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Visit our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com | April 1, 2011 |
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1. IDF Doctors in Japan Successfully Treat 11-month-old Baby Girl
2. Israel to Mideast Quartet: "Talk with Us" before Addressing Borders
3. Israel Releases Map of Hizbullah Bunkers in Lebanon
4. New Signs of Hamas Headway into Post-Mubarak Egypt
5. Fayyad's Duplicity about Support for Terror
6. Iron Dome Deployed near Beersheba
7. Colombia Won't Recognize Unilateral Palestinian State
8. Facebook Removes Third Intifada Page
9. Israeli, Russian Space Agencies Sign Cooperation Agreement
1. IDF Doctors in Japan Successfully Treat 11-month-old Baby Girl
On Wednesday morning (March 30), an 11-month old baby girl, whose house was destroyed in the tsunami, was brought in by her grandmother to the Israel Defense Forces’ [IDF] medical clinic in Minami-Sanriko, Japan. The girl was suffering from an eye infection and was successfully treated. According to the Jerusalem Post, the grandmother was given medicine, instructed how to treat the child, and sent out with gifts of diapers and toys.
Numerous Japanese patients arrived at the clinic on Wednesday with a wide range of medical issues. The patients were treated by the professional Israeli medical team at the advanced clinic with the help of local Israelis serving as translators.
On Tuesday, after an extensive logistical effort, the IDF humanitarian aid delegation in Japan opened an advanced medical clinic in the Miyagi district. The opening ceremony, which included a moment of silence, was attended by the mayors of two towns that suffered losses and destruction in the tsunami. The mayors thanked the delegation for coming to aid the Japanese people.
Within minutes of the end of the ceremony, patients began to be seen by doctors at the clinic. The mayor of Minami was the first patient to receive care in the clinic, as he feared that his ribs had been recently broken. In the coming days, patients will receive a wide range of medical care from the Medical Corps doctors deployed at the clinic.
(From IDF press releases by Naor Leev, Nadav Shtrauchler, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel’s valuable medical assistance! Pray for the medical team’s safety, especially from any harmful radiation. Pray that many will be blessed by Israel’s outreached arm to the suffering.
Scripture
“You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; heal its breaches, for it is shaking…that Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me” (Psalm 60:2, 5).
Editor’s Note:
Some of the translators assisting the medical team are staff members of our BFP Japan office. If you would like to help Israel be a light to the nations and finance the IDF medical mission, you can donate to our Help Japan fund by clicking on this button or go to our Web site at www.bridgesforpeace.com
Numerous Japanese patients arrived at the clinic on Wednesday with a wide range of medical issues. The patients were treated by the professional Israeli medical team at the advanced clinic with the help of local Israelis serving as translators.
On Tuesday, after an extensive logistical effort, the IDF humanitarian aid delegation in Japan opened an advanced medical clinic in the Miyagi district. The opening ceremony, which included a moment of silence, was attended by the mayors of two towns that suffered losses and destruction in the tsunami. The mayors thanked the delegation for coming to aid the Japanese people.
Within minutes of the end of the ceremony, patients began to be seen by doctors at the clinic. The mayor of Minami was the first patient to receive care in the clinic, as he feared that his ribs had been recently broken. In the coming days, patients will receive a wide range of medical care from the Medical Corps doctors deployed at the clinic.
(From IDF press releases by Naor Leev, Nadav Shtrauchler, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel’s valuable medical assistance! Pray for the medical team’s safety, especially from any harmful radiation. Pray that many will be blessed by Israel’s outreached arm to the suffering.
Scripture
“You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; heal its breaches, for it is shaking…that Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me” (Psalm 60:2, 5).
Editor’s Note:
Some of the translators assisting the medical team are staff members of our BFP Japan office. If you would like to help Israel be a light to the nations and finance the IDF medical mission, you can donate to our Help Japan fund by clicking on this button or go to our Web site at www.bridgesforpeace.com
2. Israel to Mideast Quartet: "Talk with Us" before Addressing Borders
Amidst reports that some Europeans are interested in the Mideast Quartet possibly setting out their farthest-reaching statement yet on borders in a prospective Israel-Palestinian peace deal, Israel is asking the Quartet to first discuss the matter with the parties to make sure they can “live with” the result, while also noting that borders should not be dealt with on their own.
Despite no official agreement between the sides on borders, the European Union has already effectively called for the 1967 lines, which include the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, to be the basis for future borders of a hypothetical Palestinian state with territorial swaps as an option for the parties.
