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Visit our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com | March 25, 2011 |
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1. Jerusalem Blast: Man's Vigilance Saves Lives
2. Dozens of Mortar Shells Hit South
3. IDF Regrets Civilian Casualties in Response to Gaza Mortar Fire
4. Israel Sending 50-Person Team to Help Japan
5. US Condemns Palestinian Honoring of Terrorist
6. Report: Turkey Discovers Weapons in Iranian Plane
7. Israeli Parliament Adopts "Nakba" Law
8. New Tool Could Predict Future Earthquakes
9. Surgery? Border Patrol? Israeli Robots Can Do It All
1. Jerusalem Blast: Man's Vigilance Saves Lives
At around 3:00 pm on Wednesday [March 23], an explosive device weighing between 1-2 kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) went off near a bus station at the entrance to Jerusalem. One of the wounded in the terror attack called police after spotting a suspicious object near a bus station, possibly saving civilian lives and minimizing the number of casualties in Jerusalem.
The man, David Amoyal, informed police, but the call was interrupted by the explosion that killed a 59-year-old woman and wounded 38, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said. "He saw a suspicious bag and told some youths who were nearby to stay away while he called police," said Barkat after arriving at the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. "During his call, the [explosive] device went off. If he had a little more time, it's possible that there would be fewer casualties."
The mayor added that Amoyal needed only a few more minutes to clear the area of civilians. "I applaud his efforts, it shows that everyone needs to be alert." Amoyal, 52, worked at a kiosk that was completely destroyed when a suicide bomber detonated next to it in 1994. Once rebuilt, the shop was ironically named "Pitzuz Shel Kiosk," which literally means "a blast of a kiosk."
On Wednesday, his brother-in-law, Shimshon Moshe, who owns the shop, asked Amoyal to replace him during the afternoon shift. He was only a few feet away from the bomb when it detonated and suffered moderate injuries.
"He said that it is painful for him that he couldn't save more people," Amoyal's sister Esther said. "He said, 'I was saved, but I'm pained for the others.'" Esther said that her brother was injured in his abdomen by shrapnel and was undergoing some tests before going into surgery.
Meanwhile, Mayor Barkat made it clear that the city will be back to business as usual shortly. "We won't let anyone ruin our lives," he said. "The [first] Jerusalem Marathon will go ahead as planned [on Friday, March 25], and there is no change in Jerusalem's ability to handle this kind of terror attack. I hope the terrorists will be exposed; we aren't the only city hit in the last few days. We need to be patient and maintain restraint."
(By Ronen Medzini, Aviad Glickman contributed, Ynetnews, March 23, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will heal the trauma of those wounded so they are not emotionally debilitated in any way. Pray that their wounds will also heal quickly. Pray that the people of Israel will be extra alert and that any other attempts to attack will be uncovered.
Scripture
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-3a, 4).
2. Dozens of Mortar Shells Hit South
More than 50 mortar shells were fired at the western Negev from the Gaza Strip in several barrages Saturday morning [March 19].
Ariel, a resident of one of the kibbutzim, told Ynet: "We began hearing explosions at around 8:45 am. My daughter, who lives in a nearby community, called me crying and said she had heard strong blasts approaching her. We received text messages from the council to remain in a fortified area. After the series of explosions. I didn't hear any additional barrages. These explosions are not normal. There has been a relative calm for quite a while now. We haven't experienced such a thing in these hours, on Saturday morning, for a long time."
Eshkol Regional Council head Haim Yalin said the protected spaces proved themselves. "They really save lives. What happened here this morning is something which we unfortunately call an emergency routine. These are not Purim detonators [toy fireworks], but mortar shells. So we've managed to seize a ship [Victoria, loaded with weapons], but who knows how much they have already smuggled into the Strip. The communities' emergency squads did their job, and the residents remained in protected spaces."
Drorit, whose home was hit in the attack, told Ynet she was playing a computer game when the first mortar shell landed near her house. "I immediately ran to my elderly neighbor. We were running into the sheltered space when the second mortar landed. It hit the fortified room." She said she was not afraid. "We are used to such incidents. It's become a routine."
Dafna, who lives in the community hit by most of the mortars, recounted the attack: "We were having breakfast and heard explosions, one after the other. I ran into the sheltered room with my six-year-old son. I waited to be able to come out and then checked the damage. My eldest son's house was hit, but luckily he left the kibbutz. This isn't a new situation, but we got a serious reminder today. We live in fear and try to cope."
Shlomo, who also lives in the western Negev, said Saturday's incident brought back memories from Operation Cast Lead [military campaign in Gaza from 2008-09]. "We can't rely on miracles. The State must intervene and solve this problem. The residents are living between wars and we will likely pay the price."
