Jerusalem News (30 October, 2014, 6 Cheshvan, 5775)
Duration: 6.21 minutes. To Read Articles Please Scroll Down.
Contents:
1. 'Israeli Air Force is Best in the World'Â by Hana Levi Julian
2. The Ties Between Israel and Azerbaijan By Dr. Alexander Murinson October 26, 2014
3. But what about the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Russia, China and Turkey? by Guy Bechor
4. NETANYAHU: ISRAEL FACING AN ATTACK ON ITS RIGHT TO EXIST
by Ari Soffer
5. 'Christians of America support Israel right now in a more aggressive mood than at any time in my lifetime,' Pastor John Hagee, national chairman of Christians United for Israel says.
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1. 'Israeli Air Force is Best in the World'
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israeli-air-force-is-best-in-the-world/2014/10/28/
By: Hana Levi Julian
Published: October 28th, 2014
Extracts:
Israel ranks at the top of the list in a new study published in Business Insider, listing the 15 strongest military forces in the Middle East. Analysts who conducted the study, however, also ranked Israel's air force Number One in comparison with other air force worldwide.
Israel's $15 billion defense budget, 176,500 active front line personnel with 3,870 tanks and 680 aircraft placed the Jewish State at the top of the list.
Turkey's military force was listed in second place.
Military analysts noted that both Jewish and Druze citizens are drafted to serve in the IDF, and that Israel has defended itself against 'a diverse range of enemies' since 1948.
'A close defense relationship with the U.S. and an energetic domestic defense industry give Israel a qualitative edge over all of the region's other militaries,' Business Insider commented.
A major scoring point was the quality of Israel's air force, which the publication emphasized has incredibly high entry and training standards.
'Pilot to pilot, airframe to airframe, the Israeli air force is the best in the world,' said Chris Harmer, senior naval analyst at the Institute for the Study of War and an analyst in the study.
'Israel also has one of the region's most battle-ready armies, a force that has fought in four major engagements since 2006 and has experience securing a few of the most problematic borders on earth.
'Israel's military has also never attempted a coup or ruled the country directly, unlike several others on this list,' analysts wrote.
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2. The Ties Between Israel and Azerbaijan By Dr. Alexander Murinson October 26, 2014
Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 110 SUMMARY: Since gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has emerged as one of Israel's closest friends in the Muslim world. Although Turkey remains Azerbaijan's closest ally, the deterioration in Israeli-Turkish relations has not changed Israel's relationship with the energy rich and strategically located Azerbaijan. Over the last twenty years, the ties between Israel and Azerbaijan have improved drastically. Israel's interest in receiving reliable oil supplies from Azerbaijan, a strategically important supplier of oil, is a major factor in Azerbaijani-Israel relations. Similarly, Israel serves has an important supplier of advanced weapon systems to Azerbaijan and an advocate in Washington. In the foreseeable future, it is likely that Azerbaijani-Israeli relations will only increase in areas such as scientific cooperation, information technology, medicine, water purification, agriculture and cultural exchanges. More importantly, strategic cooperation in defense and intelligence fields, as well as in the fight against terror, has proven that two small countries located in an expanded Middle East, have found the unique blend for a successful symbiotic relationship in a highly insecure environment.
For complete report: http://besacenter.org/mideast-security-and-policy-studies/ties-israel-azerbaijan/
IMRA - Independent Media Review
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3. But what about the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Russia, China and Turkey? by Guy Bechor
October 28, 2014, 12:00 am
http://unitycoalitionforisrael.org/uci_2014/?p=12677
Extracts:
Like a regular mantra, US Secretary of State John Kerry has a habit of saying that the Israeli-Palestinian issue cannot remain unchanged.
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Strangely enough, he isn't saying that about the conflict in Syria, where the death toll has already crossed the 200,000 mark with people being slaughtered, beheaded and dying in different ways, on its way to the 250,000 mark; he isn't saying that about the four million refugees from Syria and 10 million displaced people; he isn't saying that about the Islamic State, which is beheading people and butchering minorities; he isn't saying that about Iraq, which has been torn into pieces, or about Baghdad's airport which is about to fall into the hands of jihadist terror.
He isn't saying that about Libya either, a country controlled by a coalition of insane jihad organizations, on the verge of Europe. He isn't saying that about Yemen, which has died and is controlled by wild tribes navigated from behind the scenes by the 'smiling' Iran; he isn't saying that about the intolerable uranium enrichment in Tehran, which has him and the West wrapped around its little finger.
He isn't saying that about Russia either, which not only conquered eastern Ukraine, but also annexed the huge Crimea region. It isn't an 'occupation,' Â after all; that only exists in Israel.
He isn't saying that about Turkey, which brutally conquered one-third of the island of Cyprus, and still controls the area; he isn't saying that about China either, which is slowly turning Tibet into a region inhabited by Chinese; he isn't saying that about Hezbollah, which is piling up tens of thousands of missiles on Israel's border; he isn't saying that about his Qatari friends, who are cunningly funding the terror that the United States is fighting against; he isn't saying that about Hamas either, which proudly announced that it is rebuilding its network of terror tunnels targeting Israeli territory.