However, such recognition from the influential Mideast Quartet-consisting of the US, the EU, Russia and the United Nations-would be unprecedented. Bridges for Peace could not independently verify that such a statement on borders from the Quartet is in fact being discussed, although UK Foreign Secretary William Hague did call several weeks ago for the United States and the Quartet to “set out the parameters” of a future peace settlement, including borders.
According to a transcript of his comments posted on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Web site, Hague said at the time that such a statement “should include 1967 borders with equivalent land swaps, appropriate security arrangements for Israelis and Palestinians, a just, fair and agreed solution for refugees, and Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”
However, in The Jerusalem Post’s report on the Quartet statement issue, they noted concerns from Israeli sources that if the Quartet grants something to the Palestinians in their next statement, while intended to bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table, could in fact do the opposite by implying that the Palestinians can get things they want from the international community without negotiating with Israel.
One source in the Israeli government told Bridges for Peace on Tuesday [March 29] that Israel wants the Quartet to avoid surprising the Israelis or the Palestinians in a future statement, saying they should “talk with us before you talk about us.” He also noted the importance of the key international group coordinating its statements with the sides.
The source pointed out that borders are just one of the issues involving Israel and the Palestinians, and that it could not be separated from other final agreement issues, such as security. The source compared singling out borders from other issues to the equivalent of buying just an engine when shopping for a car, as it’s a package deal.
Further, the source said that Israel is still calling for a renewal of direct talks with the Palestinians. “We still believe there is a need for direct talks,” said the Israeli source, saying such talks are the only way for progress to be made. The source said the Mideast Quartet would be wise to “use its influence to convince the Palestinians that its time to return to the negotiating table.”
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the leaders in the Mideast Quartet would bless Israel by their actions and statements and not contribute to the increasing diplomatic deligitimization of Israel’s history and security. Pray that Israel’s leaders would have perfect wisdom and be guided by God’s heart for His nation.
Scripture
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:8-11).
Despite no official agreement between the sides on borders, the European Union has already effectively called for the 1967 lines, which include the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, to be the basis for future borders of a hypothetical Palestinian state with territorial swaps as an option for the parties.
However, such recognition from the influential Mideast Quartet-consisting of the US, the EU, Russia and the United Nations-would be unprecedented. Bridges for Peace could not independently verify that such a statement on borders from the Quartet is in fact being discussed, although UK Foreign Secretary William Hague did call several weeks ago for the United States and the Quartet to “set out the parameters” of a future peace settlement, including borders.
According to a transcript of his comments posted on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Web site, Hague said at the time that such a statement “should include 1967 borders with equivalent land swaps, appropriate security arrangements for Israelis and Palestinians, a just, fair and agreed solution for refugees, and Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”
However, in The Jerusalem Post’s report on the Quartet statement issue, they noted concerns from Israeli sources that if the Quartet grants something to the Palestinians in their next statement, while intended to bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table, could in fact do the opposite by implying that the Palestinians can get things they want from the international community without negotiating with Israel.
One source in the Israeli government told Bridges for Peace on Tuesday [March 29] that Israel wants the Quartet to avoid surprising the Israelis or the Palestinians in a future statement, saying they should “talk with us before you talk about us.” He also noted the importance of the key international group coordinating its statements with the sides.
The source pointed out that borders are just one of the issues involving Israel and the Palestinians, and that it could not be separated from other final agreement issues, such as security. The source compared singling out borders from other issues to the equivalent of buying just an engine when shopping for a car, as it’s a package deal.
Further, the source said that Israel is still calling for a renewal of direct talks with the Palestinians. “We still believe there is a need for direct talks,” said the Israeli source, saying such talks are the only way for progress to be made. The source said the Mideast Quartet would be wise to “use its influence to convince the Palestinians that its time to return to the negotiating table.”
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the leaders in the Mideast Quartet would bless Israel by their actions and statements and not contribute to the increasing diplomatic deligitimization of Israel’s history and security. Pray that Israel’s leaders would have perfect wisdom and be guided by God’s heart for His nation.
Scripture
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:8-11).
3. Israel Releases Map of Hizbullah Bunkers in Lebanon
An Israeli security official provided the Washington Post with a map detailing no less than 550 bunkers, 300 surveillance sites, and 100 other facilities the Jewish state believes belong to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon. Most of the sites marked on the map, which appeared in the American newspaper on Wednesday [March 30], are located south of the Litani River [Hizbullah weapons there would be in violation of the United Nations resolution ending the Second Lebanon War].
