Opening Hearing of Indictment, October 2, 2019
***
Netanyahu wants pre-trial hearing aired live so public can hear my side
9-28-19, Reuters -- PM Netanyahu wants pre-trial hearing televised and aired live so public can hear “my side” 

***
10-2-19, Arutz Sheva Israel -- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's attorneys spent more than ten hours a hearing on the cases against the prime minister at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Twenty member of the Israeli Attorney General sat before PM Netanyahu's attorneys.

The hearing will last for four days, with defense attorneys aiming to prevent an indictment against the prime minister or at least cancel some of the expected indictments. Attorney Ram Caspi, an external adviser to the prime minister's defense team, said before entering the hearing that Netanyahu did not plan to seek a plea bargain. "Netanyahu does not even think about a plea bargain. Issues such as plea bargaining or pardon did not even come up in the internal talks." Attorney, Adv. Amit Haddad, said: "We will present the evidence that everyone knows as well as new evidence, we are confident that when we finish presenting our evidence there will be no choice but to close the case."

Numbers 29:1; Psalm 81:3-4; Joel 2:1

Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year and Feast of Trumpets [Jews for Jesus] ...
Rosh Hashanah, is one of the Lord's feast days. In Israel it's a joyous time of celebration and thanksgiving to God. Although Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the primary New Year; there are four new years:

1. On the first of Tishri is New Year for Years [Rosh Hashanah], for release and Jubilee years, for plantation and for [tithe of] vegetables. Leviticus 23:23–25
2. On the first of Nisan is new year for kings and for festivals. 
3. On the first of Elul is new year for the tithe of cattle.
4. On the first of Shebat is New Year for Trees…”

On Sunday night, September 29, 2019 two days ending September 30, 2019 the Jewish people will gather with family and friends to celebrate Rosh Hashanah aka Feast of Trumpets. The Jewish New Year is meant to be a joyous time of celebration, thanksgiving and anticipation for a coming year filled with God’s blessings and favor.

Traditionally apples dipped in honey is served to symbolize hope for a sweet and peaceful new year ahead.

Rosh Hashanah in the New Testament

We join the Jewish community in choosing to look back on and commemorate the closing of another year and the beginning of the next. Whereas some Jews believe in an annual day of accounting for one’s actions/sins, we Christians believe that Yeshua’s death has atoned for our sins forever. We know that our names have been forever inscribed in the Book of Life, for we have found atonement through the death and resurrection of Yeshua [Messiah Jesus Christ].

Nevertheless, we hear the blast of the shofar [rams horn] at Rosh Hashanah as an ongoing call to spiritual vigilance, and it expresses our yearning for the Lord. Not only that, for us the shofar serves as a reminder of Yeshua’s coming return.

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you,” the Apostle Paul writes in (Ephesians 5:14). “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). More here

UPDATE:
9-21-19, Guardian -- On Sunday afternoon, 9-22-19 President Reuven Rivlin will meet again with both GANTZ & NETANYAHU in an attempt to break the stalemate or face the possibility of a potential third round of elections in less than a year.

Rivlin holds a largely ceremonial post, but is responsible for choosing the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. Usually, the decision is clear and often goes to the leader of the largest party, but the muddied result has created an impasse.

An alliance of the country’s minority Arab population could also play a role, after they became the third-largest bloc in the Knesset. Ayman Odeh, the head of the group, said that he may back Gantz, but even that would not give him a majority. More here
***
9-20-19, JerusalemPost -- Today PM Netanyahu has painted himself as a unifier. His Likud Party also released a statement Wednesday, 9-18-19 [day after election] about the possibility of a third election. Apparently Netanyahu's spin attempted to shift onus it to Blue and White making them look like the bad guys threatening the 3rd election when they did not. Currently, in Israeli political discourse - to shock desensitized voters, accusing one's opponent as a “third election supporter” has become the new way to demonize politicians. ​

On Weds, 9-18-19, PM Netanyahu was busy working on his current primary goal - preventing a Likud rebellion against him or at least postponing it. His second goal is to unite the 56 MK's in his block to prevent Benny Gantz from forming a new government; appears that he's succeeding. Gantz took Wednesday off to rest and consult with his advisers about how to move forward - as he's not politically seasoned - giving Netanyahu time to work. Now looks like he's paid a price for letting Netanyahu dominate the political discourse. They're now entering the post-election fray on equal footing and not with Gantz as the winner and Netanyahu as the loser.

