire that ended November 2012′s Operation Pillar of Defense.Earlier this week, three rockets from the Gaza Strip were fired at the western Negev shortly before midnight on Monday. On Tuesday morning, an explosive device detonated near an army patrol along the border fence. There were no injuries.Earlier Monday evening, two Grad rockets were fired from the Sinai at the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, striking an open area close to the city.Israel has also taken several defensive measures lately, moving an Iron Dome anti-missile battery to Beersheba and canceling school for some Ashdod students.

If the Palestinian president could be gracious, 'I would hope that a member of the Israeli Knesset could'

Canadians ‘taken aback’ at Arab MKs’ heckling of Harper

Canada’s parliament wouldn’t disrupt the speech of a visiting foreign leader, says PM’s ministerial colleague Jason Kenney

By David Horovitz January 21, 2014, 9:51 pm 28-The times of israel

Many members of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s delegation were “surprised” and “taken aback” that he was heckled by two Arab MKs during his address to the Knesset on Monday, a minister who is traveling with Harper said.“A lot of us were a bit taken aback that members of a national parliament would heckle a visiting foreign leader,” Jason Kenney, Canada’s minister of employment and social development, told The Times of Israel Tuesday.Kenney added that the Arab MKs’ conduct contrasted strikingly with the attitude of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who hosted Harper earlier on Monday in Ramallah. “I attended our meetings with President Abbas earlier in the day,” said Kenney. Abbas “was extremely gracious, offered nothing but warm words of welcome and partnership, expressed gratitude for Canada’s constructive role that we’re playing here.”Abbas was also “asked by Canadian media to criticize us,” but “refrained from doing so,” added Kenney. “I mean if the president of the Palestinian Authority could do that, I would hope that a member of the Israeli Knesset could.”Kenney was referring to heckling midway through Harper’s stirringly pro-Israel address to the Knesset on Monday evening. Two Arab MKs, Ahmad Tibi and Taleb Abu Arar, who had also heckled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) and opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor) when they spoke prior to Harper, shouted interruptions and then got up and left after the Canadian prime minister castigated those who sought to brand Israel an Apartheid state.“Most disgracefully of all, some openly call Israel an apartheid state,” Harper said. “Think about that. Think about the twisted logic and outright malice behind that: A state, based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law, that was founded so Jews can flourish, as Jews, and seek shelter from the shadow of the worst racist experiment in history, that is condemned, and that condemnation is masked in the language of anti-racism. It is nothing short of sickening.”The two Arab MKs shouted that Israeli Arabs faced apartheid, citing the situation of Bedouin in the Negev, and Tibi said Harper “should be sitting there, with the Likud,” and pointed to the relevant benches in the chamber. The pair then got up and left.After the walkout, and before Harper resumed his speech, much of the Knesset rose to its feet, led by Netanyahu, and gave the Canadian leader a standing ovation.Tibi had earlier heckled Netanyahu, claiming that his colleague Abu Arar, a Bedouin MK from Ar’arat in the Negev, did not have water or electricity in his home, because of Israeli discrimination. “There’s no water or electricity in his village,” Tibi shouted at Netanyahu. “No water, no electricity. Give him water and electricity and he’ll stop shouting.” In fact, Channel 2 News showed on Tuesday, Abu Arar, a former school teacher and head of his local council, lives in a three-story home with water, electricity, air-conditioning and a satellite dish, and his street is well lit by street lamps. Tibi acknowledged this in the Knesset on Tuesday, but said he had been speaking more generally about alleged discrimination against Negev Bedouin.Kenney said Harper “was prepared” for possible interruptions, “because he saw what was happening with the prime minister’s [Netanyahu's] speech.” He noted, too, that Harper had plenty of experience with heckling, since “our House of Commons is as boisterous as the Knesset… Everyone here thinks you’ve got the wildest show in town” but a quick YouTube search can show “how rancorous our Question Time can be.”Nonetheless, Canada’s parliament wouldn’t heckle a visiting foreign leader, Kenney stressed. “It only happened once, in the 1980s, when a Socialist [member of parliament] heckled Ronald Reagan. But that was really an exception.”The interruptions did “prove a point,” however, Kenney noted. “This is the only parliament in the Middle East where that could possibly happen. I think that’s fair to say.”(The Times of Israel’s full interview with Kenney will appear on Wednesday. The full text of Harper’s Knesset speech is here.)

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.