[The equivalent of] almost one-quarter of all mortar shells fired from Gaza last year hit the western Negev on Saturday morning. According to the Shin Bet, 215 mortars were fired from the Strip in 2010, in addition to 150 Kassam rockets. In 2009, southern Israel was hit by 289 mortar shells (215 of them during Operation Cast Lead) and 569 rockets (407 during the Gaza war).
(Excerpts of an article by Ilana Curiel, Elior Levy and Ronen Medzini contributed, Ynetnews, March 19, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray for the safety of those living in the western Negev area. Ask the Lord to guard hearts and minds against fear.
Scripture
"Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear…For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock" (Psalm 27:3a, 5).
3. IDF Regrets Civilian Casualties in Response to Gaza Mortar Fire
Gaza attacks against Israel continued on Tuesday [March 22], while an Israel Defense Forces [IDF] mortar response to terrorist launchings at Israel inadvertently harmed civilians as well as killing the terrorist responsible for the initial attack. A press release on the IDF blog expressed regret at the involvement of civilians in the violence, while noting that Hamas "chooses to operate from within its civilian population and use them as 'human shields.'"
IDF spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, in an interview with Bridges for Peace, confirmed that one of those killed was the terrorist behind the launchings. The IDF press release said that the Israeli Civil Administration offered medical assistance to the injured in coordination with the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria].
Leibovich emphasized that the IDF did not intend to hit civilians in their response to the Gaza fire. "We have no intention, whatsoever, to target innocent people," said Leibovich, who noted that while Israel attacked six targets the night before, an additional attack had been called off due to the presence of civilians.
"This [the called-off attack] is just an example of the way the IDF works," said Leibovich. "If we are aware, and we have information that there are civilians in an area, we just don't operate there."
The IDF press release said the mortar incident followed the launching of four military-use projectiles at Israel from Gaza. After the Israeli response, there were three other military-use projectile attacks from Gaza. On the same day, at least one attack by the Israel Air Force hit a group of terrorists preparing to fire at Israel. The IDF said those terrorists were known to be responsible for last month's Grad missile attack that caused damage in Beersheba.
Leibovich said the IDF did not have "any intention whatsoever to escalate the situation," which has significantly intensified beginning with a massive Hamas mortar barrage on Saturday [March 19]. The terror group claimed Saturday's assault was in response to the killing of two of their militants by Israel earlier in the week, which was itself in response to previous Gaza fire.
Hamas offered a mutual ceasefire on Monday [March 21], but Gaza terrorists continued firing on Tuesday at Israel, following overnight Israeli strikes, which Israel said were in response to previous Gaza attacks.
Leibovich said that Israel is not the one prolonging the conflict. "Israel is not continuing any fight. Israel is actually only defending itself and retaliating in order to prevent additional fire," said Leibovich. "We retaliated; we answered with fire after four rockets were launched at us. Nobody [in the IDF] initiated anything. So the question is, 'Why is Hamas choosing to escalate the situation?' We do not wish for any escalation."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 22, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the world will hear loud and clear that Israel is not trying to escalate the situation but only respond in defense, and that while Palestinians "celebrate" after an attack, Israel "regrets."
Scripture
"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; least the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him. Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the wicked; for there will be no prospect for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out" (Proverbs 24:17-20).
4. Israel Sending 50-Person Team to Help Japan
Israel is set to send at least 50 people consisting of mostly medical teams from the Homefront Command to Japan. Andy David, a spokesman with the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Bridges for Peace on Wednesday [March 23] that Israel has already sent a small three-person team to assess the situation in Japan.
The larger team is set to leave Saturday night [March 26], heading about six hours north of Tokyo to "an area where the tsunami hit the hardest." The plan is to set up a clinic to help the wounded and refugees.
In addition to the medical team, Israel is also sending a variety of supplies, including thousands of coats and blankets and hundreds of mobile toilets. David said they offered assistance to Japan in a variety of areas, but at this point, these were the needs requested by the Japanese government.
Despite Israel's small size, aid efforts like this are part of their approach to the world. "It's part of our culture; it's part of our tradition," said David. "Israel is involved in aid projects and assistance all over the world…It's something that we've been doing for decades, and it's something that we believe that whenever there is a need, people should help each other."
The announcement brings back memories of the medical team sent by Israel to help Haiti following the earthquake there last year, a group that was praised by international media for their work. Among their other projects, Israel also assisted following the tsunami in southeast Asia in 2004. David said their experience and speed are some of the things Israel brings to the situation in Japan.
"First of all, I have to mention that Israel is one of the first countries that will send medical teams to Japan, so one expertise is concerning the speed of reaction. Israel is well known for our ability to react very fast and effectively. So this is something which is very important because time is critical here," said David.
"Another [expertise] is, of course, to know how to deal with mass casualty situations in different areas around the world. Israeli teams are always assisting people in need…so there's a lot of experience there."
