JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Flaming kites and balloons launched from Gaza spark fires in south-Latest blazes come after rockets launched at Israel from Strip in retaliation of targeting Hamas member involved in airborne arson attacks-By TOI staff-JUN 27,18
Flaming kites and balloons launched from the Gaza Strip sparked four fires in southern Israel Wednesday.Though firefighters had the four blazes under control, a number of additional fires broke out near the Kissufim Forest, Channel 10 reported.The network said firefighters were at the scene combating the blazes. There were no reports of injuries, but the fires have caused extensive damage in recent weeks.Overnight, the Israeli military carried out a number of strikes in the Gaza Strip in response to the launching of incendiary balloons from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel on Tuesday, which sparked a number of fires.One of the strikes targeted a car that the army said belonged to a senior Hamas operative involved in the airborne arson attacks. The army said it also used an additional aircraft and a tank to strike two Hamas outposts in the north of the Strip.Palestinians said the vehicle that was hit belonged to one of the Hamas terror group’s field commanders and was parked in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. There were no casualties reported, indicating the car was empty at the time.Terror groups in Gaza launched over a dozen rockets toward Israel in retaliation for the strikes, setting off warning sirens and sending thousands of Israelis to bomb shelters.At least three rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. There were no reports of casualties or damage in Israel. In addition, no rocket impacts were reported inside Israeli communities.The Israel Defense Forces issued a warning to Hamas after the rocket attacks, saying the group “would pay the price for the terror and the instability.”In recent weeks, the military has adopted a policy of targeting Hamas positions in response to repeated incendiary kite and balloon attacks from Gaza in an effort to force the group, which rules the coastal enclave, to stop launching the arson devices and to force others in the Strip to abandon the tactic as well.However, Hamas is attempting to maintain that the near-constant airborne arson attacks, which have burned thousands of acres of Israeli land, do not warrant retaliatory strikes by Israel and therefore accuses Jerusalem of violating the tacit ceasefire between the two sides.“Bombings will be answered with bombings,” Hamas said after its rocket attacks on Wednesday.It was the third such exchange between Israel and Hamas in recent weeks. On June 18 and 20, Hamas and its ally the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched similar rocket and mortar attacks at southern Israel after the IDF conducted airstrikes against Hamas positions in response to repeated arson attacks.The Israeli military has carried out multiple warning strikes in recent weeks at groups of Gazans preparing to launch incendiary devices toward Israel. The army has said repeatedly that it will act to prevent the launch of the airborne incendiary devices and explosives.Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched countless kites, balloons and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland, parks and forests.Israeli leaders have warned that the military is prepared to take more intense offensive action against the phenomenon.Israeli leaders have been split on how to respond to those responsible for the airborne arson attacks, with some calling for the IDF to shoot the kite flyers and balloon launchers on sight, while others argue that it would be a step too far.
Police seize thousands in Hamas cash from family of dead terrorist-Cops confiscate money from East Jerusalem home of Alaa Abu Dheim, who killed 8 students in a terror attack at Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav yeshiva in 2008-By TOI staff-JUN 27,18
Police seized tens of thousands of shekels from the family of an East Jerusalem terrorist on Wednesday, which cops said was paid as a stipend by the Hamas terror group.The NIS 43,000 ($11,800) in Israeli and foreign currency had been given to the family of Alaa Abu Dheim, who in 2008 shot dead eight Israeli students, aged 15-26, in Jerusalem’s Mercaz Harav yeshiva and wounded 11 more.Abu Dheim, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber, was killed during the attack by an off-duty IDF captain and a student in the yeshiva.“The activities carried out this morning were another step in the general actions of the Israel Police and security forces to prevent, thwart and stop those directly involved in riots or terror activities in Jerusalem, and also against those who encourage and support terrorists,” police said in a statement.“The operation was the result of covert activity and targeted intelligence gathering by the Israeli Police and security forces which found that the family of the terrorist who live in East Jerusalem received cash and funding from Hamas in support for the murderous terror attack,” police said.“We will not permit financial support from a terror organization for the families of terrorists who carry out murderous attacks,” they added.Security forces and lawmakers have worked to end payments from the Palestinian Authority and from Palestinian terror groups to families of terrorists which they say encourage further attacks.On Wednesday lawmakers gave the final go-ahead for a decisive vote on a bill that would slash funds to the PA by the amount Ramallah pays out to convicted terrorists.The bill, proposed by Yesh Atid MK Elazar Stern and Likud MK Avi Dichter, says that welfare payments paid out by the PA to Palestinian prisoners and their relatives must be deducted from tax revenues Israel transfers annually to the administrative body. The money withheld in this way would instead go into a fund designated to help victims of terror attacks.Under the current law, based on the 1994 Oslo Accords that established the PA and the mechanism for Israeli funding, the finance minister already has the ability to freeze funds.The measure, which would cut hundreds of millions of shekels from tax revenues transferred to the PA, is similar to a measure recently passed in the US, known as the Taylor Force Act, withholding funding to the PA over stipends to terrorists and their families.According to the Defense Ministry, the PA in 2017 paid NIS 687 million ($198 million) to the so-called “martyrs’ families fund” and NIS 550 million ($160 million) to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club — some 7 percent of its overall budget.Palestinian prisoners serving 20- to 30-year sentences for carrying out terror attacks are eligible for a lifetime NIS 10,000 ($2,772) monthly stipend, the Defense Ministry said, citing PA figures. Those prisoners who receive a three- to five-year sentence get a monthly wage of NIS 2,000 ($554). Palestinian prisoners who are married, have children, live in Jerusalem, or hold Israeli citizenship receive additional payments.The Defense Ministry last month released figures alleging that some terrorists who killed Israelis will be paid more than NIS 10 million ($2.78 million) each throughout their lifetimes by the PA.