01/22/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

IOR explains steps taken towards transparency

The main offices of the IOR

The IOR has issued a report on the progress of its compliance and transparency program. The fate of the Vatican “bank” will be decided in the coming months

Andrea Tornielli vatican city As new and worrying information has emerges concerning Mgr. Nunzio Scarano, his money-trafficking and the protection he received and as the Vatican collaborates fully with investigators, - a significant first effect of the changes Pope Francis is trying to introduce - “freezing” suspicious bank accounts at the request of the Italian authorities, The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) has issued a report on the steps it has taken to improve its transparency.“Today, the Board of Superintendence of the Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR) has received a status report on the compliance reform process in course,” the IOR’s press release reads. This is one of the changes introduced by the Institute’s president, Ernst von Freyberg.“As an Institute of the Church we have a particular responsibility to live up to the high standards that are rightly expected of us,” the president states. “And whilst there is still a lot of implementation work ahead of us, there is no doubt that we are on the right track and have made significant process.”The IOR informs that “in the first quarter of 2013, the Board of Superintendence and Directorate of the Institute decided to thoroughly review and re-organize anti-money laundering (AML) procedures and to improve transparency.” As is known, in order to do this, “the IOR has enlisted external support to help accelerate the execution of the overall process in nine work streams.”The IOR’s internal handbook on anti-money laundering procedures - the most current version of which was submitted to AIF (the financial information authority headed by Cardinal Attilio Nicora) by the end of 2013 - has been revised and expanded. The IOR has started to expand “its data templates in areas such as verification of identification, source of funds, transaction activity, and overall customer risk profile.”The IOR has also been working on enhancing its IT systems to keep track of transactions more effectively. “The Institute has implemented a “know your customer”-application for individuals and legal entities and an automated internal client rating system that are currently being fine-tuned.”The IOR has initiated a “systematic screening” of all existing client records in order “to identify missing or incomplete information.” By the end of 2013 the IOR had “reviewed approximately 55 percent of all customers (around 10,000 client records), reaching-out to and requiring completion of data from those customers concerned. In this review process the Institute has given priority to larger and more active clients. The entire process is expected to last through the first half of 2014.” The Institute has also “updated its guidelines on client categories to be serviced by the Institute. As per decision of the Board of Superintendence, published on the Institute’s website in July 2013, these are: Catholic institutions, clerics, employees or former employees of the Vatican City State with salary and pension accounts and embassies and diplomats accredited to the Holy See. Currently institutions account for around 85 percent of all assets at the IOR.”  Relations with clients who do not fit into the categories set will be “terminated under close supervision of AIF. This is an on-going operational procedure that should not be confused with ending or suspending client relationships on the suspicion of infringement of anti-money laundering legislation. Such suspensions or closures are and will remain the sole prerogative of Vatican law-enforcement and supervision authorities.”“In parallel to the Customer Data Remediation process, the IOR has conducted an externally assisted forensic transaction review to verify the accuracy of the IOR customer list and to review unusual transactions. This included a reconciliation of the IOR’s booking records comparing general ledger entries with incoming and outgoing transaction payment records. In this effort the President of the Board of Superintendence has ordered several special investigations with regard to specific account and transaction activity. The findings were delivered to the Board and to Vatican supervising and law enforcement authorities as appropriate.”
 
“Over the course of 2013 IOR has designed and has delivered to all employees a mandatory general and specialized anti-money laundering training curriculum with the aim to achieve and maintain an adequate level of trained and knowledgeable employees and ensure their full compliance with all obligations stipulated in the IOR Handbook.”“The Board of Superintendence has nominated a Chief Risk Officer at Directorate level with a specific brief to focus on compliance and reporting,” communicating all information to the AIF. “In addition the IOR standardized reporting procedures in order to strengthen the overall reporting system. Some of the effects of this overhaul have been documented in the MONEYVAL Progress Report published on December 9th 2013.”“The IOR operates ca. 35 correspondent bank relationships worldwide. Through this network the IOR offers global payment services, particularly for its institutional clientele (religious orders and Church entities) owning the vast majority of assets. In 2013 the IOR has entered into new correspondent banking relationships. The IOR looks forward to a resumption of full interaction with Italian financial institutions pending review by Italian regulatory authorities of the Holy See/Vatican City State’s anti-money laundering provisions.”Other reforms carried forward and described in the report, include: “a systematic effort to improve the management of financial risk” and “transparency improvements.” The IOR points out that it published its first Annual Report on October 1st, 2013, and launched its website on July 31st, 2013. In addition, the Institute has set up a dedicated press office available for information and dialogue. It also announced it will be publishing its next annual report around mid-March 2014.These considerable efforts to improve the IOR’s communication, demonstrate its eagerness to show it is taking transparency seriously and that it is a body that is necessary to the Vatican and the Church as a whole. The future of the Vatican “bank” will become clearer in about a week or so, once the work of the Commission for Reference on the IOR (chaired by Cardinal Raffaele Farina) is concluded and once the meeting of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals, or C8, comes to a close.On the return flight from Rio following last July’s World Youth Day celebrations, Francis said: “I don’t know how the IOR will end up. Some say that, perhaps, it’s best that it be a bank, others that it be an aid fund, others say to close it … But this, I cannot tell you how this story will end … we must find the best. But, this yes. But the characteristics of the IOR - be it a bank, be it an aid fund, be it whatever it may be - [must be] transparent and honest.”