Romans 9:6-9

9-20-19, * -- Clearly as we study Romans 9 we see that the Apostle Paul struggled with the fact that his fellow Jewish contemporaries/Israelites did not believe Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. His pain over their rejection was so deep that he could even wish for God to cut him off - if it would mean the salvation of his kinsmen (Rom. 9:3). However, he did argue, that according to the flesh, it was never the Lord’s purpose to save every descendant of Abraham.

“According to the flesh” is the key phrase here, for Paul grounds his argument by distinguishing between two different nations or peoples that bear the name Israel. His basic point is that if God’s word of promise to save Israel (Isa. 45:17) meant that He would save every person of Jewish heritage, the Lord could be charged with failure; however, that is not what the Lord meant when He promised to save Israel, so the Jews’ rejection of Jesus does not mean God has failed. (Rom. 9:6)

God would not identify all of Abraham’s children according to the flesh as His own people, but only “the children of the promise” (Romans 9:7-9). Paul refers specifically to Isaac as the promised child, taking us back to the history of Isaac and Ishmael. The Apostle quotes from Genesis 21:1-2, 3-7, 12, in which God tells Abraham to see Isaac and not Ishmael as the heir promised to the patriarch (see Gen. 22:1-2). He also quotes from Genesis 17:19, 21, which identifies Isaac as the first fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to give Abraham many descendants through his mother Sarah.

Throughout the history of the nation of Israel, those who were Israelites by birth had to be warned again and again that they had no automatic claim on God’s salvation simply for being the physical descendants of Abraham and for possessing blessings such as the temple in Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 7:1-4; Luke 3:1-9)

Thus, Paul implies, any expectation that the Lord promised to save everyone of Jewish descent is unfounded.

There are some preachers who teach that God’s promises to Israel mean that all Jewish people will be saved regardless of whether they consciously put their faith in Christ. God pledged to save not “all who are descended from Israel” but only those who “belong to Israel.” [Romans 9:6] These who belong to Israel, we shall see, are identified spiritually; they are those who trust in Christ.

There are many people sitting in church pews who believe they are going to heaven simply because they are members of a local visible church. This is false teaching. Salvation comes to us only through faith, and it is only for those who believe in Christ. John 14:6

Passages for Further Study:

• Deuteronomy 10:12-22
• Micah 7:18
• John 8:31-59
• Romans 11:1-6

*Excerpted and adapted from Ligoniers here

UPDATES:
Gantz Declares Win, Rejects Netanyahu's Call for Negotiations

9-19-19, WallStreetJourn -- Former Lt General and military chief Benny Gantz declared victory today in Israel’s election and rebuffed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s calls for power sharing, as the country braced for weeks of political uncertainty at a time of rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Mr. Gantz has yet to receive a mandate to form a government from Israel’s president. [Israel’s Channel 12 projected Blue and White leading Likud 33 to 31 seats with 98% of the vote counted.]Mr. Gantz vowed to lead a broad coalition from across Israel’s political spectrum, known as a unity government, ending several years of right-wing and religious majorities led by Mr. Netanyahu.

Prime minister Netanyahu conceded Thursday that he would be unable to form the government; but insisted he would lead a unity government with Mr. Gantz’s Blue and White Party ... that Gantz rebuffed. Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement that he was disappointed by Mr. Gantz’s remarks. More here
***
An Unlikely Winner in Israel's Election
9-18-19, 11:00 PM, TEL AVIV, Israel: ForeignPolicy.com—A day after voting in the second parliamentary election in half a year, Israelis woke up on Wednesday to an uncertain picture of who would be their leader. For the first time in the Jewish state of Israel, the country’s Arab Muslim minority could wield some leverage in the political process. An alliance of four small Arab political parties, is part of a left-center bloc that drew enough votes in yesterday’s election to prevent Netanyahu's Likud party from forming a governing coalition. Arab Israelis make up about 20 percent of the country’s population. Now, the coming weeks of coalition haggling, the Blue & White party may become a key bulwark for Former Army Lt Gen Benny Gantz if he becomes prime minister... more here
***

9-18-19, Business Insider -- Apparently the Blue White Party of Benny Gantz has more votes [one] than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party. The governing apparatus in Israel will now go into huge compromises to form a government. The two largest parties will now make deals with the smaller parties in order to form a government; just like they did in April and failed causing the second election.