Ten arms caches are marked on another map featuring an aerial view of the Al Khiyam village in south Lebanon. The weapons storage facilities are located in close proximity to medical centers and schools. According to the map, one of Hizbullah's bunkers is located in a mosque.
"In releasing the map, the Israeli military appeared to be trying to preempt international criticism of any future offensive against the alleged sites, many of which are located in residential villages alongside hospitals, schools and even civilian homes," the Post reported. The daily quoted a senior Israeli commander as saying, “Our interest is to show the world that the Hizbullah organization has turned these villages into fighting zones.”
About six months ago, then-Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi warned that Hizbullah was establishing "rocket villages" in south Lebanon, adding that the Shiite group was using civilians and UNIFIL's lack of authority to act in order to fortify its positions and rocket launchers inside the villages.
(By Ynet, Ynetnews, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray for Israel as she continues to face enemies whose goal is her destruction. Pray that God would bless the IDF in their preparation and that He would prevent future conflict. Pray that God would lead the world to clearly understand the situation and support Israel.
Scripture
“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 20:1).
Ten arms caches are marked on another map featuring an aerial view of the Al Khiyam village in south Lebanon. The weapons storage facilities are located in close proximity to medical centers and schools. According to the map, one of Hizbullah's bunkers is located in a mosque.
"In releasing the map, the Israeli military appeared to be trying to preempt international criticism of any future offensive against the alleged sites, many of which are located in residential villages alongside hospitals, schools and even civilian homes," the Post reported. The daily quoted a senior Israeli commander as saying, “Our interest is to show the world that the Hizbullah organization has turned these villages into fighting zones.”
About six months ago, then-Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi warned that Hizbullah was establishing "rocket villages" in south Lebanon, adding that the Shiite group was using civilians and UNIFIL's lack of authority to act in order to fortify its positions and rocket launchers inside the villages.
(By Ynet, Ynetnews, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray for Israel as she continues to face enemies whose goal is her destruction. Pray that God would bless the IDF in their preparation and that He would prevent future conflict. Pray that God would lead the world to clearly understand the situation and support Israel.
Scripture
“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 20:1).
4. New Signs of Hamas Headway into Post-Mubarak Egypt
A visiting Hamas leader to Cairo brought a conciliatory message amid signs [that] ties between Egypt and the Islamist movement were beginning to thaw in the post-Mubarak era. During his visit to Cairo, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, the unofficial foreign minister, met with intelligence and foreign ministry officials and is expected to meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Al-Arabi and an unnamed representative of the Supreme Military Council, the body currently running the country.
Al-Zahar said the Egyptians have promised to open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and improve the treatment of Gaza passengers, Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.
"It's clear that the new Egyptian government will have a new policy towards Hamas," Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Canter, a Qatar-based think tank. "Hamas is popular in Egypt, and the new government will have to reflect support of the Palestinian resistance. It would have been difficult to imagine such a visit only a few months ago."
Egypt has been a key player in reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah, the two leading Palestinian factions which have been at odds since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup in June 2007. Hamas has accused the regime of Husni Mubarak of bias towards Fatah, an accusation Al-Zahar reiterated on Monday.
"The Palestinian people will never forget the position of the former Egyptian government regarding the Israeli violence against the Gaza Strip and the position of the current Egyptian government which warned the Israelis from trying to repeat their aggression against the Strip," Al-Zahar said.
Egypt's newly appointed Foreign Minister Al-Arabi urged Israel last week to refrain from attacking Gaza following an increase in missile launches from the Gaza Strip into Israel and the bombing of a Jerusalem bus stop that left one woman dead and dozens injured.
"For the first time in the history of the relationship, Palestinian and Egyptian ministers are communicating," Rizqa said. "This is a substantial development that did not take place in Mubarak's era." In a further sign of warming relations, Rizqa added that Hamas intended to reopen the Egyptian Consulate in Gaza closed since 2007.
"Hamas feels that the new government is ready to stand by the Palestinians," Abu-Sada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told The Media Line. He added that the "Palestinian file" has been transferred from the Egyptian internal intelligence apparatus (Mukhabarat) led by Omar Suleiman to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicating that the Egyptians have begun to view the relationship with the Gaza Strip in diplomatic, rather than security, terms.
(Excerpts of an article by David E. Miller, The Media Line, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray God’s protection over Israel’s southern border and for Israel’s ultimate victory over all her enemies that plot her destruction.