01/21/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

President Obama will meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on March 27

President Obama

Questions on their agenda are likely to include: peace in the Holy Land, Syria and Middle East, the situation of Christians there, religious liberty in the world, and global poverty

gerard o'connell rome President Barack Obama will meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on March 27, the White House announced today.“The President looks forward to discussing with Pope Francis their shared commitment to fighting poverty and growing inequality," according to a White House news release, January  21.It will be Obama’s first meeting with Francis, but not with a Pope: he met Benedict XVI on 10 July 2009.
In interviews last year, the US President said he was “hugely impressed” with the Pope’s humility and his empathy with the poor.  He praised the Jesuit Pope as “a “very thoughtful and soulful messenger of peace and justice”. “I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet,” Obama said then. “But everything that I’ve read, everything that I’ve seen from him, indicates the degree to which he is trying to remind us of those core obligations.”Indeed peace and justice are likely to feature high on the agenda when the first Latin American Pope and the first black President of the United States meet in March, in what will undoubtedly be a most important meeting.  Their encounter comes ahead of Pope Francis visit to the Holy Land, May 24-26.  The two leaders are sure to discuss the elusive quest for peace in that land, even as the US with other major powers pushes amidst a thousand difficulties for a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. The Pope and the President are also likely to discuss the effort of the major powers to bring peace in Syria and the wider Middle East, as well as the dramatic situation of Christians in that region. World poverty and the plight of the poor are also expected to feature strongly in their discussion. It is one of the issues closest to the Pope’s heart, indeed he has called for a change in how the world’s economy is governed and organized.  Last December, Obama referred to the Argentinean Pope’s great concern in this whole area when, in an economic speech, he noted that "across the developed world, inequality has increased”, and told his audience, “Some of you may have seen just last week, the Pope himself spoke about this at eloquent length.  'How can it be,' he wrote, 'that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?”Other issues expected to be addressed when they sit and talk together will be the role of the Catholic Church in the USA, where 25% of the population is Catholic (that is, 78 million Catholics).  In recent years the US Bishops Conference and the Obama administration have clashed harshly in public over the contraception requirements in the affordable health care legislation promoted by the Administration, with the bishops insisting that this infringes on religious freedom.   Right now however, another issue is moving into the forefront, the bishops are pushing Congress to pass legislation that deals in a more human way with the major issue of immigration.  In addition to these, the question of religious freedom across the globe may also enter the discussion.Some months back when he presented his credentials to the Pope, the new US Ambassador to the Holy See, Ken Hackett, who formerly worked for Catholic Relief Services in the USA, wrote on his blog, that “The United States and the Holy See have converging global interests that span a broad range of issues, including a desire to promote human rights”.  

Indeed, he  said, “The Vatican and the Holy Father have the ability to influence world events in a positive way through the calling of faith and they will continue to be important partners in future collaboration, where social justice is the foundation of a relationship that is strong, relevant, and enduring”.The Ambassador told the Pope then that “President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have both highlighted the need to engage with religious leaders and the faith community in the policy process to address critical global issues”.The President will have that chance soon. He will meet the Pope at the end of a four-day visit to Europe that will take him first to the Netherlands for a Nuclear Security Summit, March 24-25, and then to Belgium, March 26, for a US-European Union summit.  After meeting the Pope, Obama will also visit with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, and Italy’s Prime Minister, Enrico Letta. 

EU proposes 'affordable' climate targets

Today @ 15:38-DEC 22,14-EUOBSERVER

By Honor Mahony

BRUSSELS - The European Commission on Wednesday (22 January) proposed new greenhouse gas targets which it said would see the EU remain the global leader on climate change action, without damaging the bloc's fragile economy.Under the proposals, the EU would curb its CO2 emissions by 40 percent - compared to 1990 levels - by 2030 and obtain "at least" 27 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the same year.Both figures were disputed until the last minute.The greatest tussle was over renewable energy sources. As part of the overall deal, the commission abandoned the current system of national targets - which it said led to fragmentation of the internal market - in favour of an overall binding EU goal.Member states will be free to decide how they contribute to the 2030 renewable energy target, with a new "governance system" to be established to make sure countries do their bit.Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the proposals are both "ambitious and affordable" and go "beyond the debate" of either being green or supporting the industry.No energy efficiency target was set.Guenther Oettinger, energy commissioner, said the commission was waiting for a July review of energy efficiency policy.Concrete targets will then be laid down in autumn, he noted. He indicated that energy efficiency targets will play a substantial role in the EU's green plans as energy prices in the EU are considerably higher than in the US, however."On average we're paying twice as much as the Americans for electricity," he said.Climate action commissioner Connie Hedegaarde pre-empted criticism by environment groups that the 40 percent target is too weak by saying it will still need "real sincere effort" by member states."The art of politics is proposing something you can get through," she said, noting that NGOs can propose much stiffer targets but "it's not their responsibility" to implement them.The EU's current green programme runs until 2020, and saw it commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and having 20 percent renewable energy.The latter was reached by national targets which will, despite Wednesday's more flexible approach for the future, continue to remain in place until 2020.The proposals are due to be discussed by EU leaders at their March summit, with Barroso saying that he believes it is possible to get agreement from all 28 member states.Both he and Hedegaard urged a quick positive signal from governments so that the EU takes the lead ahead of global climate change discussions next year, culminating in Paris at the end of 2015.Barroso said he would be "so happy" if other countries made a "comparable" proposal.Green groups however accused the EU of putting too much focus on industry's wishes."Barroso and his commissioners seem to have fallen for the old-think industry spin that there must be a trade-off between climate action and economic recovery," said Brook Riley of Friends of the Earth.The European Environment Bureau said both the targets contained in the proposal represent "barely more than a business-as-usual scenario."