David said Israel is working in coordination with the Japanese, and that they have expressed their gratitude for Israel's "efficiency and flexibility" during the process of determining what assistance would be sent there.
Looking ahead, David said it remains unclear how long the Israeli team will need to stay in Japan. "That is something to be determined after they arrive and after a few days of work, according to the needs," said David. "I believe that as long as there is need for their presence, we will do everything in our power to give that assistance."
While the Israel-Japan relationship does not make a lot of headlines most of the time, David noted that it is a good one. "The relations are very good, very friendly… There's a lot of trade relations, commerce, cultural exchanges, academic exchanges."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 24, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel's compassion for others, even for a nation whose government has taken a stand with the Palestinians. Pray that this humanitarian mission to Japan will strengthen ties between Japan and Israel.
Scripture
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother'" (Zechariah 7:9).
Editor's Note: If you would like to help Israel bless Japan and help pay for the expenses of sending this valuable medical team, click on the following button:
5. US Condemns Palestinian Honoring of Terrorist
Less than one week after a vicious terror attack killed five members of the Fogel family in their home in the settlement of Itamar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called upon the Palestinians to end incitement against Israel, the US expressed concern about Palestinians publicly honoring a terrorist. Dalal Mughrabi, who led the horrific coastal road attack in 1978 that killed dozens of Israelis and in which she also was killed, has been turned into a Palestinian hero.
The renaming event was held on March 13, two days after the terror attack in Itamar. Four days after the renaming, US spokesman Mark Toner, in comments to reporters on March 17 posted on the State Department Web site, said they were "disturbed" by reports of the renaming. He referred to Mughrabi as a "terrorist responsible for an attack that killed 35 Israelis in 1978."
Hitting on an issue that Netanyahu has also condemned, Toner said, "We condemn this commemoration of terrorism and have conveyed our deep concern about this incident to senior officials in the Palestinian Authority and have urged them to address it. We underscore that all parties have an obligation to end any form of incitement."
The State Department condemnation came the same day the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) criticized the American government for not more forcefully addressing the square renaming. In a March 17 press release, the ADL said they had sent a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, noting that the only previous State Department statement on the matter had come from a spokesman in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
According to the press release, the letter said they had respectfully suggested that a "forceful, unequivocal, and public condemnation of incitement must be heard around the world and should also be directed to all Palestinians through their media outlets. We look forward to a strong public statement on the incitement to terrorism in El-Bireh and to similar condemnations for future incidents of incitement to violence and hate. For, as we all know, hate rhetoric and images can lead to hate violence."
ADL National Chair Robert G. Sugarman and ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said in the press release: "Honoring a terrorist is an indisputable act of incitement to terrorism. This particular instance was all the more egregious as it occurred just one day after the world learned of the brutal murders of the Fogel family, including three children, at the hands of Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 21, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that other nations will join the US in condemning the honoring of terrorists. Pray that the world will see that though Palestinians "say" they want peace, their honoring of terrorists proves they do not want to lay aside terrorism for the sake of peace.
Scripture
"He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself; when he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly" (Proverbs 26:24-26).
6. Report: Turkey Discovers Weapons in Iranian Plane
Weapons were found on an Iranian cargo plane forced to land in southeast Turkey on Saturday [March 19], Turkish media reported Tuesday [March 22]. According to reports, the arms plane left Tehran with military ammunition for Syria. Several crates containing weapons and ammunition were removed from the aircraft.
Turkish media reported that the plane was forced to land in a military airfield at the United Nations' request following information indicating it was carrying nuclear materials. It was further reported that rocket launchers, mortars, rifles and explosive materials were found in one of the main cabinets on the plane. Turkish newspapers stated this was the first time that a plane was forced to land in such circumstances since 2006.
(Excerpts of an article by Aviel Magnezi, Ynetnews, March 22, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that this covert operation was uncovered! Pray that God will expose all such plans of Israel's enemies and will watch over Israelis who work undercover to provide such intelligence.
Scripture
"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler…He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge" (Psalm 91:3a, 4).
7. Israeli Parliament Adopts "Nakba" Law
The Knesset, Israel's parliament, has passed a law that allows the state to deny funding to institutions that question the Jewish state's right to exist. The controversial law brought in by the Yisrael Beiteinu party was passed by a vote of 37 to 25. The new law has been nick-named "Nakba" law, the Arabic word for "catastrophe," a term which many Arabs still use for Israel's foundation in 1948.
Under the new law, groups involved in activities that "undermine the foundations of the state and contradict its values," including undermining the Jewish or democratic nature of Israel, can be excluded from receiving funding by public bodies. Those activities include marking Israel's Independence Day as a day of mourning.
