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Visit our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com | February 18, 2011 |
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1. Nasrallah Threatens to Take Over Galilee
2. Israeli Embassies Threatened, Possibly by Hizbullah
3. Egypt Suez Canal Told Iran Warship Passing Scrapped
4. Syria Mulls First Nuclear Power Plant by 2020
5. Iran Opposition Protests, Agency Reports Shooting
6. Gantz Takes Over as IDF Chief of Staff
7. Hebrew University Reaches Out to US Students Studying in Egypt
8. Milking Israel's Dairy Expertise in Vietnam
1. Nasrallah Threatens to Take Over Galilee
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened Wednesday [February 16] to take over northern Israel in case of war with the Jewish state. Speaking at a Beirut ceremony in memory of Hezbollah fatalities, the group leader said that its fighters would take over the Galilee in case of war.
"I'm telling the fighters of the Islamic resistance: Be ready for the day, should war be forced upon Lebanon, where the resistance's leadership will ask you to take over the Galilee." Referring to Israel's new chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, Nasrallah said, "We now need to get used to his name." The Beirut ceremony was held in memory of prominent Hezbollah leaders, including the group's former military chief, Imad Mugniyah.
On Tuesday [February 15], Israel shut down several diplomatic missions temporarily as result of "unusual incidents against Israeli targets" coinciding with the upcoming anniversary of the Mugniyah assassination in Syria. Meanwhile, the alert level at Israel's missions abroad had been raised to its highest level.
Nasrallah referred to the above threats in his speech, saying: "I'm telling the Zionist commanders and generals, wherever you go, anywhere in the world and at any time, you always need to look out, because Imad Mugniyah's blood had not been spilled in vain."
Earlier Wednesday, Army Chief Gantz delivered a speech at the gradation ceremony of an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] officers' course and addressed the various threats faced by Israel's military at this time. "We are facing considerable security and operational challenges," he said. "Terror activity and the various risks of war require the State of Israel, which longs for peace, to maintain a powerful military force that is alert and ready for any mission."
(By Roee Nahmias, Ynetnews, February 16, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that this threat and others like it will not seed fear in the hearts of the Israeli people, but that they will put their trust in the Lord for their protection.
Scripture
“A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he establishes his way. There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:29-30).
2. Israeli Embassies Threatened, Possibly by Hizbullah
"I'm telling the fighters of the Islamic resistance: Be ready for the day, should war be forced upon Lebanon, where the resistance's leadership will ask you to take over the Galilee." Referring to Israel's new chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, Nasrallah said, "We now need to get used to his name." The Beirut ceremony was held in memory of prominent Hezbollah leaders, including the group's former military chief, Imad Mugniyah.
On Tuesday [February 15], Israel shut down several diplomatic missions temporarily as result of "unusual incidents against Israeli targets" coinciding with the upcoming anniversary of the Mugniyah assassination in Syria. Meanwhile, the alert level at Israel's missions abroad had been raised to its highest level.
Nasrallah referred to the above threats in his speech, saying: "I'm telling the Zionist commanders and generals, wherever you go, anywhere in the world and at any time, you always need to look out, because Imad Mugniyah's blood had not been spilled in vain."
Earlier Wednesday, Army Chief Gantz delivered a speech at the gradation ceremony of an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] officers' course and addressed the various threats faced by Israel's military at this time. "We are facing considerable security and operational challenges," he said. "Terror activity and the various risks of war require the State of Israel, which longs for peace, to maintain a powerful military force that is alert and ready for any mission."
(By Roee Nahmias, Ynetnews, February 16, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that this threat and others like it will not seed fear in the hearts of the Israeli people, but that they will put their trust in the Lord for their protection.
Scripture
“A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he establishes his way. There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:29-30).
2. Israeli Embassies Threatened, Possibly by Hizbullah
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday [February 15] said that multiple Israeli missions abroad were assessed to be “under threat,” according to a press statement posted on their Web site. “Unusual occurrences have been identified recently around a few Israeli missions abroad. Our assessment, at this point, is that these sites are under threat, and this is being taken care of. The relevant Israeli authorities are in touch with relevant authorities in the countries concerned.”
JerusalemOnline.com reported that the threats were “allegedly” from Hizbullah, although the Foreign Ministry statement did not specify a threat source. This past Saturday [February 12] marked the three-year anniversary of the car bomb that killed key Hizbullah operative Imad Mughniyeh, an anniversary that Israel is watching with concern. Hizbullah blames Israel for the assassination, although Israel has not claimed credit.