Prince William’s Jerusalem visit highlights unique ancestor-UK royal meets descendants of Jews saved by his 'righteous gentile' great-grandmother Princess Alice, whose Mount of Olives tomb he'll visit Thursday-By Aron Heller-TOI-JUN 27,18
AP — When Prince William caps his historic royal tour of the Middle East with a visit to the holy city of Jerusalem, he’ll not only be venturing into the epicenter of world religion and regional politics but also, oddly, into a long overlooked chapter of his own family.The prince will make a pilgrimage Thursday to the tomb of his great-grandmother Princess Alice of Battenberg and Greece, one of the more unusual characters in royal history, whose last wishes were to have her remains buried in a crypt below a Russian Orthodox church in east Jerusalem.The deaf great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria lived a modest life, struggled with mental illness and saw three of her daughters marry prominent Nazi supporters before establishing an order of nuns. But the mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II is particularly lauded in Israel for sheltering persecuted Jews during the Holocaust.The prince’s visit to the Jewish state, the first official one of a member of the British royal family, has shone a light on the lesser-known side of his family tree. Visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, he noted with pride that his great-grandmother had been recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations, the highest honor Israel grants to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Princess Alice hid three members of the Cohen family in her palace in Athens during the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War II. Yad Vashem said she saw to everything they needed “and even visited them in their hiding place, spending many hours in their company.”She once used her deafness to convince Gestapo officers that she did not understand them and could not let them search her property. Thanks to these and other efforts, the Cohen family survived and today lives in France. While meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prince William was introduced to some of the family’s descendants.“We all owe our existence to the courage of Princess Alice,” said Philippe Cohen, 31. “Prince William was very proud to know that his great-grandmother had saved our whole family.”The Holocaust chapter was only part of an exceptional biography that included periods of exile, a nervous breakdown and subsequent stay in a sanatorium and various good deeds for those less fortunate, said Hugo Vickers, a royal historian who wrote a book about her. Her location of final resting place is also extraordinary. Though she died at Buckingham palace in 1969, and was initially interred in the royal crypt in Windsor Castle, her remains were transferred in 1988 to the gold-domed Church of St. Mary Magdalene above the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem.Princess Alice had asked to be buried near her aunt and role model, Grand Duchess Elizabeth, a Russian Orthodox saint who also established a convent and helped the poor before she was murdered following the Russian Revolution.“I am glad Prince William is learning about this remarkable figure because she really exemplified the best qualities of a princess, which is to look after your people in difficult times,” Vickers said of Princess Alice. “She had no money and nearly starved to death in World War II. She is the one who should be made a saint.”Born deaf in Windsor Castle in the presence of Queen Victoria, Princess Alice was raised in England, Germany and Malta. She married Prince Andrew of Greece, with whom she had five children including her only son Philip, the future Duke of Edinburgh and consort of Queen Elizabeth II.She was later cast into exile when the Greek royal family was overthrown. Even before being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, she had begun to set up charities for Greek refugees. Later, she established a nursing order of Greek Orthodox nuns modeled after that of Grand Duchess Elizabeth.During the war, her son served in the royal navy while her German royal sons-in-law fought for the Nazis — and all the while, she hid Jews.In a 1994 visit to Yad Vashem, Prince Philip planted a tree there in his mother’s honor and visited her grave site. His eldest son Charles, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, later paid a similar visit.“I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special,” Prince Philip said in his visit. “She was a person with deep religious faith and she would have considered it to be a totally human action to fellow human beings in distress.”Vickers said that Princess Alice was quite humble and would likely have been dismayed that he made her story public. But he said he felt a duty to bring to life this colorful character who “dressed like a nun and smoked like a chimney,” and whose disability and struggles may have made her more sensitive to those in need.“I think Prince William may see in her a certain quality that his mother had,” Vickers added. “She was also good with the poor and the sick, the old and the young.”