Israel election: exit polls suggest result too close to call – live ...
9-17-19, 6 mins ago - Guardian -- According to the TIMES OF ISRAEL, Yuli Edelstein, the Knesset speaker and a senior member of Likud, says that the party will stick by Netanyahu. However, current polls suggest that neither Benjamin Netanyahu [Likud] nor Benny Gantz [Blue & White] will likely have enough seats and allies to form a 61-seat majority. A national unity government is possible but unlikely as long as Netanyahu is Likud leader because Gantz has ruled out joining a government with Netanyahu. More here

9-16-19, * -- The constitution of ‘Palestine’, a terror state funded by the rest of the world, declares that "Islam is the official religion in Palestine" and that "Islamic Sharia shall be a principal source of legislation." Sharia, or Islamic law, imposes the death penalty on homosexuality. That’s the way it is from Islamic Qatar to Iran, and Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan. So it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when a gathering by a gay right group operating under Palestinian Authority rule, Al-Qaws, was met with severe threats.
 
The Palestinian Authority Org [PLO] police, a paramilitary terror organization that draws its personnel from supporters of Fatah, the core group of the PLO, warned that gay activists would be arrested and tried. A spokesman for the PA police said that gay rights were “harmful to the higher values and ideals of Palestinian society” and “unrelated to religions and Palestinian traditions and customs.”
 
Somehow, the Muslim terrorists targeting gay people decided their prosecution of homosexuals is the fault of the Jews. The modern state of Israel has as much to do with the Islamic position on homosexuality, as it does with the Islamic support for wife-beating or beheading infidels.

While the PA urged locals to turn in members of Al-Qaws and ‘Palestinians’ denounced them and called for their deaths, the Soros-funded gay rights organization jumped into action and blamed Israel. Claiming that singling out incidents of homophobia in Palestinian society ignores the complexities of Israel's colonization and military occupation being a contributing factor to Palestinian LGBTQ oppression within the larger context of Israeli occupation. [Apparently ignoring the annual gay pride parade in Tel Aviv that’s lauded to be the best worldwide!]
 
Al-Qaws is just coming off a $100,000 grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. A decade of cash has poured in from the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice and other charities. The real business of Al-Qaws was attacking Israel. In 2018 when Eurovision came to Israel, it claimed that gay rights was part of “Israel’s propaganda campaign”, and insisted that gay people should boycott Israel because the “struggles for queer and Palestinian liberation are inseparable.” [..snip]
 
Many politicians claim that gay rights cannot be allowed to distract from supporting an Islamic terrorist state against Israel. Likewise, anti-Semitism is a legitimate accusation when directed at Republicans, but not Democrats.
 
The ‘Queers for Killing Jews in Palestine’ can rename themselves, ‘Queers for Killing Queers in Palestine’.
 
*Excerpted and adapted full original report from Daniel Greenfield here
http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2019/09/when-muslims-oppress-gays-its-fault-of.html

In 2005 Nine Thousand Israeli Citizens Forcibly Expelled from Gaza - FOR PEACE  
In August 2005, US President George W. Bush convinced Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remove all 9,000 Jews from Gaza turning it over entirely to the Muslims [aka Palestinians]. It was called 'Israeli Disengagement' or 'Gaza Expulsion.'

On August 23, 2005 Sharon was praised by the US Pres Geo W. Bush claiming the Palestinians should have their own state. And on that precise day Hurricane KATRINA originated over the Bahamas making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.  In southeast Louisiana [New Orleans] it hovered over the USA from August 29th lasting until August 31, 2005.

And soon thereafter Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke that he never recovered from and finally - after nine years in coma - in 2014 passed into eternity.
Coincidences?

David Singer: Saudi Arabia Jolts Jordan to Negotiate with Israel for Peace
​
8-28-19, The Muslims in Israel aka "Palestinians" Want All of Jerusalem - It is open season for Arab normalization with Israel. The Arab Gulf nations have increasingly found common cause with Israel. On June 16, 2019 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia claimed the “peace” initiative with Israel ... that Jordan was warming-up to the idea ...

After Firing the First Shot, Lebanon Begs U.S, France to Save them from Israel
9-1-19, BIN -- On Sept 1, 2019, the prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri asked the United States and France to intervene after the Shiite Islamic terror group Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli patrol vehicle, leading to the retaliatory fire by Israeli Defense. Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile fire came over a week following an Israeli airstrike against an Iranian-controlled outpost in Syria in which several members of the IRGC were killed; two were of the terrorist group.

Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire at Lebanon border - Al Jazeera
9-1-19, Aljazeera -- Israel's military fired into southern Lebanon on 9/1/19 after a number of anti-tank missiles fired by Lebanon's Islamic terror group Hezbollah targeted its army base and vehicles near the border. The missiles hit several targets in Israel's border town of Avivim on Sunday, the Israeli army said, adding it responded by shelling 100 targets inside Lebanon. According to Hezbollah, the missiles launched from Lebanon destroyed a tank, killing and wounding those inside it - Israel denies that any Israeli was injured.

Hezbollah and Israel trade fire near Lebanese-Israeli border
9-1-19, LATimes -- In an escalation of hostility between Israel and Lebanon not seen since the war they fought in 2006, the Israeli military and the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah traded attacks.
Gen Benny Gantz Critical of PM Netanyahu 'bragging'
9-2-19, Times of Israel -- Israel has long maintained a policy of ambiguity regarding strikes in Syria and elsewhere, in order not to invite reprisal attacks. However, recently critics have accused Netanyahu, who has spoken about hitting Iranian forces in many places, of endangering the country by “bragging” about some strikes in order to score political points in light of the upcoming election Sept 17, 2019. 

On Sunday, 9-1-19, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to take additional measures. He also publicly admitting to tricking Iran-backed group ... mocking Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for living in a bomb-proof bunker  ... “The man in the bunker knows exactly why he’s in the bunker. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to defend Israel’s security, in the sea, on land and in the air, and we will continue to act against the threat of [Hezbollah’s] precision missiles. We are consulting about the next steps. I have ordered that we be prepared for any scenario. We will decide on the next steps pending developments.”

"Blue & White" political party's No. 2, Yair Lapid tweeted Sunday:
“The children in the north are in shelters for one reason: Because Bibi [Netanyahu] violated the successful policy of ambiguity ahead of the elections. This is what happens when the prime minister plays politics at the expense of security.”

Gen Benny Gantz said: “There are things that shouldn’t be talked about and in most cases, maintaining ambiguity serves us well. It’s harmful to Israel, and there is more than one way to convey messages to the other side. Not everything needs to be done through the media. It’s becoming a bit of a political show, and that is not what should happen.”

Blue and White running neck-and-neck with Netanyahu’s Likud to finish as the largest party.

​8-15-19, Haaretz News, Israel -- The upcoming Tuesday, September 17, 2019 re-do election in Israel seeks only five Knesset seats. Some say it'll save Netanyahu from prosecution and undermine Israeli democracy – or vice versa. 

Israelis head to the polls for the second time this year and although it's a very important election, most Israelis seem disengaged, if not apathetic. From the point of view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leftist opponents, these can be divided into three categories:

1. Sweet Dreams (aka Pie in the Sky): The center-left improves its performance in the April 9, 2019 elections by 5 seats, reaching a blocking majority of 60 or more seats without Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu. Benjamin Netanyahu’s path to forming a new right-wing government is effectively blocked. [..snip] Under these circumstances, and on the assumption that Lieberman does not renege on his pre-election commitments, Kahol Lavan’s Benny Gantz will be tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to form a new government. His chances of cobbling together a pure center-left coalition, however, are virtually non-existent...

2. King Lieberman: Both political blocs secure around 55 seats each, as the polls indicated all along. The balance of 10 seats is held by Yisrael Beiteinu, effectively anointing Lieberman as the ultimate kingmaker of Israeli politics. The former defense minister’s endorsement will determine whether Gantz or Netanyahu get the first crack at forming a new government...

#3 Rashida Tlaib says she will not go to Israel 
8-16-19, Muslim Congresswoman from Michigan is propagandizing this issue and it has been a setup from the beginning - her latest outrageous Twitter comment:
"Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she [granny] wants for me. It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in--fighting against racism, oppression & injustice." More here

Tlaib's grandmother says 'May God ruin Trump!' - Reuters
8-16-19, Rashida's granny, ninety-year-old Muftia Tlaib, sitting in her garden in the village of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa said, “Trump tells me I should be happy Rashida is not coming. May God ruin him.” Her son, Rashida’s uncle Bassam Tlaib, said the women had not seen each other since 2006 and was preparing to roast a lamb for the visit.
===