Jerusalem Online.com said that Israel temporarily closed the threatened embassies, while also noting that the Foreign Ministry had said needed precautions were being taken.
The brief Foreign Ministry statement did not say in which countries the threatened facilities are located. However, the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau posted a travel warning last week for a number of countries that could be at risk in light of the anniversaries of the deaths of Mughniyeh and another senior Hizbullah terrorist, Abbas Musawi.
The travel warning, posted on the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Web site on February 11, noted the anniversaries of the terrorists’ deaths and said, “Concomitantly, there is a growing threat of attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad, especially in Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania and Venezuela.”
The warning said that in light of the threat, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau “recommends not visiting places in which there is a high concentration of Israelis and listening to directives from local security elements.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, February 15, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray shields of protection around all of Israel’s embassies. Pray that any plots and schemes of the enemy will be revealed.
Scripture
“Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You…For they intended evil against You; they devised a plot which they are not able to perform. Therefore You will make them turn their back; You will make ready your arrows on Your string toward their faces” (Psalm 21:8, 11-12).
3. Egypt Suez Canal Told Iran Warship Passing Scrapped
JerusalemOnline.com reported that the threats were “allegedly” from Hizbullah, although the Foreign Ministry statement did not specify a threat source. This past Saturday [February 12] marked the three-year anniversary of the car bomb that killed key Hizbullah operative Imad Mughniyeh, an anniversary that Israel is watching with concern. Hizbullah blames Israel for the assassination, although Israel has not claimed credit.
Jerusalem Online.com said that Israel temporarily closed the threatened embassies, while also noting that the Foreign Ministry had said needed precautions were being taken.
The brief Foreign Ministry statement did not say in which countries the threatened facilities are located. However, the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau posted a travel warning last week for a number of countries that could be at risk in light of the anniversaries of the deaths of Mughniyeh and another senior Hizbullah terrorist, Abbas Musawi.
The travel warning, posted on the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Web site on February 11, noted the anniversaries of the terrorists’ deaths and said, “Concomitantly, there is a growing threat of attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad, especially in Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania and Venezuela.”
The warning said that in light of the threat, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau “recommends not visiting places in which there is a high concentration of Israelis and listening to directives from local security elements.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, February 15, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray shields of protection around all of Israel’s embassies. Pray that any plots and schemes of the enemy will be revealed.
Scripture
“Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You…For they intended evil against You; they devised a plot which they are not able to perform. Therefore You will make them turn their back; You will make ready your arrows on Your string toward their faces” (Psalm 21:8, 11-12).
3. Egypt Suez Canal Told Iran Warship Passing Scrapped
The Suez Canal has been told that plans by two Iranian naval ships to cross the waterway were cancelled, an official said on Thursday [February 17], removing a potential policy headache for Egypt's new army rulers. It was not immediately clear which side was behind the cancellation. Any naval vessels passing through the canal, a strategic international shipping route, must first have approval from Egypt's foreign and defense ministries, officials said.
If the ships had crossed, it would have been the first time since Iran's 1979 revolution that Iranian warships had passed through the canal, officials said. Iran's revolution poisoned ties with Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel that year.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had said plans for the two Iranian warships to sail through the canal en route to Syria were a "provocation". He had said the ships were expected to pass through the Suez Canal overnight on Wednesday. Israel's state-funded Channel One television said Lieberman, a vociferously far-right partner in the conservative coalition, had spoken out of turn, as the Defense Ministry "had preferred to ignore" the ships' approach.
The Suez Canal Authority was "informed today about the cancellation of two scheduled trips of two Iranian warships, and no new date was set to cross the Suez as part of the southern convoy coming from the Red Sea," an Egyptian canal official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
The official, who identified the ships as the Alvand and Kharg, said the vessels were near the Saudi Arabian Red Sea port of Jeddah. Shipping experts had earlier said the ships were the Alvand frigate and Kharg supply ship. Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the canal's board who is responsible for shipping movement, had said the ships had not joined Thursday's early morning northbound convoy in the canal and were not on the waiting list to pass through on Friday.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported on January 26 that Iranian navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean. Syria is one of Israel's neighboring adversaries. It has an alliance with Iran which has deepened along with Tehran's isolation from the West over its disputed nuclear program, which the Jewish state sees as an existential threat.
The Suez Canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. It is also a major source of revenues for the Egyptian government.
(By Reuters, as posted on Ynetnews.com, February 17, 2010).
Prayer Focus
Praise God that a potential crisis has been averted. Pray for protection along Israel’s Mediterrannean border and key waterways like the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz (in the Persian Gulf).
Scripture
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).