Prince William to Abbas: ‘I’m glad our two countries work so closely together’-No comment from Israel as royal guest appears to make a diplomatic slip and recognize the Palestinian Authority as a 'country'-By TOI staff-JUN 27,18
Britain’s Prince William was greeted by an honor guard in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday before sitting down with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.“I’m very glad our two countries work so closely together and have had success stories with education and relief work in the past, so, long may that continue,” the royal told Abbas.“My sentiments are the same as yours in hoping that there is a lasting peace in the region,” the prince said.“The Palestinian side is committed to the peace process with the Israelis, so both states could live peacefully together within the borders of 1967,” Abbas responded.William’s comments, specifically referring to Palestine as a country, had the potential to cause a diplomatic incident, with Israel opposing any attempts by the Palestinians to gain recognition as a state until a peace deal in signed.The international community typically refrains from referring to the Palestinian territories as a country or state, instead supporting the Palestinian demand for a sovereign state in the future under a two-state solution.And while Palestine has observer status at the United Nations, it is not an officially recognized member state.But it appeared that Israel was willing to grant the royal visitor some grace, with the Foreign Ministry declining to comment on his use of the term “country.”In a statement, the British foreign office did not comment directly on the Prince’s words but said “the UK government supports the creation of a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian state — living in peace and security, side by side with Israel.”“The UK will recognize a Palestinian state at a time when it can best help to bring about peace.”UK Ambassador to Israel David Quarrey last week defended describing Jerusalem’s Old City as being part of the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” in the prince’s itinerary.“All the terminology that was used in the program was consistent with years of practice by British governments. It’s consistent with British government policy,” he told reporters.“The duke is not a political figure,” Quarrey went on. “He’ll be here to see a little bit of the country and to get to meet some of the people here.”The Duke of Cambridge, the second in line to the British throne, is expected to later meet with Palestinian young people, and to participate in events celebrating Palestinian culture, music and food.On Wednesday morning he met with Israeli youth and took a stroll down Tel Aviv’s famed Rothschild Boulevard with Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai.On Tuesday, President Reuven Rivlin asked William to convey to Abbas “a message of peace.”Hosting the duke in his official Jerusalem residence, Rivlin said the Palestinians need to accept that Jews have returned to their ancestral homeland and that it was about time Israelis and Palestinians end their conflict.Prince William — the first member of the British royal family to make an official visit to Israel since the state was founded in 1948 — also expressed hope for peace in the Middle East.On Tuesday evening, the royal hailed Israel as a vibrant country that “thrives on innovation, diversity, talent and excellence,” and said ties were at an all-time high.He also promised Britain’s support in the quest for peace between Israel and its neighbors.“I know I share a desire with all of you, and with your neighbors, for a just and lasting peace. The United Kingdom stands with you, as we work together for a peaceful and prosperous future,” he said at an event at the home of the British ambassador in Ramat Gan.On Thursday, the duke is to tour Jerusalem’s Old City, where he is expected to visit the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Al-Aqsa Mosque, though these visits have not been officially confirmed. He will also go to the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene to visit the grave of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice.AFP contributed to the report
White House spokeswoman Sanders to get Secret Service protection -source-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will get Secret Service protection after she was asked to leave a restaurant in southern Virginia in protest of President Donald Trump's policies, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.The source did not provide details. The Secret Service and the White House both declined to confirm the matter.NBC News, which first reported that Sanders would get protection, said security would be provided at her home on a temporary basis, citing a law enforcement official.Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia, on Friday because she worked for Trump. The owner later confirmed the reasoning to media, and the incident drew praise and condemnation online for the restaurant.The incident prompted Twitter attacks from the president on Monday.Trump lashed out at Democratic U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, who told a crowd in California on Sunday that the Red Hen’s actions should be a model for resisting the president’s administration.Tensions have risen over the Republican president’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that initially led to migrant children being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, said the protection was related to other threats Sanders has received."Well, it’s not so much related to the Red Hen as it is to other threats and you got to remember, she has three small children and there have been some nasty things," Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Fox Business Network.(Reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Gregorio and Bernadette Baum)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Opinion-European Defence Fund - the militarisation of EU science-By Bram Vranken-JUN 27,18-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:09-This week a coalition of peace groups and scientists launched a new initiative to call on the EU to stop the militarisation of the EU research policy.Over 700 scientist and academics from 19 EU countries invite their colleagues to sign the online pledge and to call on the EU to stop funding military research.The EU should fund research which helps to tackle the root causes of conflict, instead of triggering another arms race.Earlier this month the European Commission proposed a €13bn budget for research and development of military research, the so-called European Defence Fund.Investing EU funds in military research will not only divert resources from more peaceful areas, but is also likely to fuel arms races, undermining security in Europe or elsewhere.It's not 'the economy, stupid' The European Commission has repeatedly claimed that subsidies for military research are necessary for the development of the European economy.Despite the claims by the commission, scientific research tends to point out that funding for military research has an adverse effect on growth or has no significant effect at all.Researchers warn for the danger of 'crowding out': funding for military research risks to extract resources and skill from civilian sectors, while innovation driven by the civilian sector produces output much faster, cheaper and in a more transparent way.While military research used to produce innovative technologies in the past, the aerospace and defence sector have lost most of its prominence. Increasingly the defence sector is dependent on innovation in the civilian sector and is innovation driven by discoveries in information technology and electronics.This is even recognised by the arms industry itself, which constantly emphasises the need for public funding to remain profitable.Autonomous weapons' worries-But perhaps a European Defence Fund will make us more secure? This is highly questionable as the EU seems to be prioritising highly controversial technologies such as armed drones and autonomous weapons.Worldwide resistance from scientists against the robotisation of warfare is growing.Only in the last couple of months this has led to several remarkable successes. An academic boycott against the research institute KAIST in South Korea forced the institute to withdraw from the development of autonomous weapons.Google as well was faced with widespread resistance from its employees over an AI weapons project.Not without reason. The combination of Artificial Intelligence and war technology makes for a dangerous cocktail.Scientists have repeatedly warned for a global arms race in autonomous weapons. And also the European Parliament has called for a ban.Despite these warnings EU member states have rejected the exclusion of killer robots in the European Defence Funds.Even more worrying is that several of the military projects already being rolled out under the "preparatory action on defence research" are clearly aimed at the further automatisation of military hardware.The commission claims that the European Defence Fund is pivotal for our security. Funding highly-controversial military technology will however only contribute to instability.Worldwide military expenditure is already at its highest level since the end of the Cold War at $1.7trn. Another arms race will not solve any of the security problems we are facing.Concern about these developments has led peace groups and researchers to set up a new European campaign – Researchers for Peace.We urge the European Council – which meets at the end of this week – to heed our call.Bram Vranken is a campaigner with the Belgian peace movement Vredesactie (Peace Action)
Poland amends controversial Holocaust law, nixing penalties-World Jewish Congress says criminalization was an 'egregious mistake,' calls for further examination of 'inherently flawed' legislation-By TOI staff and Agencies-JUN 27,18
Polish lawmakers passed changes to a controversial Holocaust speech law on Wednesday, removing criminal provisions for attributing Nazi crimes to Poland.The amendments passed 388 to 25, with five abstentions, following an emotional session in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament.The original legislation, introduced by Poland’s conservative ruling party, had sparked a bitter dispute with Israel, which said it inhibits free speech about the Holocaust. The United States also strongly opposed the legislation, warning it harmed Poland’s strategic relations with Israel and the US.One key paragraph of the law stated, “Whoever claims, publicly and contrary to the facts, that the Polish Nation or the Republic of Poland is responsible or co-responsible for Nazi crimes committed by the Third Reich… or for other felonies that constitute crimes against peace, crimes against humanity or war crimes, or whoever otherwise grossly diminishes the responsibility of the true perpetrators of said crimes – shall be liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to three years.”The new draft bill was presented to parliament by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and lawmakers held an emotional debate, with members of the opposition lashing out at the Law and Justice party for ever passing the law in the first place.Stefan Niesiolowski of Civic Platform called the original law “idiocy,” while Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, of the Modern party, asked why it had taken the ruling party half a year to reverse course on a move that had harmed Poland’s most important international relationships.“Why so late? Why did so much have to be broken?” she said to lawmakers.The new version removes the penal provisions and is likely to allow Poland to repair its international standing and relationship with its allies. However, Law and Justice also risks losing some support from its nationalist voters.One nationalist lawmaker, Robert Winnicki, described it as caving in to Jewish interests. He even tried to block the podium, seeking to prevent a vote that he called a “scandal,” but the vote went ahead anyway.Morawiecki tried to put a positive spin on the whole affair, arguing that while abandoning the original law, it still had been a success because it had made Poland’s wartime history a topic of international debate.