#2 After Jewish State Ban, Tlaib asks to enter Israel to visit her elderly grandmother ...
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-ban-tlaib-asks-to-enter-israel-to-visit-h...​
8-16-19, Muslim Anti Israel Congresswoman Tlaib writes heartfelt letter to Israel claiming here desire to visit her 90 year old grandmother and would refrain from any boycott [BDS] activities while in Israel. In response to Tlaib's letter Israel grants her request to visit.
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#1 ​Israel decides to bar entry to Omar, Tlaib over BDS support
8-15-19, Israel has decided to bar US congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country, following fierce debates on the matter. “Israel has decided — we won’t enable the members of Congress to enter the country,” Hotovely told Israeli public radio, according to the Times of Israel. The reason cited for the move is reportedly “suspected provocations and promotion of BDS [her support for boycotting the Jewish state of Israel].”

Abbas Says "Palestine For Canaanites" ... Outsiders Will Leave" | Asharq
8-12-19, Breaking Israel News -- At a speech in Ramallah, Israel on 8/10/19, Muslim/Arab [Palestinian] President Mahmoud Abbas has perpetuated a myth that is one of the main Palestinian talking points he said: “We will remain in our homeland and the outsiders on this land has no right in this country. The land is for its inhabitants, this land is for the Canaanites who were here 5,000 years ago, and we are the Canaanites.” Quoted in Asharq Al-Awsat. The so called Palestinian leaders - despite its blatant lack of historical veracity - have repeatedly made this claim. Abbas' political position rejecting the US “Deal of the Century,” affirming that no meetings are accepted or attended without the Palestinians’ consent; and that Jerusalem will remain Palestine’s capitol. He urged Palestinians in Gaza Strip to end the division that only serves the enemy, adding that Hamas [Islamic terror group ruling Gaza] and its leaderships are working for the enemy, not for Palestine. [History of the name 'Palestine' here] Dr. Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Dept of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University, stated that all Arab peoples first arrived in the land of Judea with the Muslim invasion from the Arab Peninsula in 637 AD.

Crete hit by THIRD earthquake in a fortnight
8-12-19, Sun.Co.Uk -- According to seismologists, the epicentre of the 7/31/19 Crete 5.3 mag; and the 4.8 & 5.0 recent earthquakes just north of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. The Crete quakes come after  the 6.5 mag massive earthquake that occurred just 60 miles from western Turkey.

​Earthquake Turkey: Magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Turkey's southwest ...
8-8-19, JPost -- Turkey's earthquake observatory reported that an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude rocked Turkey's southwestern city of Denizli.

​Europe tsunami warning: Israel Navy drills prepare for tsunami flood ...
8-11-19, Express.Co.Uk -- EUROPE is preparing for a shock 7.0-magnitude earthquake, amid concerns that a doomsday mega-quake could unleash a tsunami into Mediterranean with just 15 minutes warning. On average, a severe tsunami hits the Mediterranean Sea once a century; and Israel’s coastline suffers one on average every 250 years. 

Ten nations' navies carried out a surprise four-day 'Mighty Waves' drill intended to prepare the countries for a earthquake-tsunami disaster. Forces from Israel, US, France and Greece took part in the doomsday drills in Israel's Haifa port that responded to a simulated 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

Why Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon Threatens Israel
​7-28-19, Algemeiner.com -- The Lebanese Islamic terror group "Hezbollah" is the world's most heavily armed neighbor ...  In a televised speech recently Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah issued a new threat to Israel’s cities and sensitive sites, boasting of their ability to hit targets deep inside the Jewish state of Israel. His threats serving as a reminder of the ambitious arms race that the Islamic Shiite terror army is engaged in, with the massive assistance of its state sponsor Shiite Iran. [Turkey is Sunni Muslim]

7-25-19, Jerusalem Post -- On July 25, 2019, Muslim leader of Fatah in Ramallah Israel - Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting of  Muslim leaders in Ramallah. 
announcing that  Palestinian [PA] leadership has decided to “halt” all agreements signed with Israel.
He has reached out to Islamic terror group Hamas in Gaza, offering to end the dispute between them.
The meeting was called to discuss this week’s demolition of Palestinian buildings in the Wadi al-Hummus area near the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher that the Jewish state of Israel declared illegal. [1]
Abbas said: “We announce the leadership’s decision to stop dealing with agreements signed with the Israeli side. As of tomorrow, we will lay mechanisms for implementing the decision taken by the Palestinian Central Council.” More here
Jeremiah 6:14

[1] EU blasts Israel over Wadi al Hummus home demolitions | JNS.org
7-23-19, Despite being given the green light by Israel’s High Court of Justice, the European Union says the demolition of illegally built homes in eastern Jerusalem violates international law.  