4. Syria Mulls First Nuclear Power Plant by 2020
If the ships had crossed, it would have been the first time since Iran's 1979 revolution that Iranian warships had passed through the canal, officials said. Iran's revolution poisoned ties with Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel that year.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had said plans for the two Iranian warships to sail through the canal en route to Syria were a "provocation". He had said the ships were expected to pass through the Suez Canal overnight on Wednesday. Israel's state-funded Channel One television said Lieberman, a vociferously far-right partner in the conservative coalition, had spoken out of turn, as the Defense Ministry "had preferred to ignore" the ships' approach.
The Suez Canal Authority was "informed today about the cancellation of two scheduled trips of two Iranian warships, and no new date was set to cross the Suez as part of the southern convoy coming from the Red Sea," an Egyptian canal official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
The official, who identified the ships as the Alvand and Kharg, said the vessels were near the Saudi Arabian Red Sea port of Jeddah. Shipping experts had earlier said the ships were the Alvand frigate and Kharg supply ship. Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the canal's board who is responsible for shipping movement, had said the ships had not joined Thursday's early morning northbound convoy in the canal and were not on the waiting list to pass through on Friday.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported on January 26 that Iranian navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean. Syria is one of Israel's neighboring adversaries. It has an alliance with Iran which has deepened along with Tehran's isolation from the West over its disputed nuclear program, which the Jewish state sees as an existential threat.
The Suez Canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. It is also a major source of revenues for the Egyptian government.
(By Reuters, as posted on Ynetnews.com, February 17, 2010).
Prayer Focus
Praise God that a potential crisis has been averted. Pray for protection along Israel’s Mediterrannean border and key waterways like the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz (in the Persian Gulf).
Scripture
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).
4. Syria Mulls First Nuclear Power Plant by 2020
VIENNA-Syria may build its first nuclear power plant by 2020 to meet growing energy demand, a document showed, despite international concern over Syrian stonewalling of a U.N. probe into allegations of covert atomic activity. The paper from Syria's Atomic Energy Commission did not say whether the Arab state, under a three-year-old investigation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), might also contemplate producing its own fuel for such a facility.
Any bid by Syria to launch uranium enrichment, like its ally Iran, would probably further alarm the United States and its Western allies about Syrian nuclear activities as such material can also be used to make bombs if refined much more.
Russia said in May last year, during a visit to Damascus by President Dmitry Medvedev, that it was studying building an atomic power plant in Syria. Syrian officials have given no details since then and none was available to comment on Tuesday [February 15].
Mark Hibbs, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Syria would need to import almost everything it needed for a nuclear reactor. But he doubted that any country would help it while it was under IAEA investigation. "The biggest hurdle to Syria moving forward in its nuclear program right now is simply the fact that it is not cooperating with the IAEA in investigating what appears to be serious allegations," he said. "It is almost inconceivable that Syria would be able to import a nuclear power reactor...unless that is resolved."
The IAEA, the U.N. nuclear body, has voiced growing frustration at what it sees as lack of Syrian cooperation with a probe into a desert site bombed to rubble by Israel in 2007. U.S. intelligence reports have said the Dair Alzour facility was a nascent North Korean-designed nuclear reactor intended to produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Like Iran, Syria denies ever having an atom bomb program and says Israel should be investigated instead. It says Dair Alzour was a non-nuclear, military facility, but has refused to allow the IAEA to follow up a 2008 visit. The Syrian document, from a presentation made at a closed-door seminar on nuclear energy at the IAEA's Vienna headquarters last week and posted on the agency's website, made no mention of the dispute.
The country, which has limited fossil fuel supplies, has been plagued for years with electricity shortages. Its paper predicted that national power demand would increase by more than a third between 2010 and 2015. Because of this development, it said building Syria's first nuclear power plant (NPP) by 2020 as well as a number of hydro power plants within the next few years were being considered. "Due to the increasing demand on energy in Syria, NPPs are being considered," the document said, suggesting it may decide to build more than one such facility.
"In principle, building a nuclear power plant, as long as you don't use it as a pretext to develop the whole fuel cycle...shouldn't be a major concern," said Pierre Goldschmidt, a former head of global inspections at the IAEA.
Countries have the right to develop nuclear energy provided they comply with their commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the facilities are under IAEA oversight. "Of course, Syria does not lead very much by example because they don't allow the agency to access some of the sites the agency wishes to visit," Goldschmidt added.
(Excerpts of an article by Fredrik Dahl, editing by Jon Hemming, Reuters, February 15, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel and world leaders will find a way to keep Syria and other Muslim nations from becoming nuclear threats. Pray that what is being hidden will be exposed.