Arab Knesset member Afu Aghbaria said the Arab population would persist in marking the Nakba without the use of government funds, adding: "We will continue activities marking Nakba Day with the aim of presenting the historical facts, which are not subject to interpretation when it comes to a people uprooted from its land, many of whose members were made refugees."
(By World Jewish Congress, March 24, 2011)
Prayer FocusPraise God for the Knesset's decision. Pray that they will go a step further and remove members of the Knesset who want to rewrite Israel's history and do not support Israel's right to exist.
Scripture
"Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge" (Proverbs 14:7).
8. New Tool Could Predict Future Earthquakes
As Japan continues to pick up the pieces after its devastating earthquake and tsunami, Israeli geologists have unveiled a new tool that allows researchers to learn critical lessons for the future by understanding patterns of seismic activity in the past. Developed by Prof. Shmuel Marco of Tel Aviv University, the tool, which he calls a "fossil seismograph", examines geological formations to find historical patterns of earthquakes reaching far back into the ancient past.
With this information, experts can better predict where and when earthquakes may occur again. "Current seismographical data on earthquakes only reaches back a century or so," says Marco. Most earthquake activity takes place on a longer cycle, sometimes of several hundred years, so 100 years of information just isn't enough for predictive purposes, he explains.
"Our new approach investigates wave patterns of heavy sediment that penetrate into the light sediments that lie directly on top of them [effectively seeing how lower levels of dirt and rock are thrust into the upper layer by an earthquake]. This helps us to understand the intensity of earthquakes in bygone eras."
Marco began developing the seismograph after observing a strange "wave" phenomenon in disturbed sediment in the Dead Sea region. Marco, along with his colleagues, found that the layers of mud in the Dead Sea were originally stratified in a very stable manner, but now heavier sediment appears to have been pulled up into the lighter sediment-presumably the result of seismic activity.
Using a combination of physics and geometry principles, the researchers were able to analyze the deformation of sediment caused by past earthquakes and calculate how past earthquakes were distributed in scale, time, and place. How the deformation process advances depends on the strength of the earthquake-the stronger the trembler, the more intense the deformation.
When and where the next big quake will hit is a question that has captured Marco's attention. In his previous research on the history of earthquakes in the Middle East as a predictor of the future, Marco delved into hundreds of ancient manuscripts to determine that a series of major earthquakes hit the Jordan Valley over the past 2,000 years.
He told ISRAEL21c that an interval of about 400 years separated each significant earthquake until the last one, almost 1,000 years ago. This unusually long interval means that a great deal of tension has been building along the fault line, and may be released at any time in a potentially devastating earthquake in the region.
If danger zones can be pinpointed accurately before hand, however, it can help engineers ensure that all new buildings in the vulnerable areas are quake proof, and that old ones are fortified accordingly.
(Excerpts of an article by ISRAEL21c Staff, Israel21c, March 17, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Thank God for blessing Israel with skills that bless the entire world. Pray that this technology will help save many lives in the future.
Scripture
[God to Abraham]: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2).
9. Surgery? Border Patrol? Israeli Robots Can Do It All
Open your imagination and you might just find some lifesaving, time saving and entertaining robotics invention that has already been invented in Israel.Many of the advances in this science fiction-inspired field are based on the kind of real-world computer programming and artificial intelligence at which Israeli researchers excel. Robots can aid surgeons in many ways, making delicate procedures safer and more routinely successful.
Recently featured on CNN, world robotics expert Prof. Moshe Shoham of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology invented the world's only robotic tool for back surgery, the SpineAssist. Developed by Israeli company Mazor Robotics, it's the smallest of five medical robots in daily use in countries including the United States, Holland and Israel.
"SpineAssist attaches to the patent's body so that that there is no damage caused to the surrounding nerves when implants are being placed in the spinal cord," explains Shoham to ISRAEL21c. "One can insert instruments through the arm to minimize damage to vital organs."
Shoham also developed ViRob, a clever one-millimeter robot that can swim past the stomach to deliver a payload of chemotherapy directly to cancer cells or, when equipped with a camera, take snapshots of a body's internal landscape for diagnostic purposes. He's also working on a small robot that can navigate through amniotic fluid to diagnose fetal abnormalities and even help perform in-utero surgery.
As an Israeli, Kaminka knows how important it is that Israeli borders are secure. But soldiers can be killed or kidnapped on routine surveillance, and captive soldiers, like Gilad Shalit, compromise national security. His idea was to create a team of intelligent sports utility vehicles that drive themselves. The idea is not novel, but the "brain" that Kaminka gives them is what makes his robots unique.
The SUV robots, now being commercialized by G-NIUS, are programmed to work in teams so that no area of the border is left without a watchful "eye" that knows how human beings might attempt to sneak under their radar.
(Excerpts of an article By Karin Kloosterman, March 17, 2011)
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Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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