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…And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation” (Psalm 35:4, 9).
Al-Zahar said the Egyptians have promised to open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and improve the treatment of Gaza passengers, Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.
"It's clear that the new Egyptian government will have a new policy towards Hamas," Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Canter, a Qatar-based think tank. "Hamas is popular in Egypt, and the new government will have to reflect support of the Palestinian resistance. It would have been difficult to imagine such a visit only a few months ago."
Egypt has been a key player in reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah, the two leading Palestinian factions which have been at odds since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup in June 2007. Hamas has accused the regime of Husni Mubarak of bias towards Fatah, an accusation Al-Zahar reiterated on Monday.
"The Palestinian people will never forget the position of the former Egyptian government regarding the Israeli violence against the Gaza Strip and the position of the current Egyptian government which warned the Israelis from trying to repeat their aggression against the Strip," Al-Zahar said.
Egypt's newly appointed Foreign Minister Al-Arabi urged Israel last week to refrain from attacking Gaza following an increase in missile launches from the Gaza Strip into Israel and the bombing of a Jerusalem bus stop that left one woman dead and dozens injured.
"For the first time in the history of the relationship, Palestinian and Egyptian ministers are communicating," Rizqa said. "This is a substantial development that did not take place in Mubarak's era." In a further sign of warming relations, Rizqa added that Hamas intended to reopen the Egyptian Consulate in Gaza closed since 2007.
"Hamas feels that the new government is ready to stand by the Palestinians," Abu-Sada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told The Media Line. He added that the "Palestinian file" has been transferred from the Egyptian internal intelligence apparatus (Mukhabarat) led by Omar Suleiman to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicating that the Egyptians have begun to view the relationship with the Gaza Strip in diplomatic, rather than security, terms.
(Excerpts of an article by David E. Miller, The Media Line, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray God’s protection over Israel’s southern border and for Israel’s ultimate victory over all her enemies that plot her destruction.
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…And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation” (Psalm 35:4, 9).
5. Fayyad's Duplicity about Support for Terror
On Wednesday afternoon [March 23], Palestinian Authority [PA] Prime Minster Salam Fayyad condemned as "terror" the bomb at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed one woman. On Wednesday morning, Fayyad honored Palestinian women terrorists, including two who drove suicide bombers to terror attacks killing five. He also honored a terrorist who placed a bomb in a bus station, an action identical to the one he condemned just a few hours later.
Fayyad condemned Jerusalem bombing Wednesday afternoon: "I condemn this terror operation in the harshest terms, no matter who stands behind it."
Fayyad praised Palestinian terrorists Wednesday morning: "I will not fail to mention with honor and admiration the resolve of the female prisoners, the fighters, and of all the prisoners of freedom who are imprisoned in the Israeli prisons, experiencing indescribable suffering. This requires that all of us intensify the effort to ensure their liberation from the occupation's chains and from the abuse of its [Israel's] executioners."
In a radio speech, Fayyad then specifically named the following terrorists: Qahira Al-Sa'adi, who drove a suicide bomber to an attack killing 3 in Jerusalem in 2002. Irena Sarahneh, who drove a suicide bomber to an attack killing 2 and injuring dozens, in Israeli city Rishon LeZion in 2002. Iman Ghazawi, who in 2001 placed a bomb at the central bus station in Tel Aviv that was discovered before it exploded. Latifa Abu Zara'a, who in 2003 smuggled a bomb into Israel for a suicide terror attack that was uncovered before it was implemented.
Having condemned the [most recent] bomb in Jerusalem as "terror," Fayyad elaborated, explaining that such "actions" have damaged the Palestinian cause in the past: "It is shameful that after all the catastrophes, which such actions have brought upon our people, and the heavy damage which they have brought to our struggle and to the justice of our cause, some Palestinian party still insists on renewing these shameful operations and scenes."
(Excerpts of an article by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, March 27, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the world would clearly see the incitement against Israel still being endorsed by Palestinian leaders. Pray that hate towards Israel would be addressed and not merely be excused as rhetoric. Pray that the Palestinians who hate Israel would repent.
Scripture
“In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:1-2).
Fayyad condemned Jerusalem bombing Wednesday afternoon: "I condemn this terror operation in the harshest terms, no matter who stands behind it."