The majority of these structures, unlike others Israel has demolished in eastern Jerusalem, are located in Area A and B of the West Bank. The demolitions capped a seven-year legal battle over the buildings, which Israel maintained posed a security risk as they were erected too close to the security fence. Work crews began the demolition work early on Monday morning, 7-22-19, completing it within hours.

​Items that have been designated as 'dual purpose'; the army's list of banned objects:

1. advanced diving equipment – some of the best in the world - for the hundreds of Hamas naval commandos who have made massive advances since their failed mission to infiltrate Israel by sea during the 2014 war
2. chemical fertilizer
3. tunnel-digging equipment
4. model aircraft
5. balloons
6. laser pointers used to blind IDF forces during disturbances
7. night vision devices that erode the IDF's fighting advantage
8. masks
9. helmets 
10. compasses
11. military footwear, high-quality uniforms
12. technology-based items
    1. drones [cameras & can hurl grenades]
    2. minute cameras that can be placed on the perimeter fence during disturbances in order to provide intelligence to Islamic snipers or terrorists planning to cross the border
    3. encrypted radios
    4. remote-control video cameras
    5. frequency jammers
    6. GoPro cameras
    7. Internet range magnifiers
    8. antennas and more.

Israel is also currently tracking the fake identities to whom the banned items measures were addressed. Looking at the recipients to whom the suspicious packages are addressed also provides a snapshot of life in the Gaza Strip, which has been almost hermetically sealed for 12 years:

• there are almost no exact addresses with house and apartment numbers
• addresses most have a general location, such as the Gaza City neighborhoods of Rimal or Zeitun -- More here

Israel begins large-scale demolition of Palestinian homes in east ...
Israeli work crews on Monday, 7-22-19 began demolishing dozens of Muslims/Arabs [aka Palestinian] homes in an east Jerusalem neighborhood. According to Ir Amim, an Israeli advocacy group that promotes equality and coexistence in the city, Israel has stepped up demolitions of unauthorized Palestinian properties in east Jerusalem. It said Israel demolished some 63 housing units in the first half of this year, compared with 37 during the same period last year. 

Abbas Muslim Leader for 'Palestinians' Calls for Urgent Measures against Israel
The Muslims in Israel PLO [Palestinians] have several measures to protest the Sunday, July 21, 2019 demolition of homes in Sur Baher. Turning to the Hague court or ceasing cooperation with Israel. Israel reports the homes are illegal.

Report: American Islamist Charities Funding Terror in Gaza 
7-12-19, A new report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) finds that a Gaza-based charity that ostensibly receives humanitarian funds from U.S. and Western Islamist benefactors.  While charities play an important role in disbursing humanitarian assistance to needy civilians, the fact that this assistance is finding its way into the hands of terrorists.

​Islamic Jihad, Not Hamas, May Be the Greatest Danger in Gaza Israel
3-12-19, Islamic terror group in Gaza, Israel  - Hamas and the group Islamic Jihad the United Nations fund much of Hamas as a humanitarian effort. According to Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority in Israel said, "Hamas is funded by Iran. It claims it is financed by donations from other nations, but the majority comes Iran." Hamas receives crucial funding and support from Iran, but it has other backers and ... Islamic Jihad was responsible for most of the rocket, anti-tank-missile, ... in a joint war room set up by all the terrorist organizations in the Strip.

Isaiah 41:11-12; Lamentations 2:18; Zechariah 2:8; Numbers 24:9

7-8-19, * -- To many, Israel today is the Start Up nation, a wealthy and a militarily powerful state. It did not become that overnight. Some radical anti-Israel voices erroneously describe Israel as “white.” The facts however are different; as there are over one hundred thousand immigrants from Ethiopia, African economic migrants in the thousands, and Mizrahi Jews from the Arab Middle East, who comprise about half the population.
 
Israelis of all colors and creeds made the desert bloom, overcoming the hardships of wars, terror, and absorbing millions of Jewish refugees without any natural resources. Known today for its unique entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, the nation was reborn as an independent state in 1948. She was bereft of natural and financial resources, little economic infrastructure and few public services. In the 1950’s the government instituted rations; families were allocated monthly food stamps that allowed them to buy limited amounts of meat, sugar, flour, oil and eggs. As a small child I grew up with Holocaust survivors; their ordeals shaped the minds of children, including this reporter.
 