He is only saying that about Israel, the only safe, stable, democratic place one can rely on in the Middle East. Only in Israel, the situation cannot remain unchanged.
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The question is why is he always singling out Israel of all the nations in the world? Could it be that it pains him to see Israel secure and thriving, and that's why he has such an urge to weaken it? To sell it to a Palestinian gang whose only goal is to weaken Israel, and then resume the fighting against it after it crumbles?
The situation cannot remain unchanged. Perhaps the foreign minister of the United States would care to explain to us why he only uses this expression here. Why is he singling Israel and the Jews out of all the nations?
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4. NETANYAHU: ISRAEL FACING AN ATTACK ON ITS RIGHT TO EXIST
by Ari Soffer
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Rss.aspx?act=0.1
Extracts:
"When there is pressure on Israel to give up on its security the easiest thing is to give up," he said. "As prime minister I stand for the security of Israel. The life of every single citizen and soldier matters to me, and I am not prepared to make compromises that will endanger our country."
"Our interests are not on the minds of those who attack us or me personally," he emphasized. "The attack on me comes because I defend the State of Israel, and despite all the attacks I will continue to defend our country and the citizens of Israel."
The PM added that despite claims to the contrary relations with Washington were still going strong.
"I respect and value our relations with the United States. The strategic alliance between the countries continues and will continue," he said.
Addressing those present - including members of Ze'evi's family - Netanyahu related to the existential challenges faced by the State of Israel, and issued a veiled dismissal of accusations that Israeli construction for Jews in Jerusalem is somehow the main impediment to a peace agreement.
"Israel faces an attack against its right to exist. There are those who dispute the relationship between the people of Israel and its land. There are those who are not ready to (accept) the right of our nation to its own nation-state. This was, and will always be, the root of the conflict."
The PM also remark on the irony of "those who accuse the soldiers of the IDF of war crimes, at a time when we are defending ourselves with unparalleled morality."
He noted that Ze'evi himself had always been quick to jump to the defense of the IDF, and had noted that "the IDF is the only army in history to conquer the Temple Mount and not destroy the places of worship there."
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5. 'Christians of America support Israel right now in a more aggressive mood than at any time in my lifetime,' Pastor John Hagee, national chairman of Christians United for Israel says.
http://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/While-threats-to-Israel-surge-so-does-Christian-Zionism-says-CUFIs-Hagee-380145
Extracts:
While anti-Semitism in Europe and anti-Zionism on US college campuses are on the upswing, how is American Christian support for Israel trending? Stronger than ever, says the founder of the country's largest pro-Israel organization.
'I can assure you that the Evangelical Christians of America support Israel right now in a more aggressive mood than at any time in my lifetime,' Pastor John Hagee, national chairman of the 1.8-million member Christians United for Israel (CUFI), told JNS.org.
'We want to send the message to the world and to the Jewish people that Christians are standing up for the State of Israel and the Jewish people at home and abroad,' Hagee said. 'It's not conversation. It's action.'
When it comes to current pro-Israel causes, addressing the Iranian nuclear threat is at the forefront of the evangelical Christian community's thinking.
Hagee told JNS.org that Christian Zionists see the Islamic State threat within the context of the historical persecution of Jews.
'ISIS (Islamic State) murdering Christians and decapitating children is one of the most extreme forms of terror that we have seen in our lifetime, but as far as Christians supporting Israel is concerned, we see it just as a continuum of the terrorist organizations that have been formed over the years that have a covenant to kill every Jewish person on the face of the earth,' he said, citing Hamas and Hezbollah as well as their state funder, Iran.
Popular radio talk show host and author Dennis Prager made a similar point on Sunday, telling the crowd at Cornerstone Church that no matter who is being persecuted, understanding the battle against evil is about 'understanding the Jews' role.'
'How people regard Israel is a litmus test of their whole values system,' Prager said. 'Do they resent that which works, that which is healthy, that which is productive?' Evil focuses on the Jews. Period. Jew-haters are the world's evil group. There are no wonderful people who happen to hate Jews. Those who hate Jews are announcing, is if they wore a button, 'Hello, I'm evil.' That is the way it is.' The Jews carry the burden of God in history. Even Jewish atheists, even Jews who hate being Jews, even Jews who hate Israel, the anti-Semite doesn't distinguish. Zionists went into gas chambers, anti-Zionists went into gas chambers, Orthodox Jews went into gas chambers, and atheist Jews went into gas chambers. They don't care, it's a Jew. The Jew is the embodiment and representation of God on this earth, whether they like it or not.'
Prager described a 'civil war' within Christendom between left-wing groups like Presbyterian Church USA, which last July approved a boycott of Israel at its biennial general assembly, and right-wing elements whose replacement theology argues that Jews are no longer God's chosen people. But CUFIÂ [Christians United for Israel] is 'the Christian center,' Prager told the crowd.
'There's nothing wrong with being right-wing, but you're not,' he said. 'In Christendom, you are truly the center. Because there is a right wing that you are fighting just as much [as the left]. - this is Christians united not just for Israel, but for the integrity, 'I' is for 'integrity'of Christianity. You are fighting a fight within and without, and God bless you for doing so, because we need you to win. If you lose, it's over, for the U.S. and for much of the world.'