Scripture
“Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt” (Psalm 35:4).
5. Iran Opposition Protests, Agency Reports Shooting
Any bid by Syria to launch uranium enrichment, like its ally Iran, would probably further alarm the United States and its Western allies about Syrian nuclear activities as such material can also be used to make bombs if refined much more.
Russia said in May last year, during a visit to Damascus by President Dmitry Medvedev, that it was studying building an atomic power plant in Syria. Syrian officials have given no details since then and none was available to comment on Tuesday [February 15].
Mark Hibbs, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Syria would need to import almost everything it needed for a nuclear reactor. But he doubted that any country would help it while it was under IAEA investigation. "The biggest hurdle to Syria moving forward in its nuclear program right now is simply the fact that it is not cooperating with the IAEA in investigating what appears to be serious allegations," he said. "It is almost inconceivable that Syria would be able to import a nuclear power reactor...unless that is resolved."
The IAEA, the U.N. nuclear body, has voiced growing frustration at what it sees as lack of Syrian cooperation with a probe into a desert site bombed to rubble by Israel in 2007. U.S. intelligence reports have said the Dair Alzour facility was a nascent North Korean-designed nuclear reactor intended to produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Like Iran, Syria denies ever having an atom bomb program and says Israel should be investigated instead. It says Dair Alzour was a non-nuclear, military facility, but has refused to allow the IAEA to follow up a 2008 visit. The Syrian document, from a presentation made at a closed-door seminar on nuclear energy at the IAEA's Vienna headquarters last week and posted on the agency's website, made no mention of the dispute.
The country, which has limited fossil fuel supplies, has been plagued for years with electricity shortages. Its paper predicted that national power demand would increase by more than a third between 2010 and 2015. Because of this development, it said building Syria's first nuclear power plant (NPP) by 2020 as well as a number of hydro power plants within the next few years were being considered. "Due to the increasing demand on energy in Syria, NPPs are being considered," the document said, suggesting it may decide to build more than one such facility.
"In principle, building a nuclear power plant, as long as you don't use it as a pretext to develop the whole fuel cycle...shouldn't be a major concern," said Pierre Goldschmidt, a former head of global inspections at the IAEA.
Countries have the right to develop nuclear energy provided they comply with their commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the facilities are under IAEA oversight. "Of course, Syria does not lead very much by example because they don't allow the agency to access some of the sites the agency wishes to visit," Goldschmidt added.
(Excerpts of an article by Fredrik Dahl, editing by Jon Hemming, Reuters, February 15, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel and world leaders will find a way to keep Syria and other Muslim nations from becoming nuclear threats. Pray that what is being hidden will be exposed.
Scripture
“Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt” (Psalm 35:4).
5. Iran Opposition Protests, Agency Reports Shooting
TEHRAN-Thousands of Iranian opposition activists rallied in support of popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia on Monday [February 14], and a semi-official news agency said one person was shot dead and several wounded by protesters.
An opposition website said dozens were arrested while taking part in the banned protests, which amounted to a test of strength for the reformist opposition in the Islamic state. A witness said security forces fired teargas to scatter thousands marching toward a Tehran square on Monday. There were also clashes between police and demonstrators, and dozens of arrests, in the city of Isfahan, another witness told Reuters.
Some Tehran protesters chanted "Death to the dictator" during protests, which continued in some places into the evening. Other demonstrators marched in silence. Some chants drew comparisons between the Iranian leadership and the autocrats deposed in recent weeks in Tunis and Cairo. By late evening, the protests appeared to have eased off.
Amnesty International condemned the authorities' reaction. "Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia," it said. Describing events, state television said: "Hypocrites, monarchists, thugs and seditionists who wanted to create public disorder in Iran were arrested by our brave nation...These people set garbage bins on fire and damaged public property."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia against secular, Western-allied rulers an "Islamic awakening" akin to the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed shah in Iran. But the opposition see events in Tunisia and Egypt as resembling their own protests after the June 2009 election, which they say was rigged in favor of President Ahmadinejad.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said of the action against Iranian protesters: "President Ahmadinejad...told the Egyptian people that they had the right to express their own views about their country. I call on the Iranian authorities to allow their own people the same right."
The demonstrators marched towards Azadi (Freedom) Square, a traditional rallying point for protests. Hundreds of marchers also gathered in Isfahan and Shiraz, witnesses said. Security forces surrounded the homes of opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi preventing them [from] joining the march, their websites said.