“Our basic goal was to fight for the truth, for Poland’s good name, to present what reality looked like, the realities of World War II and we achieve this goal,” Morawiecki said.World Jewish Congress leader Ronald S. Lauder welcomed the move, saying the criminalization was “an egregious mistake” and calling for further examination of the “inherently flawed” law.“Poles are understandably upset when Nazi German annihilation and concentration camps are referred to as ‘Polish’ simply due to their location on German-occupied Polish soil, but it was an egregious mistake to criminalize those who do so, within the framework of a law that in its essence threatens Poland’s good name and international standing,” Lauder said in a statement.In response to the removal of penalties, Jewish community leader Klaudia Klimek said that the result was positive; however, “as usual, this government destroyed good relations with Israel, Ukraine, and the US and only after reasonable external pressure admitted its mistake and changed.”The dispute with Israel sparked a wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric in Poland, even by members of the government and commentators in public media, as well as hate speech directed against Poles abroad.In April, a Polish nationalist group asked prosecutors to investigate whether Israeli President Reuven Rivlin broke the law during a visit to Poland.The vice president of the National Movement, Krzysztof Bosak, said the request was filed after Rivlin told his Polish counterpart during commemorations at Auschwitz that Poland enabled the implementation of Germany’s genocide.Rivlin told Polish President Andrjez Duda that, while some Poles helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust, others took part in their extermination, and that Poland as a country played a role.“There is no doubt that there were many Poles who fought the Nazi regime, but we cannot deny that Poland and Poles had a hand in the extermination,” Rivlin said in Krakow.“The country of Poland allowed the implementation of the horrific genocidal ideology of Hitler, and witnessed the wave of anti-Semitism sparked by the law you passed now,” the president added, challenging the legislation.In February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that, alongside Poles, Jews were also responsible for perpetrating the Holocaust.“Of course, it’s not going to be punishable, [it’s] not going to be seen as criminal to say that there were Polish perpetrators, as there were Jewish perpetrators, as there were Russian perpetrators, as there were Ukrainian; not only German perpetrators,” he told Yedioth Ahronoth.In March, the Polish attorney general’s office described the law as partly unconstitutional, saying the it was “dysfunctional,” could have “opposite results than those intended,” and could “undermine the Polish state’s authority.”
Japan, South Korea in talks with U.S. to avert damage from Iran sanctions-[Reuters]-By Kaori Kaneko and Jane Chung-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan and South Korea, two major buyers of Iranian oil, are in talks with the U.S. government in a bid to avoid adverse impacts from Washington's reimposition of sanctions aimed at cutting Iran out of international markets.The United States is demanding countries cut all imports of Iranian oil from November, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on allies to cut off funding to Iran.Both countries won waivers that allowed them to buy limited amounts of oil from Iran during the previous round of sanctions that ended in 2016, but Washington has this time adopted a more aggressive stance.Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Wednesday that Japan and the United States were in talks about the sanctions on Iran, but declined to reveal details."Japan and the U.S. are in talks now on re-application of U.S. sanctions against Iran, and I decline to reveal the details of the discussions," Suga said."We are watching carefully the impact that the U.S. measure would cause, and we would like to negotiate with countries involved including the United States so as not to have an adverse impact on Japanese firms," he added.In South Korea, an Energy Ministry official who declined to be named said the government would keep negotiating with the United States in order to get an exemption from the U.S. sanctions."We are in the same position as Japan. We are in talks with the United States and will keep negotiating to get an exemption," said the official.MAJOR CUSTOMERS-While oil supplies were not mentioned by either official, the threat of losing Iranian supplies looms over both countries, who import virtually all of their crude needs.Iran is the third-largest exporter among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and Japan and South Korea are two of its major customers along with China and India.Buyers from Japan, South Korea and India have already started to dial back purchases from Iran.Oil prices on Wednesday did not react strongly as traders had anticipated Washington's move and largely priced in the hard-line stance.[O/R]-"This more aggressive tack from the Trump administration likely means Japan and South Korea will move more quickly to zero-out their imports (from Iran) too. On the other hand, China, India, and Turkey will likely balk at significant cuts to imports by November," political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said in a note.Iranian oil shipments to Japan and South Korea rose after sanctions against Tehran were lifted from 2016, but they peaked at 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) in late 2016 and have fallen to around 200,000 bpd, shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon showed.Suga said the government was also in talks with Tehran. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering going to Iran in July for talks with President Hassan Rouhani, Kyodo News reported on June 21, citing unidentified Japanese government sources.(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO and Jane Chung in SEOUL; Writing by Henning Gloystein; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Richard Pullin)