Eurozone bank network getting smaller

21.01.14 @ 17:52-EUOBSERVER

By Benjamin Fox

BRUSSELS - The number of banks in the eurozone fell by almost 4 percent in 2013, according to data published Tuesday (21 January) by the European Central Bank .

• 
  The number of eurozone banks continues to fall, according to the European Central Bank (Photo: ECB)

There were 6,790 monetary financial institutions (MFIs) based in the euro area at the start of 2014, compared with 7,059 one year ago, a 3.8 percent reduction.Crisis countries Cyprus and Greece saw the largest reductions, losing 26 percent and 17 percent of their financial sector firms over the past year.
Greece now has just 62 financial institutions, while Cyprus' sector has fallen from 409 firms when it joined the EU in 2004 to 103.As part of a hastily agreed €17 billion bailout package, the Mediterranean island was forced to liquidate Laiki bank, its second largest lender, leaving rival Bank of Cyprus to take over 312 Laiki branches.But a decline in the number of financial firms is not a trend that is exclusive to the EU's crisis countries.Despite seven EU countries having joined the currency union since 2001, the number of MFIs has fallen by 3,066 - equivalent to 31 percent - since the launch of the euro in 1999.Germany and France accounted for 42 percent of all euro area MFIs, a figure almost unchanged from a year ago.Meanwhile, Portugal, Slovenia and Latvia are the only eurozone countries to have seen an increase in their number of institutions over the last twelve months.The bloc's shrinking bank network, which saw more than 5,500 bank branches shut down last year across the EU, also threatens to reduce access to basic bank services for thousands of Europeans.The European Commission estimates that over 58 million EU citizens do not have a bank account.Access to cash machines and basic services is also becoming an acute problem for the bloc's poorest citizens.

EARTHQUAKES

ISAIAH 42:15
15  I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide

29 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2014-01-22 11:55:21 UTC-05:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-05:00)29 earthquakes in map area

1. 4.5 203km SW of Hachijo-jima, Japan 2014-01-22 09:47:48 UTC-05:00 354.9 km
2. 2.9 67km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 09:12:14 UTC-05:00 64.0 km
3. 2.8 85km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 08:09:26 UTC-05:00 19.0 km
4. 2.5 13km SW of Rio Dell, California 2014-01-22 08:09:05 UTC-05:00 30.6 km
5. 4.7 163km S of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia 2014-01-22 06:00:07 UTC-05:00 38.0 km
6. 5.3 219km NNE of Ile Hunter, New Caledonia 2014-01-22 05:20:31 UTC-05:00 10.1 km
7. 3.0 75km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 04:43:25 UTC-05:00 59.0 km
8. 2.6 5km ESE of Caruthers, California 2014-01-22 04:23:40 UTC-05:00 14.0 km
9. 2.7 74km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 04:01:09 UTC-05:00 24.0 km
10. 2.5 78km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 03:56:14 UTC-05:00 24.0 km
11. 3.1 69km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-22 00:48:18 UTC-05:00 38.0 km
12. 4.5 22km SSW of Putre, Chile 2014-01-21 23:46:37 UTC-05:00 89.9 km
13. 2.5 2km N of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 23:01:18 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
14. 2.5 4km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii 2014-01-21 22:19:09 UTC-05:00 1.7 km
15. 2.8 86km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 21:23:16 UTC-05:00 53.0 km
16. 4.8 125km NNW of Claveria, Philippines 2014-01-21 20:59:53 UTC-05:00 49.6 km
17. 2.8 100km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 19:30:54 UTC-05:00 40.0 km
18. 3.1 82km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 18:39:24 UTC-05:00 37.0 km
19. 4.4 63km S of Attu Station, Alaska 2014-01-21 18:24:53 UTC-05:00 35.1 km
20. 2.8 60km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 17:52:41 UTC-05:00 47.0 km
21. 2.7 22km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 17:44:14 UTC-05:00 68.0 km
22. 4.5 78km E of Iquique, Chile 2014-01-21 17:06:33 UTC-05:00 91.7 km
23. 3.1 59km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 16:44:58 UTC-05:00 46.0 km
24. 3.1 79km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 16:09:53 UTC-05:00 41.0 km
25. 4.5 50km WSW of Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan 2014-01-21 15:46:37 UTC-05:00 3.6 km
26. 2.5 12km SW of Volcano, Hawaii 2014-01-21 15:42:36 UTC-05:00 0.0 km
27. 4.9 278km ESE of Lambasa, Fiji 2014-01-21 15:19:21 UTC-05:00 568.5 km
28. 2.6 21km ENE of Sterling, Alaska 2014-01-21 13:38:14 UTC-05:00 40.1 km
29. 3.1 82km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-01-21 12:48:18 UTC-05:00 33.0 km

ANOTHER FORD VIDEO OUT-THIS JUST NEVER ENDS-DRUNK AGAIN

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.