At that time Israel had a quasi-socialist economy, lacking major private ownership of economic entities.  Banks, the national airline - El Al, Israel’s shipping fleet - ZIM, were government owned and operated. And, what the government did not own, the trade unions or Histadrut owned. This was a critical period in the country’s history, that coincided with a massive inflow of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and the Maghreb (North Africa), who had to be housed, fed, clothed and employed. Given the shortage of capital, the burden of dealing with these problems fell upon the public sector. 
 
In Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, a full 1% of the Jewish population was killed and the country’s infrastructure was in disarray. The U.S. and Britain imposed an embargo on the sale of arms during the war and afterward, while Israel’s enemies, Egypt, Jordan, (which was commanded by a British officer named Glubb Pasha) Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria were already established states and could depend on their existing large arsenals. The decades of the 1950’s and 1960’s were anything but peaceful as follows:

• Fedayeen (Islamic terrorists) from Gaza crossed the Green Line into Israel with the aim to kill Israelis and destroy farmland and industrial facilities.
• Buses were attacked killing  many women and children.
• In 1956 the Sinai Campaign began when Israel defeated the Egyptian forces reaching the Suez Canal.
• In 1963 the Six Day War when Israel defeated three major Arab armies. Following the war, the country’s narrow borders were widened to provide more security; erasing the previous narrow waistline of only 9 miles between the border and the Mediterranean Sea, where its main population centers and international airport were located.
• In 1973 the Yom Kippur War when Israel was attacked on its holiest day of the year and again was victorious; but at a very high cost in lives and material.
• In 1979, the miracle of peace with Egypt occurred; and the arrival of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s terrorist regime.
• The 1980’s the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) that claimed the lives of over a million soldiers and civilians.
• In 1981, Israel eliminated Iraq’s dictator’s (Saddam Hussein) nuclear ambitions by destroying the Osirak nuclear reactor in an operation codenamed “Operation Opera.”
• In 1982 the Second Lebanon War when Israel removed the PLO menace from Lebanon.
• In July 1985 economic sphere, the Israeli government Stabilization Plan reduced the government involvement in the economy. U.S. loans to Israel for defense acquisitions were turned into grants. By the middle of 1986, inflation was brought down from three digits to double-digits of around 20%.
• In 1990’s:
  • the arrival of over a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, dramatically increased domestic demand.
  • accelerated economic growth and a sharp increase in investments.
  • In Sept 1993 the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO, were signed on the US White House lawn. However, the peace was short lived as Yasser Arafat, the PLO chairman, incited Palestinian terror, which including homicide bombing.
  • In 1994 Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel.

During 2000-2008 Israel struggled to have peace with the Islamic citizens  [aka Palestinians] while the economy boomed. Tyler Cowen, in a Bloomberg Opinion piece (June 6, 2019) wrote: “In the last half century or so, Israel went from being a relatively poor country to one of the 25 richest in the world, as measured by per capita income. Israel has done this largely by pursuing trade, integration into the global economy, liberalization of the economy and heavy investments in the tech sector and in startups, often with government support.” In 2018 Israel’s Gross Domestic Product [GDP] at $392 billion,and its growth rate was an astonishing 4.4%. The Jewish state has come a long way from exporting oranges and phosphates, to becoming a leading high-tech exporter, including water technology, medical devices and sophisticated military weapons. 
 
Israel’s infrastructure has undergone tremendous expansion, with four lane highways across the country and a comfortable rail service. Israel has not only become rich, it is a comfortable country to live in and visit. 
***
God said, "Behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.  And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink." Joel 3:1-3
​More Bible Verses God Protects Israel here
 
*Excerpted and adapted full report from Joseph Puder, Front Page More here

​Follow-up 6-27-19 Israel Not Invited
The US White House released the plan to be workshopped—“Peace to Prosperity—the Economic Plan: A New Vision for the Palestinian People” -  While the guest list for the workshop includes top diplomats, officials and business people from a host of nations—including Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and Morocco—there will be no government representation from the two entities under discussion: Israel and the Palestinians.The reason for the conspicuous absence? Ever since Pres Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Palestinians have vowed to shun all Trump’s future efforts for peace, including rejecting the “Deal of the Century” outright before knowing what it entails and boycotting attendance of the Bahrain economic workshop.