Watchdog gets authority to assign blame in chemical attacks-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
BRUSSELS — Member nations of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted Wednesday to give the organization the authority to apportion blame for illegal attacks, expanding its powers following a bitter dispute pitting between Britain and its western allies against Russia and Syria.An 82-24 vote provided the two-thirds majority needed to enlarge the purview of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The organization was created to implement a 1997 treaty that banned chemical weapons, but lacked a mandate to name the parties it found responsible for using them.Many participating nations saw the inability to assign responsibility as a senseless hamstring, especially after fatal chemical attacks during the war in Syria. Russia opposed adding a new license to the agency's portfolio, saying that was a decision that belonged to the United Nations.Georgy Kalamanov, head of the Russian delegation to the OPCW conference, was quoted by Russia's Tass news agency saying that "the situation in the OPCW can be compared to the Titanic, which got a hole and began to sink."The vote followed a proposal from Britain. Ambassador Peter Wilson, the British representative to OPCW, said the proposal had 30 co-sponsors and the support for it will allow the Nobel Prize-winning weapons watchdog "not just to say when chemical weapons are used, but by whom."The office of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who travelled to OPCW headquarters in The Hague on Tuesday to push for the proposal, said the organization "will immediately start work to help identify those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria.""It fills a crucial gap left when the United Nations Security Council was prevented from renewing its own investigation in November," a statement from Johnson's office said, referring to objections Russia raised last fall to the OPCW work in Syria.The U.N. Security Council established a joint U.N.-OPCW investigative team to determine responsibility for chemical attacks in Syria. But Russia vetoed a Western-backed resolution in November that would have renewed the joint team's mandate.Russia argued that the change Britain proposed would undermine the chemical weapons organization and threaten its future. Its representative said at the two-day meeting's opening that the Security Council was the only place to discuss such issues and that an adoption of the proposal would undermine the U.N.Russia has veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council. Alexander Shulgin, Russia's ambassador to the Netherlands and the OPCW, said the vote to expand the organization's authority showed that Western nations "want to bypass the Russian veto in New York."Norwegian ambassador Martin Soerby voted with the overwhelming majority and called the outcome "a decisive and necessary decision to expose the perpetrators of chemical attacks."Britain made its proposal in the wake of the chemical attacks on an ex-spy and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury, as well as in Syria's civil war and as part of attacks by the Islamic State group in Iraq. Britain has accused Russia of using a nerve agent in March to try to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal, which Moscow strongly denies.Raf Casert, The Associated Press.
Republicans grill FBI agent who said he would 'stop' Trump-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
WASHINGTON — An FBI agent who worked on separate investigations into Democrat Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump's campaign testified behind closed doors to two House committees Wednesday as GOP lawmakers stepped up efforts to highlight what they say is bias at the Justice Department.Peter Strzok exchanged anti-Trump texts with a colleague, FBI attorney Lisa Page, as both worked on the Clinton investigation and briefly on special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. House Republicans have seized on the texts as part of investigations into the Justice Department, the FBI and decisions that both made during the 2016 presidential election.In one of the texts, from August 2016, Strzok wrote, "We'll stop it," in reference to a potential Trump election win.The barrage of GOP criticism against the Justice Department comes just a few months before the midterm elections, and amid intense sparring between the parties over the FBI's role in the Russia probe. The House could vote as soon as Thursday on a resolution demanding the department hand over thousands of documents that Congress has requested by July 6. The resolution was approved by the House Judiciary Committee.Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to undermine Mueller's investigation for political gain.President Donald Trump criticized the closed-door interview with Strzok, saying it should be "shown to the public on live television, not a closed door hearing that nobody will see."House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., has said there will also be a public hearing with Strzok. The Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform committees are conducting the investigation.A seasoned counterintelligence agent, Strzok had a leading role on the investigation into whether Clinton illegally mishandled classified information through her use of a private email server while secretary of state. He later joined Mueller's team investigating Russian election interference, but was reassigned last summer after the discovery of anti-Trump text messages he had traded with the FBI lawyer. Page had already left Mueller's team.The Republicans' charges of bias were bolstered earlier this month by a report by the Justice Department's internal watchdog that faulted top department officials, including former FBI Director James Comey, for their handling of