Noting official Iranian backing for demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia, Mousavi and Karroubi asked permission to hold their own marches in solidarity. But authorities refused, wary of a repeat of the protests in 2009, which saw the greatest unrest since the revolution of 30 years earlier.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, on a visit to Tehran, called on Middle Eastern governments to listen to their people. The Iranian authorities accuse opposition leaders of being part of a Western plot to overthrow the Islamic system.
(Excerpts of an article by Reuters, editing by Ralph Boulton, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will strengthen the Church in Iran during these turbulent times. Pray that the peace of the Lord will overshadow them. Pray for those in prison. Pray that God will protect those who boldly speak out against oppression.
Scripture
“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more” (Psalm 10:17-18).
6. Gantz Takes Over as IDF Chief of Staff
An opposition website said dozens were arrested while taking part in the banned protests, which amounted to a test of strength for the reformist opposition in the Islamic state. A witness said security forces fired teargas to scatter thousands marching toward a Tehran square on Monday. There were also clashes between police and demonstrators, and dozens of arrests, in the city of Isfahan, another witness told Reuters.
Some Tehran protesters chanted "Death to the dictator" during protests, which continued in some places into the evening. Other demonstrators marched in silence. Some chants drew comparisons between the Iranian leadership and the autocrats deposed in recent weeks in Tunis and Cairo. By late evening, the protests appeared to have eased off.
Amnesty International condemned the authorities' reaction. "Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia," it said. Describing events, state television said: "Hypocrites, monarchists, thugs and seditionists who wanted to create public disorder in Iran were arrested by our brave nation...These people set garbage bins on fire and damaged public property."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia against secular, Western-allied rulers an "Islamic awakening" akin to the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed shah in Iran. But the opposition see events in Tunisia and Egypt as resembling their own protests after the June 2009 election, which they say was rigged in favor of President Ahmadinejad.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said of the action against Iranian protesters: "President Ahmadinejad...told the Egyptian people that they had the right to express their own views about their country. I call on the Iranian authorities to allow their own people the same right."
The demonstrators marched towards Azadi (Freedom) Square, a traditional rallying point for protests. Hundreds of marchers also gathered in Isfahan and Shiraz, witnesses said. Security forces surrounded the homes of opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi preventing them [from] joining the march, their websites said.
Noting official Iranian backing for demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia, Mousavi and Karroubi asked permission to hold their own marches in solidarity. But authorities refused, wary of a repeat of the protests in 2009, which saw the greatest unrest since the revolution of 30 years earlier.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, on a visit to Tehran, called on Middle Eastern governments to listen to their people. The Iranian authorities accuse opposition leaders of being part of a Western plot to overthrow the Islamic system.
(Excerpts of an article by Reuters, editing by Ralph Boulton, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will strengthen the Church in Iran during these turbulent times. Pray that the peace of the Lord will overshadow them. Pray for those in prison. Pray that God will protect those who boldly speak out against oppression.
Scripture
“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more” (Psalm 10:17-18).
6. Gantz Takes Over as IDF Chief of Staff
The Israel Defense Forces' [IDF’s] 20th Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on Monday [February 14] received the rank of lieutenant-general from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak during a special ceremony at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem.
The new chief of staff…thanked outgoing Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. He thanked the prime minister and defense minister for "their faith in me" and said it was his privilege to assume "this important mission of commanding the IDF. This is an exciting day for me. This is an exciting day for the IDF and the State of Israel."
Gantz concluded by saying, "More than anything, I am accompanied today by the memory of all of the IDF's fallen soldiers. My friends who fell and their family members, [kidnapped soldier] Gilad Shalit and all the missing soldiers, whose return we seek."
The first to speak at the ceremony was outgoing Chief of Staff Ashkenazi. "My work was inspired by the statements of the late [Prime Minister] Yitzhak Rabin, who said that a state cannot be built though headlines and TV appearances. A state is built through small, daily acts," he said.
"We didn't build the IDF, but we tried to rebuild the trust of the compulsory and reserve soldiers in the system, their pride and feeling of capability, and as important-the people of Israel's faith in their army. We established the power of deterrence and the training routine, the firing ability and the equipment storerooms...
"I believe that, in the complex battlefields we have fought in-the heart of the Mediterranean and the crowded communities of the Gaza Strip on the northern border, in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]-we presented the firmest response to all of our enemies, and thanks to the determination and dedication characterizing the IDF and its fighters, we began restoring our residents' security and restoring calm in their homes."
The outgoing army chief concluded by wishing his replacement success: "Benny, I have no doubt that your unique calm and abilities will help you recruit the IDF's soldiers and firmly and safely navigate our vessel of security to a haven of rest. We all believe in you. Good luck."