Rob Ford: New video shows mayor rambling, slurring his words

Mayor Rob Ford is seen speaking incoherently in a new video apparently taken at a Rexdale restaurant early Tuesday morning.

A video titled "New video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford drunk, swearing in Jamaican Patois?" surfaced on YouTube January 21, 2014. Contains graphic language.

By: Robyn Doolittle City Hall, Kevin Donovan Investigations, Daniel Dale City Hall, Published on Tue Jan 21 2014

Link to video

Mayor Rob Ford vented his anger at police Chief Bill Blair in an incoherent and apparently intoxicated rant caught on videotape taken at a Rexdale steakhouse early in the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 21.“----sucker," Ford says, followed by the words "Chief Blair."In a reference to the police surveillance of Ford and friend Alexander Sandro Lisi, Ford complains about the money spent when they "chased me around five months."

Ford also suggests he was running "counter surveillance" on the police. "He's hiding here, I'm hiding here," Ford says, gesturing."Do you know how much money that costs?" Ford asks.Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother, said the video “obviously” shows the mayor but could not have been taken last night, since he talked to the mayor last night — and since the mayor, he said, is heavier in the video than he is now.

“I'll repeat what he said 10 million times. (Since) the beginning of November, he hasn't taken a drink. So, very simple,” Doug Ford told reporters outside the mayor's office.

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The video ends with a restaurant employee saying Rob Ford is the best mayor in the world."This guy deserves to be even better than Prime Minister Harper," the employee says.The video, which was posted on YouTube Tuesday, is titled “New Video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Drunk, Swearing in Jamaican Patois? Bumbaclot.”Around 1 p.m., the Star was contacted by individuals claiming to have footage, shot early Tuesday, of the mayor drunk at a Rexdale steakhouse. This appears to be the same footage.“The footage seems to have been shot at Steak Queen in Rexdale. An employee at the restaurant who identified himself as Tony confirmed that the store is the one in the YouTube video. "He comes in here from time to time," Tony said of the mayor. He would not say when Ford was there. "No one here was working last night."The clip is 1 minute and six seconds long. Ford appears to be standing at a fast food counter in a suit and red tie. CityTV filmed Ford in the same outfit Monday talking about parking tickets. Several young men appear to be in the restaurant as well, although most of the time, it is only Ford in the frame.It's hard to follow what Ford is saying. He appears to be talking about a conversation he had with another man.The Star contacted Ford's spokesperson Amin Massoudi for a comment and sent a screenshot of the clip, but he has not yet replied.After admitting to smoking crack cocaine in November, Ford has promised he has not touched any alcohol. A week ago, after the mayor was spotted at Muzik nightclub, a reporter asked him if he'd been drinking.“No I wasn’t drinking. I don’t drink,” he angrily replied.The mayor's driver and frequent companion, Jerry Agyemang, refused to comment when approached by the media.In November 2013, Ford was caught on video in an impaired rant saying he is going to kill someone and “rip his f---ing throat out.”The Star has obtained video of Mayor Rob Ford where he appears to be in a state of extreme agitation. The context in which it was shot is unclear, but his language and mannerisms clearly indicate he's angry.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/new-video-surfaces-that-appears-to-show-incoherent-mayor-rob-ford/article16433057/?click=tglobe

US REP LOUIE GOHMERT BIBI NETANYAHU THE NEXT KING DAVID

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.

NETANYAHU-HARPER JAN 21,14 PRESS CONFERENCE IN JERUSALEM
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Politics/ID/2431235749/   

CANADIAN POLICY ON MIDEAST PEACE PROCESS
http://www.international.gc.ca/name-anmo/peace_process-processus_paix/canadian_policy-politique_canadienne.aspx?lang=eng

Canada won’t accept Palestinian refugees displaced by controversial Israeli settlements: Immigration minister