Therefore, Bahrain subsequently decided to exclude Israel from the list of invitees in a bid to level the playing field. More here
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​Bahrain Conference Palestinians Object and Violence Ensues As Usual
6-26-19, Palestinians riot ... On the surface, this conference looks exclusively economic but it goes beyond this. The danger of this conference does not only manifest in boosting normalization between Arab countries, especially the Gulf, with Israel but also minimize the Palestinian struggle into an economic crisis. Meaning, it depoliticizes the Palestinian cause and portrays it as a humanitarian issue in the first place...

6-4-19, Front Page --   It is apparent what the Gulf states cozying up to Israel and Jews has do with existential interests. Iran is clearly seen as a major threat to the Gulf kingdoms and to Saudi Arabia in particular. The close relations between Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and the US President Trump render Israel an asset. However, we shouldn't overlook the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman’s efforts to modernize his kingdom and loosen the social strictures imposed by the Wahhabi religious establishment. [..snip]
The bottom line is that the Islamic Gulf states have a lot to gain from warm relations with the Jewish state of Israel and an open and formal relationship. They could invest in Israel’s innovative industries and take advantage of Israel’s renowned high-tech sector. Israel’s environmental innovations could address the challenges of their water shortages. Similarly, the Gulf states student population could benefit from Israel’s world-class universities. Tourism is an area that could benefit both parties. The U.S. is in a strong position to make the existing détente into a full fledge relationship between the Gulf states and Israel. More here

Bahrain: Economic conference will help Palestinians | more here
5-22-19, Bahrain said the workshop summit its co-hosting June 25-26, 2019 with the US is aimed at helping the Arabs/Muslims [aka Palestinians] in Israel who have criticized the Islamic Gulf kingdom for failing to consult them and they are boycotting the conference. It will not address the most contentious parts of the conflict: borders, the status of Jerusalem, Muslim/Arabs and Israel's security. It will be held in the capital of Manama and is aimed at offering a vision for investment in Judea/Samaria, Israel [aka West Bank], Gaza and neighboring countries by focusing on the following components:

1. infrastructure
2. industry
3. empowering
4. investing in people
5. governance reforms to “develop the foundation for a prosperous future”

More here

11-21-16, Israel Breaking News --  In years past, the Israeli media reported several important donations made by both the late Fred Trump and his son, Donald John Trump. [Many speculated that the Trump family was Jewish*]

As reported by the recipient, in 1956 real estate developer Fredrick Trump donated the land for the Talmud Torah of the Beach Haven Jewish Center at 723 Ave. Z in Flatbush, New York [1]. The center is currently open offering programs for Jewish youth and the elderly, as well as an active synagogue.

​Effie Stenzler, former chairman of the Jewish National Fund [JNF] told Yediot Ahronot [2], that JNF approached Trump, among other wealthy supporters of Israel, for funds to build an infrastructure for new communities for the Jews who had been expelled from their homes - by their own government - that Fred’s son, Donald John Trump donated heavily:

1.in the 1980s Donald donated to help build new infrastructure for the Israelis removed from the northern Sinai by the Begin government, who returned the peninsula to Egypt as part of the peace agreement.

2.in 2005, Trump gave to help resettle the Jews of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip, exiled by the Ariel Sharon government.
​
3. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Trump’s name appears on a plaque honoring the donors in the Hevel Shalom region, that absorbed evacuees from the Sinai and Gaza. While the exact figure of Trump’s donation for settlement evacuees is not cited, it is estimated to amount to millions of Israeli shekels. [6-25-19 Conversion: one million shekels = $278,280.00 USD]

*The Odd Reason Why Many Believed that Donald Trump's Father Was Jewish...
6-25-19, Donald Trump is not Jewish nor does he have Jewish ancestry. His father, Fred, was a Lutheran and his Scottish-born mother a Presbyterian. However, their affinity for Jews was also espoused by Fred Trump Jr., Donald Trump's older brother, who joined a Jewish fraternity. [..] Though Fred Jr.’s claim to be Jewish has never been taken seriously, the president does have a family connection to Judaism. His daughter, Ivanka converted to Judaism in 2009 before marrying Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew. Ivanka (her Hebrew name is Yael) has said that her father supported her decision to convert “from day one”, adding that he has “tremendous respect” for the Jewish religion.