Prime Minister Netanyahu wished Gantz success. He mentioned the recent developments in Muslim countries. "An earthquake is rocking the Arab and Muslim world, and we still don't know how things will end," the prime minister said. "Those who wish to destroy us are still here, and so are we. We are strong because the IDF is strong. There is no one who understands this context better than you, Benny."
Netanyahu noted that Gantz's mother weighed 28 kilos (62 pounds) when she was released from the Bergen-Belsen [holocaust] concentration camp. "I am convinced that she never dreamed that 66 years later, her son would be 20th chief of staff of the State of Israel's, the Jewish state. Perhaps she never dreamed of it, but this dream is being realized before our eyes today."
After receiving his new rank, Gantz visited the Western Wall with Ashkenazi, and the two said a joint prayer. Citizens present at the holy site wished the new army chief success in his new role. The two then traveled to the Kirya Base in Tel Aviv, where the traditional ceremony was held. At first, the new army chief reviewed the honor guard. Ashkenazi told Gantz during the ceremony, "Nothing prepares you for this great responsibility."
(Excerpts of an article by Omri Efraim, Hanan Greenberg, Attila Somfalvi, Boaz Fyler and Roi Kais contributed, Ynetnews, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will give Gantz wisdom and fully prepare him for whatever is ahead so that this transition in leadership will not cause Israel to be vulnerable.
Scripture
“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16).
7. Hebrew University Reaches Out to US Students Studying in Egypt
The new chief of staff…thanked outgoing Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. He thanked the prime minister and defense minister for "their faith in me" and said it was his privilege to assume "this important mission of commanding the IDF. This is an exciting day for me. This is an exciting day for the IDF and the State of Israel."
Gantz concluded by saying, "More than anything, I am accompanied today by the memory of all of the IDF's fallen soldiers. My friends who fell and their family members, [kidnapped soldier] Gilad Shalit and all the missing soldiers, whose return we seek."
The first to speak at the ceremony was outgoing Chief of Staff Ashkenazi. "My work was inspired by the statements of the late [Prime Minister] Yitzhak Rabin, who said that a state cannot be built though headlines and TV appearances. A state is built through small, daily acts," he said.
"We didn't build the IDF, but we tried to rebuild the trust of the compulsory and reserve soldiers in the system, their pride and feeling of capability, and as important-the people of Israel's faith in their army. We established the power of deterrence and the training routine, the firing ability and the equipment storerooms...
"I believe that, in the complex battlefields we have fought in-the heart of the Mediterranean and the crowded communities of the Gaza Strip on the northern border, in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]-we presented the firmest response to all of our enemies, and thanks to the determination and dedication characterizing the IDF and its fighters, we began restoring our residents' security and restoring calm in their homes."
The outgoing army chief concluded by wishing his replacement success: "Benny, I have no doubt that your unique calm and abilities will help you recruit the IDF's soldiers and firmly and safely navigate our vessel of security to a haven of rest. We all believe in you. Good luck."
Prime Minister Netanyahu wished Gantz success. He mentioned the recent developments in Muslim countries. "An earthquake is rocking the Arab and Muslim world, and we still don't know how things will end," the prime minister said. "Those who wish to destroy us are still here, and so are we. We are strong because the IDF is strong. There is no one who understands this context better than you, Benny."
Netanyahu noted that Gantz's mother weighed 28 kilos (62 pounds) when she was released from the Bergen-Belsen [holocaust] concentration camp. "I am convinced that she never dreamed that 66 years later, her son would be 20th chief of staff of the State of Israel's, the Jewish state. Perhaps she never dreamed of it, but this dream is being realized before our eyes today."
After receiving his new rank, Gantz visited the Western Wall with Ashkenazi, and the two said a joint prayer. Citizens present at the holy site wished the new army chief success in his new role. The two then traveled to the Kirya Base in Tel Aviv, where the traditional ceremony was held. At first, the new army chief reviewed the honor guard. Ashkenazi told Gantz during the ceremony, "Nothing prepares you for this great responsibility."
(Excerpts of an article by Omri Efraim, Hanan Greenberg, Attila Somfalvi, Boaz Fyler and Roi Kais contributed, Ynetnews, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will give Gantz wisdom and fully prepare him for whatever is ahead so that this transition in leadership will not cause Israel to be vulnerable.
Scripture
“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16).