Jessica Barrett, Canadian Press | January 20, 2014 12:50 AM ET

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Sunday Canada will not get involved in resettling Palestinian refugees displaced by the expansion of controversial Israeli settlements.“We are not going to resettle in Canada … the hundreds of thousands who want to live in a Palestinian state because they want to go home eventually,” Alexander told CTV’s Question Period. “That is the objective we will be working towards under the leadership of the [United Nations Refugee Agency] and with our friends, allies and partners.”The remarks are an apparent reversal of Canada’s official position on the decades-old territorial dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, in which it has offered Canada as a home for some of the refugees displaced.
Asked if that was still the case, Alexander said: “With respect to Palestinian refugees, the objective we all share is for them to become citizens in a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.”The minister’s comments came the same day Prime Minister Stephen Harper landed in Israel with a sizable delegation on what is purported to be an historical trip to the Middle East.Before leaving Canada, Harper’s office had deflected questions over whether the prime minister agrees with Canada’s longstanding foreign policy regarding Israeli-occupied territories on Palestinian lands as illegitimate.Alexander defended the government’s response on Sunday.“It isn’t for Canada or other countries to use or impose their own views on these two parties that have to resolve these issues together,” he said.Alexander said the Canadian government does not support unilateral action on either side of the conflict, adding that Harper’s trip to Israel was intended to underline “65 years of strong relations that Canada has had with a very successful democracy … that is a model in the Middle East.”“We want to work with our Israeli partners to find solutions to the security issues that represent threats to the region and indeed the world.”Michael Bell, former Canadian ambassador to Israel and Jordan, said the government’s refusal to articulate Canada’s official foreign policy regarding the settlements along the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights — captured by Israel in the 1967 war – may signal the prime minister is planning to change this country’s official stance.“What concerns me for this visit is what is going to come out of it that is new and different other than a mutually supportive and sympathetic voicing of views?” he told CTV.“Are we going to change the policy document? Is Israel going to ask for that?”Bell said Harper’s position on Israel goes beyond supporting the state’s right to exist, but rather is a political alignment with the right-wing policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Mohamed El Rashidy of the Canadian Arab Federation said the government’s refusal to criticize Israeli occupation of the territories was a “very disappointing step.”He noted the settlements are widely recognized as illegitimate by members of the international community, including Israeli allies such as the United States.Harper’s unquestioning support of the Netanyahu government does little to benefit a diverse Israeli culture, or support a peace deal, he added.“There’s no question that Israel is an ally of Canada and will remain so. The real question is how Canada chooses to exercise that influence with Israel and its neighbours in the region.”El Rashidy said he too worried Harper’s deflection of the issue could signal a change in foreign policy that would set it notably apart from its international allies.“Taking land from Palestinians … for Jewish-only homes is just wrong,” he said. “It’s wrong according to every reasonable country on the planet and Canada should not exit that group of reasonable countries.”With files from Mark Kennedy 

CANADAS POLICY ON MIDEAST PEACE PROCESS

Support for Israel and its Security

Canada supports Israel's right to live in peace with its neighbours within secure boundaries and recognizes Israel's right to assure its own security, as witnessed by our support during the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah and our ongoing support for Israel's fight against terror. Israel has a right under international law to take the necessary measures, in accordance with human rights and international humanitarian law, to protect the security of its citizens from attacks by terrorist groups. Canada and Israel enjoy a steadfast friendship and strong, growing bilateral relations in many areas based on shared values, including democracy.

Support for the Palestinians

Canada recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination and supports the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic and territorially contiguous Palestinian state, as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement.
Canada recognizes the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the governmental entity in the West Bank and Gaza. Canada also recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the principal representative of the Palestinian people Canada continues to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and is working with the government led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in terms of much needed reform.
Working with its partners and through the United Nations, its agencies and other organizations, Canada continues to support and respond to the humanitarian and development needs of the Palestinian people. At the Paris Donors Conference in December 2007, Canada announced a commitment of $300 million over 5 years towards improving Palestinian security, governance and prosperity.

Support for a Comprehensive Peace Settlement

Canada is committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.
The 1993 Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization Declaration of Principles continues to provide the basis for a comprehensive agreement based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. Canada welcomed the decision of the Palestine National Council to accept UN Security Council Resolution 242 as a basis for peace negotiations as well as mutual recognition by Israel and the PLO in 1993. Canada also strongly supports the Quartet's Road Map, which sets out the obligations of both parties and steps for establishment of a Palestinian state, and the process launched by the Annapolis Conference. Canada also supports the Arab Peace Initiative as a potential basis for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli settlement.

Status of Jerusalem

Canada considers the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. Canada does not recognize Israel's unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem.

Palestinian Refugees

Canada believes that a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is central to a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as called for in United Nations General Assembly resolution 194 (1948) and United Nations Security Council resolution 242. A solution to the Palestinian refugee issue must be negotiated among the parties concerned in the context of a final status peace agreement. This solution should respect the rights of the refugees, in accordance with international law.
Canada has played a prominent role in the search for a viable and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, including through continuing to focus international attention on improving the situation of the more than four million Palestinian refugees.

Occupied Territories and Settlements

Canada does not recognize permanent Israeli control over territories occupied in 1967 (the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip). The Fourth Geneva Convention applies in the occupied territories and establishes Israel's obligations as an occupying power, in particular with respect to the humane treatment of the inhabitants of the occupied territories. As referred to in UN Security Council Resolutions 446 and 465, Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The settlements also constitute a serious obstacle to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
Canada believes that both Israel and the Palestinian Authority must fully respect international human rights and humanitarian law which is key to ensuring the protection of civilians, and can contribute to the creation of a climate conducive to achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement.