the probe of Clinton's emails. The report also detailed the communications by Strzok and others criticizing Trump.While strongly criticizing the way the Clinton investigation was handled, the inspector general ultimately found no evidence that bias affected the decision not to bring charges against her.Strzok was recently escorted from the FBI building as his disciplinary process winds through the system, his lawyer has said. He "remains a proud FBI agent" who wants to serve his country but has been the "target of unfounded personal attacks, political games and inappropriate information leaks," according to a statement last week from lawyer Aitan Goelman.Rep. Mark Meadows, one of the most vocal critics of the Justice Department, said as he walked into the interview that he had several questions about the beginning of the Russia investigation in 2016 and informants used to question Trump campaign staff."Ultimately you cannot have bias within the FBI and DOJ and expect justice to be meted out evenly," Meadows said.The Strzok interview is one of several events this week in which House Republicans are criticizing the Justice Department. At a contentious session Tuesday, the GOP-led Judiciary panel approved the resolution requesting the department provide documents, despite an existing agreement to do so that was announced by House Speaker Paul Ryan's office over the weekend.Meadows, R-N.C., and Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, two vocal critics of the Clinton investigation, were behind the resolution, which would not be enforceable but would send a strong message to Justice officials.Justice and FBI have already turned over more than 800,000 documents to congressional committees, but subpoenas from the Justice and Intelligence panels are demanding additional materials. Lawmakers have threatened to hold top Justice officials in contempt or impeach them if the documents aren't turned over.On Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will appear at an open hearing to testify about both investigations and the documents Republicans are seeking. Goodlatte said he intends to use Thursday's hearing to question Wray and Rosenstein about complying with the requests and that he encouraged "others to do the same."Democrats angrily fought the resolution approved Tuesday."What is really going on here is a bad-faith effort by the majority to interfere in an ongoing investigation," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel.Ryan and some other Republican leaders have taken pains to disassociate the document requests from campaign politics or Mueller's probe, saying the House is conducting legitimate oversight.But Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida put politics front and centre at Tuesday's meeting, ticking off several political polls that have shown decreasing support for Mueller."And just as Hillary Clinton and the Democrats lost the election, you are losing this argument," Gaetz told Democrats on the panel who charged that Republicans were trying to interfere in Mueller's probe. If Republicans were doing so, Gaetz reasoned, "Why is it that my Democratic colleagues can't convince the American people of that point?" Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press.
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick-[Associated Press]-Mark Sherman-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, giving President Donald Trump the chance to cement conservative control of the high court.The 81-year-old Kennedy said in a statement he is stepping down after more than 30 years on the court. A Republican appointee, he has held the key vote on such high-profile issues as abortion, affirmative action, gay rights, guns, campaign finance and voting rights.Kennedy said he has informed his colleagues and Trump of his plans, and that his retirement will take effect at the end of July.Trump praised Kennedy as a man of "tremendous vision" and said his search for a new justice would begin "immediately."Without Kennedy, the court will be split between four liberal justices who were appointed by Democratic presidents and four conservatives who were named by Republicans. Trump's nominee is likely to give the conservatives a solid majority and will face a Senate process in which Republicans hold the slimmest majority, but Democrats can't delay confirmation.Trump's first high court nominee, Justice Neil Gorsuch, was confirmed in April 2017. If past practice is any indication, Trump will name a nominee within weeks, setting in motion a process that could allow confirmation of a new justice by early August.Trump already has a list of 25 candidates — 24 judges and Utah Sen. Mike Lee — and said he would choose a nominee from that list.Prominent on that list are Judges Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania and William Pryor of Alabama, seriously considered for the seat eventually filled by Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who serves on the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.Kavanaugh is a longtime Washington insider, having served as a law clerk to Kennedy and then as a key member of independent counsel Kenneth Starr's team that produced the report that served as the basis for President Bill Clinton's impeachment. In October, Kavanaugh dissented when his court ruled that an undocumented teen in federal custody should be able to obtain an abortion immediately.Abortion is likely to be one of the flash points in the nomination fight. Kennedy has mainly supported abortion rights in his time on the court, and Trump has made clear he would try to choose justices who want to overturn the landmark abortion rights case of Roe v. Wade. Such a dramatic step may not be immediately likely, but a more conservative court might be more willing to sustain abortion restrictions.Interest groups across the political spectrum are expected to mobilize to support and fight the nomination because it is so likely to push the court to the right.Republicans currently hold a bare 51-49 majority in the Senate, although that includes the ailing Sen. John McCain of Arizona. If