7. Hebrew University Reaches Out to US Students Studying in Egypt
A dozen American university students unable to continue their studies in Egypt due to the political issues in the country were accepted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to proceed with their international university work in Israel. ccording to a press release from Hebrew University, their Rothberg International School was set to accept the students on Sunday [February 13].
The students hail from a variety of prestigious American universities, including Princeton and Vanderbilt. Nancy Kanach, director of the Office of International Programs at Princeton University, was quoted by the press release as saying, “We are grateful to the staff at the Hebrew University for being so responsive to our request to enroll two Princeton students at the Hebrew University, where the students can continue to study Arabic and Middle East issues at this important time in the region.”
Hebrew University’s international school has been working “closely” with study abroad directors from US schools over the last two weeks. “When the universities asked us to assist their students, we did not hesitate,” Professor Mimi Ajzenstadt, provost of The Rothberg International School, said in the press release. “The various courses taught by top academics of The Hebrew University will enable the students to put their personal experience in Egypt and in Israel within a broader academic framework.”
Hebrew University was set to provide a special orientation for the students to help them with the transition to the Rothberg International School, whose undergraduate program is the oldest academic, study-abroad program in Israel.
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Raido, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel’s hand of compassion and help outstretched to those in need!
Scripture
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).
8. Milking Israel's Dairy Expertise in Vietnam
The students hail from a variety of prestigious American universities, including Princeton and Vanderbilt. Nancy Kanach, director of the Office of International Programs at Princeton University, was quoted by the press release as saying, “We are grateful to the staff at the Hebrew University for being so responsive to our request to enroll two Princeton students at the Hebrew University, where the students can continue to study Arabic and Middle East issues at this important time in the region.”
Hebrew University’s international school has been working “closely” with study abroad directors from US schools over the last two weeks. “When the universities asked us to assist their students, we did not hesitate,” Professor Mimi Ajzenstadt, provost of The Rothberg International School, said in the press release. “The various courses taught by top academics of The Hebrew University will enable the students to put their personal experience in Egypt and in Israel within a broader academic framework.”
Hebrew University was set to provide a special orientation for the students to help them with the transition to the Rothberg International School, whose undergraduate program is the oldest academic, study-abroad program in Israel.
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Raido, February 14, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel’s hand of compassion and help outstretched to those in need!
Scripture
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).
8. Milking Israel's Dairy Expertise in Vietnam
In the largest project of its kind in the world and the biggest ever undertaken by an Israeli firm, 30,000 dairy cows are being flown to Vietnam to supply 300 million liters [78 million US gallons] of milk annually as part of a US $500 million dairy farm project there.
"This is a very large operation," says Daniel Hojman, the Uruguay-born manager of dairy farming professional compliance for SAE Afikim, based in Kibbutz Afikim near the Sea of Galilee. With employees from 10 Israeli companies relocating to Vietnam until the project is fully implemented, this is quite an understatement.
The company-whose AfiMilk and AfiFarm computerized systems for modern dairy farm and herd management are globally-recognized-won a five-year contract to manage a new Vietnamese corporation's scheme to boost milk production and consumption to unprecedented levels in this socialist republic.
Every 50 days, starting last February, another 1,500 heifers have landed in Vietnam after a three-week ocean journey. After five years, the operation will encompass 30,000 cows at 12 state-of-the-art mega dairies and a milk processing plant supplying 300 million liters per year. By the end of 2012, 500,000 liters [132,000 US gal.] are expected to be produced daily.
Today, the average Vietnamese drinks 11.5 liters [3 US gallons] of milk each year-most of it made from imported milk powder-compared to 130 liters [33.8 US gallons] consumed by the average Israeli. Each dairy cow in Vietnam produces about 3,500 liters [924 US gallons] a year, or one-third of the output for an Israeli heifer. Israeli know-how will change that.
"The Vietnamese have not developed a professional knowledge of dairy farming, so we have to develop systems, manage the farms, and at the same time, train them in many different procedures," Hojman tells ISRAEL21c. "Right now we are building and managing three farms. We went there to train the managers of those farms for a week, and then they came to Israel for another two weeks of training." When all 12 farms are operational, Hojman will be responsible for educating close to 1,000 employees.
About 30 Israeli dairy and field crop experts, architects, engineers and construction workers are living nearby in their own little community. Most are young, single men. Hojman Skypes and phones the crew often between frequent visits, which entail flying 10 hours to Bangkok and then another two to Hanoi, followed by a 124-mile [200-kilometer] journey over land.