The Barrier

Canada recognizes Israel's right to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, including through the restriction of access to its territory, and by building a barrier on its own territory for security purposes. However, Canada opposes Israel's construction of the barrier inside the West Bank and East Jerusalem which are occupied territories. This construction is contrary to international law under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Canada not only opposes Israel's construction of a barrier extending into the occupied territories, but also expropriations and the demolition of houses and economic infrastructure carried out for this purpose.

Terrorism

Canada condemns all acts of terrorism and terrorists should be brought to justice and prosecuted in accordance with international law. Terrorism must be rejected as a means for achieving political ends. It is counter-productive to reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement. Canada equally condemns all forms of incitement.
Canada has listed Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and other groups as terrorist organizations in accordance with UN Resolution 1373 (2001) and Canadian legislation. The Government of Canada has no contact with these groups.

United Nations Resolutions on the Middle East

Every year, resolutions addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict are tabled in the United Nations, such as at the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. Canada assesses each resolution on its merits and consistency with our principles. We support resolutions that are consistent with Canadian policy on the Middle East, are rooted in international law, reflect current dynamics, contribute to the goal of a negotiated two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and address fairly and constructively the obligations and responsibilities of all parties to the conflict. Canada advocates a fair-minded approach and rejects one-sided resolutions and any politicization of the issues. Successive Canadian governments have been concerned about the polemical and repetitive nature of many of the numerous resolutions. Canada believes that the United Nations and its member states have a responsibility to contribute constructively to efforts to resolve the Israeli-Arab conflict. Canada will continue to examine carefully each of these resolutions as they come forward.

Date Modified: 2014-01-13

Harper admits Canada concerned about settlements

But visiting prime minister says ‘there are more than enough’ people who single out the Jewish state for criticism

By Spencer Ho January 21, 2014, 5:02 pm 0-The times of Israel

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday admitted that notwithstanding his country’s effusive support for the Jewish state, a support rooted in a “fundamental Canadian ethic,” Ottawa had longstanding concerns about Israel’s settlements in the West Bank.In a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the third day of his landmark visit to Israel, Harper said that “of course” his country has voiced concerns over settlement building “on many occasions. Leaders on both sides know what Canada’s view on this is.”However, despite these differences, Israel was assured of his country’s full support, Harper added, noting that his country recognized an ethical obligation to embrace the world’s small minorities, such as the Jews.“I raised the issue of settlements privately. I am not here to single out Israel for criticism. There are more than enough to do that, they don’t need me. I find it interesting that yesterday in the Palestinian Authority no one asked me to single out the PA for any criticism about governance or human rights, I’m only asked to single out Israel.”Harper was following up a speech at the Knesset on Monday night in which he called support for Israel a matter of principle — amid heckles by Arab MKs.“When someone is a small minority in the world, one goes out of one’s way to embrace them, not single them out for criticism,” he said. “That is a fundamental Canadian ethic, which is why many Canadians understand the statement I’m making.”

On the prospects of a peace agreement, Harper said he remains “convinced there is a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that peace can be achieved.”Addressing reporters, Netanyahu said that he was committed to making “the quest for [Israeli-Palestinian] peace a success” and that “Canada and Israel want to see a Middle East that is more secure and more free.”He also warned the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers not to forget past lessons, amid a rise in violence along the territory’s border with Israel, including a steady increase in the number of rocket attacks in recent weeks.“We foil terrorist attacks when we identify that they are in the making and we respond against those who attack us,” Netanyahu said. “If Hamas and the other terror organizations forgot this lesson, they will learn it again the hard way and very soon.”His comments came a day after terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired three rockets at Israel’s Western Negev region, while rockets fired from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula landed near the resort city of Eilat.Netanyahu also spoke of the Iranian nuclear program, which Tehran scaled back Monday as its interim agreement with world powers came into effect.“Iran’s military nuclear program must be stopped, and Iran’s military nuclear program will be stopped,” he said, although he didn’t elaborate as to how that goal would be achieved. “A nuclear armed Iran would not just endanger Israel — it would threaten the peace and security of our region. It would give Iran’s terrorist proxies a nuclear umbrella. It would launch a multilateral nuclear arms race in the Middle East, it could turn the Middle East into a nuclear tinderbox.”Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu and Harper witnessed the signing of the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership Memorandum of Understanding, which “reaffirms the close and special friendship that underpins the bilateral relationship, and lays out a strategic direction for stronger future relations between the two countries,” touching on “energy, security, international aid and development, innovation, and the promotion of human rights globally,” according to a statement from Harper’s office.They also set a February 3-9 date for negotiations on expanding the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.“An expanded and modernized trade agreement with Israel will generate more jobs and economic growth at home and in Israel, while strengthening the close friendship that both countries enjoy,” Harper said in a statement.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