Democrats stand united in opposition to Trump's choice, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky can lose no more than one vote. If the Senate divides 50-50, Vice President Mike Pence could break a tie to confirm the nominee.Regardless of who replaces him, Kennedy's departure will be a massive change for the high court, where he has been the crucial swing vote for more than a decade. He has sided with the liberal justices on gay rights and abortion rights, as well as some cases involving race, the death penalty and the rights of people detained without charges at the Guantanamo Bay naval base. He has written all the court's major gay-rights decisions, including the 2015 ruling that declared same-sex marriage is a constitutional right nationwide.He also has been a key vote when conservatives have won major rulings on the outcome of the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush, gun rights, limiting regulation of campaign money and gutting a key provision of the landmark federal Voting Rights Act.There were no outward signs that Kennedy was getting ready to retire. He had hired his allotment of four law clerks for the term that begins in October and he is planning to spend part of the summer as he typically does, teaching a law school class in Salzburg, Austria.But several former law clerks said that Kennedy, a nominee of President Ronald Reagan, prefers to be replaced by a Republican. Control of the Senate is at stake in the November elections, and if Democrats capture the majority, Trump could find it difficult to get his choice confirmed.Few obstacles seem to stand in the way of confirming Kennedy's replacement before the court reconvenes in October. Republicans changed the rules during Gorsuch's confirmation to wipe out the main delaying tactic for Supreme Court nominees, the filibuster, and the need for 60 votes to defeat it.The other two older justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, and Stephen Breyer, 79, are Democratic appointees who would not appear to be going anywhere during a Trump administration if they can help it.
Iran reopens uranium feedstock plant in preparation to boost enrichment-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
LONDON (Reuters) - Iran has reopened a nuclear plant idle for nine years, its atomic energy agency (AEOI) said on Wednesday, as Tehran prepares to increase uranium enrichment capacity if a nuclear deal with world powers falls apart after the U.S. withdrawal.U.S.-Iranian tensions have resurged since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 nuclear accord, calling it deeply flawed. Under the deal, Iran restricted its enrichment program to ease concerns it could not be put to developing nuclear weapons and in return won relief from sanctions.European signatories are trying to save the accord, which they see as crucial to forestalling an Iranian nuclear weapon. However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the AEOI this month to start preparations to upgrade enrichment capacity in case the European efforts fail.The AEOI said on Wednesday that in response to Khamenei's order and Trump's renunciation of the deal, a plant for the production of UF6, the feedstock for centrifuge machines that enrich uranium, had been relaunched and a barrel of yellow cake has been delivered there.Uranium ore, known as yellow cake, is converted into a gas called uranium hexafluoride (UF6) before enrichment.The UF6 factory, which had been inactive since 2009 due to a lack of yellow cake, is part of the Isfahan uranium conversion facility, according to AEOI's statement on its website."Iran has imported a huge amount of yellow cake since the nuclear deal" in 2015, and had also produced some domestically.The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that is policing Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal, said on June 5 that the AEOI had informed it of "tentative" plans to resume production of UF6.The move is symbolic and permissible under the nuclear deal, which allows Iran to enrich uranium to 3.67 percent, far below the 90 percent of weapons-grade uranium, and caps its stock of enriched uranium hexafluoride at 300 kilograms (660 pounds).President Hassan Rouhani has written to counterparts in France, Germany and Britain, warning that time to salvage the nuclear deal is running out.Rouhani's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the government's website that Rouhani had expressed Iran's demands "very clearly" in this letter.Washington will start reimposing some economic penalties on Tehran in August and more in November.The tightening of U.S. sanctions pressure has set Washington and Tehran, adversaries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, back on a course of confrontation after a period of cautious detente under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Rouhani urged Iranians on Wednesday to "bring America to its knees".(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH IN NOAHS DAY(BECAUSE OF SIN,VIOLENCE AND GODLESS PEOPLE)
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
DEUTORONOMY 28:22-24
22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Heavy summer rainstorms trigger floods in Greece-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 27, 2018
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Heavy summer rainstorms over the past two days have caused flooding in several parts of Greece, including an area near Athens where flash floods last year caused 24 deaths.The country's civil protection agency said Wednesday that the fire brigade responded to 160 calls for help in the area of Mandra and Nea Peramos, southwest of Athens, which were ravaged by the winter floods in 2017.Fifteen people needed to be evacuated from flooded homes or cars late Tuesday.The flooding also forced the closure of several roads in the area. The fire brigade said 95 firefighters with 40 vehicles and a boat were helping address the situation.Flooding problems were also reported in the Halkidiki region of northern Greece, a popular tourist destination, and near Larissa in central Greece.