In their dealings with the Vietnamese, there is a large cultural gap to overcome, Hojman adds. "The Vietnamese people are still under a communist regime and that develops ways of thinking that are quite different from ours. The leader makes the decision, and all others accept it and fulfill it. There's not much room for opinions and discussion." Accustomed to lively give-and-take, the Israelis are learning to adapt to the Vietnamese mindset as they work toward turning the project over at the end of 2015.
(Excerpts of an article by Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c, February 7, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for another example of how Israel blesses the world! Remind God of His promise for those who consider the poor.
Scripture
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies” (Psalm 41:1-2).
Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
To receive more information and our other publications, send your e-mail and postal mailing address tointl.office@bridgesforpeace.
We also invite you to visit our Web site at http://www.bridgesforpeace.com
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"This is a very large operation," says Daniel Hojman, the Uruguay-born manager of dairy farming professional compliance for SAE Afikim, based in Kibbutz Afikim near the Sea of Galilee. With employees from 10 Israeli companies relocating to Vietnam until the project is fully implemented, this is quite an understatement.
The company-whose AfiMilk and AfiFarm computerized systems for modern dairy farm and herd management are globally-recognized-won a five-year contract to manage a new Vietnamese corporation's scheme to boost milk production and consumption to unprecedented levels in this socialist republic.
Every 50 days, starting last February, another 1,500 heifers have landed in Vietnam after a three-week ocean journey. After five years, the operation will encompass 30,000 cows at 12 state-of-the-art mega dairies and a milk processing plant supplying 300 million liters per year. By the end of 2012, 500,000 liters [132,000 US gal.] are expected to be produced daily.
Today, the average Vietnamese drinks 11.5 liters [3 US gallons] of milk each year-most of it made from imported milk powder-compared to 130 liters [33.8 US gallons] consumed by the average Israeli. Each dairy cow in Vietnam produces about 3,500 liters [924 US gallons] a year, or one-third of the output for an Israeli heifer. Israeli know-how will change that.
"The Vietnamese have not developed a professional knowledge of dairy farming, so we have to develop systems, manage the farms, and at the same time, train them in many different procedures," Hojman tells ISRAEL21c. "Right now we are building and managing three farms. We went there to train the managers of those farms for a week, and then they came to Israel for another two weeks of training." When all 12 farms are operational, Hojman will be responsible for educating close to 1,000 employees.
About 30 Israeli dairy and field crop experts, architects, engineers and construction workers are living nearby in their own little community. Most are young, single men. Hojman Skypes and phones the crew often between frequent visits, which entail flying 10 hours to Bangkok and then another two to Hanoi, followed by a 124-mile [200-kilometer] journey over land.
In their dealings with the Vietnamese, there is a large cultural gap to overcome, Hojman adds. "The Vietnamese people are still under a communist regime and that develops ways of thinking that are quite different from ours. The leader makes the decision, and all others accept it and fulfill it. There's not much room for opinions and discussion." Accustomed to lively give-and-take, the Israelis are learning to adapt to the Vietnamese mindset as they work toward turning the project over at the end of 2015.
(Excerpts of an article by Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c, February 7, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for another example of how Israel blesses the world! Remind God of His promise for those who consider the poor.
Scripture
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies” (Psalm 41:1-2).
Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
Bridges for Peace - 24 Hour Prayer Calendar Free registration - Signup today ! Isaiah 62:6-7 - I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, [which] shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. |
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For those who are new to the list, Bridges for Peace is a Christian charitable organization, headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Since 1977, we have been working to build Christian–Jewish understanding and support for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. We do this through 14 different aid projects, and by disseminating information about Israel and teaching Christians about the Hebraic roots of Christianity. We have national offices in Israel, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. We also have a Spanish Resource Center.
To receive more information and our other publications, send your e-mail and postal mailing address tointl.office@bridgesforpeace.
We also invite you to visit our Web site at http://www.bridgesforpeace.com
WEEKLY UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Feel free to forward this update information to anyone on your e-mail list. To receive it, all they need to do is visit our Web site and click on “Subscribe Now!“ on the home page.
It is our goal to send you news items to help you more effectively pray for Israel in accordance with Psalm 122:6. Therefore, in addition to the news items, we add Prayer Focus, where applicable, so that you can pray along with us for Israel. We will also continue to intersperse positive news items so that our message is not just crisis-oriented. We don't want to be just another news-service provider, but to send an interpretative message ultimately focusing on prayer for Israel.
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A receipt will be sent for the amount, which is tax-deductible in the United States and Canada.
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Assistant Editor: Cheryl Hauer
Staff Writer: Joshua Spurlock
Proofreader: Charleeda Sprinkle
Administrator: Tom-John Faul
Administrative Assistant: Heather Gale
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