The book of Bibi

US rep: Netanyahu the next King David

Tea Party Republican Louie Gohmert believes the Israeli PM should use prayer gatherings to solve Israel’s many problems

By Lazar Berman January 21, 2014, 5:59 am 6-The Times of Israel

It is no secret that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys the respect of many members of the US Congress.But one congressman may have outdone them all in his admiration for the Israeli leader.Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert compared the Israeli leader to King David and King Solomon, according to the liberal website The Raw Story.“I told the prime minister, I said, ‘I mentioned this to you in 2009′ — we met a couple of times since then, but anyway — ‘I mentioned this to you in 2009 and I want to reiterate it, I think, I’m not a prophet, I know the Old Testament, I know history, I think you’ve got a chance to be one of Israel’s great leaders,’” Gohmert said Sunday at the South Carolina Tea Party convention in Myrtle Beach.

“And Michele [Bachmann] said, ‘He is one of Israel’s great leaders!’” he added.“I said, ‘I am talking about all time. The big ones. Going back to David, to Solomon, up through Josiah, Hezekiah until the end, on up through Ben Gurion,’” the Texas Republican continued. “’All of the greatest leaders of Israel had one thing in common: They called upon the nation of Israel to honor the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that has not happened in many decades.’”Gohmert also urged the Israeli leader to use prayer gatherings to deal with the country’s many challenges.“And I know you’ve got secularists, and I called off a couple, that you have to deal with here and tell them this is not for you, it is only for people who believe, but I’m declaring a national day of prayer and fasting in this crisis for God’s direction and protection, and for all of those who believe,” he said. “And I said, I promise you God will answer that prayer, the secularists will hear, the world will see, and even people in the United States will see, and Israel will be blessed because of you doing that.”

Gohmert, a tea party movement favorite, is a four-term congressman.

In first, Iranian warships en route to Atlantic

Khark helicopter-carrier warship and Sabalan destroyer said heading west in historic trip, no military objective mentioned

By Times of Israel staff January 21, 2014, 12:20 pm 17

Illustrative photo of an Iranian warship in the Strait of Hormuz (photo credit: Alex Hicks, Wikimedia Commons)

Iran’s navy has dispatched warships on a mission to the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in history, an Iranian news agency said.The flotilla, consisting of a Khark logistic and helicopter-carrier warship and Sabalan destroyer, could journey as much as 25,000 nautical kilometers in the next three months, Fars News reported Tuesday.No specific military mission was identified, and no ports of call were mentioned.Bidding farewell to the crews, Rear Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Moussavi said Iran has a message of peace and friendship for the nations of the world and only seeks to display its defensive power capabilities.But previous statements by high-ranking Iranian naval personnel had declared Iran’s intention to dispatch a next flotilla of warships to the high seas at around this date to protect the country’s cargo ships and oil tankers against pirate attacks.According to navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, “The navy’s next flotilla will be dispatched to either the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic on January 21 – February 20.” He underlined that the flotilla will pass through the Mediterranean Sea to reach the Atlantic Ocean.Since November 2008, the Iranian navy has been operating anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, after Somali buccaneers hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.The Gulf of Aden — which links the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal — is a critical energy corridor and the primary route for Persian Gulf oil shipped to Western markets.

Authorities Fear Black Widow Targeting Sochi Games

By Caitlin Burke

CBN News Reporter

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

One day after terrorists released a video promising to target the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, next month, authorities are searching for a woman known as a black widow.The term is given to widows of terrorists who vow to carry out an attack to avenge their husbands' death.Authorities believe the widow, who hails from North Caucasus region -- a place known to be a hotbed for terrorism, arrived in Sochi weeks ago."Remember, the Boston bombers came out of this Dagestan-Chechen rebel area, so I think the threats are real," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said.CBN News terrorism analyst Erick Stakelbeck said the insurgents have links to al Qaeda and pose a threat not only in Russia but around the globe."Russia has fought two wars in Chechnya to keep them in the fold," Stakelbeck said. "And these guys are bloodthirsty, they're vicious, especially these Chechen terrorists."Chechen rebels are well-known for recruiting women to train as suicide bombers. In 2010, two female suicide bombers killed about 40 people in attacks on the Moscow train station.The dangerous North Caucasus region is one of the least evangelized places on earth. But some believers, like a woman named Sasha, are working in the shadows. These people say it's a risk worth taking to make the name of Christ known."Only Jesus can change lives and bring the hope people are looking for," Sasha told CBN News.Islamists in the region carried out two attacks recently, and they're warning of more to come, including what they're calling a "surprise package" for visitors to the Olympics.

"If the games aren't attacked there will be attempts to attack, either the transit routes into the games or particular venues in the outlying areas," security expert Christopher Swift said.Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin says he will use whatever measures are necessary to ensure the Olympics are safe. More than 80,000 Russian troops are already deployed on the ground.