Fayyad praised Palestinian terrorists Wednesday morning: "I will not fail to mention with honor and admiration the resolve of the female prisoners, the fighters, and of all the prisoners of freedom who are imprisoned in the Israeli prisons, experiencing indescribable suffering. This requires that all of us intensify the effort to ensure their liberation from the occupation's chains and from the abuse of its [Israel's] executioners."
In a radio speech, Fayyad then specifically named the following terrorists: Qahira Al-Sa'adi, who drove a suicide bomber to an attack killing 3 in Jerusalem in 2002. Irena Sarahneh, who drove a suicide bomber to an attack killing 2 and injuring dozens, in Israeli city Rishon LeZion in 2002. Iman Ghazawi, who in 2001 placed a bomb at the central bus station in Tel Aviv that was discovered before it exploded. Latifa Abu Zara'a, who in 2003 smuggled a bomb into Israel for a suicide terror attack that was uncovered before it was implemented.
Having condemned the [most recent] bomb in Jerusalem as "terror," Fayyad elaborated, explaining that such "actions" have damaged the Palestinian cause in the past: "It is shameful that after all the catastrophes, which such actions have brought upon our people, and the heavy damage which they have brought to our struggle and to the justice of our cause, some Palestinian party still insists on renewing these shameful operations and scenes."
(Excerpts of an article by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, March 27, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the world would clearly see the incitement against Israel still being endorsed by Palestinian leaders. Pray that hate towards Israel would be addressed and not merely be excused as rhetoric. Pray that the Palestinians who hate Israel would repent.
Scripture
“In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:1-2).
6. Iron Dome Deployed near Beersheba
During the preparations for the deployment of the system, which uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and is supposed to shoot them down within seconds of their launch, Israel conducted a test during which rockets resembling Grads were intercepted.
The security establishment said it would take some time before the system becomes fully integrated in the army's routine activity. "Israel has been under the threat of rockets for the past 20 years-since the Gulf War [the first war between Iraq and a US-led coalition]," Prime Minister [PM] Benjamin Netanyahu told Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu noted that "the Iron Dome is still being tested, and in any case, we cannot deploy batteries in such a way that they would protect every home, school, base and facility.
"The true answer to the threat is a combination of offensive and deterrence measures with defense measures," and stressed that Israel "holds Hamas responsible for everything fired from the Gaza Strip," the PM said.
During a tour of Israeli communities located near Gaza on Friday [March 25], Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he approved the deployment of Iron Dome's first operational battery in the south and lauded its capabilities, while making note of its limitations.
"We must understand that alongside the fact that this is an exceptional achievement by our defense industries, unprecedented anywhere else, it ultimately does not provide 100% coverage," he said.
"This is the first battery, and every additional battery that we get will join this system," he said. "However, the full deployment would take several years and involve significant budgets."
(Excerpts of an article by Hanan Greenberg, Attila Somfalvi contributed, Ynetnews, March 27, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel’s advances in self-defense. Pray that Israel will be able to adequately defend all her people, but that such efforts will not be made necessary by more violence.
Scripture
“He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand” (Psalm 121:3-5).
7. Colombia Won't Recognize Unilateral Palestinian State
Colombia offered some rare good news on Israel’s diplomatic front in Latin America this week, as the South American nation’s president told a high-level delegation of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) that his country would not recognize a hypothetical unilateral Palestinian state. Country after country has offered some form of statehood recognition to a theoretical Palestinian state since Brazil started the trend in December 2010, but it appears the pattern isn’t going to change Colombia’s mind on the matter.
According to a WJC press release, on Wednesday [March 30], Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón told the delegation, led by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, that his government would “stand firm on this issue.”
The press release paraphrased the Colombian leader’s comments as saying that “as a matter of principle, Colombia would not follow other governments in the region which had recently recognized a yet-to-be-established unilaterally declared Palestinian state. He emphasized that the only path to peace in the Middle East was through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.”
The WJC delegation expressed their gratitude, with Lauder quoted as telling Santos, “We value your friendship and courage for Israel and the Jewish people. We also appreciate that you have withstood pressure from fellow Latin American leaders to prematurely recognize a Palestinian state.”
Some of the nations in Latin America have elected to recognize a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, which include the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, despite the fact that Israel and the Palestinians have yet to reach formal agreements on borders or security, which is one of Israel’s chief concerns.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called for essential security guarantees in any future peace deal with the Palestinians that would prevent the West Bank from turning into a rocket-launching point able to hit key areas of the country, noting in the past that could include Ben-Gurion International Airport.
In the press release, WJC Secretary-General Designate Dan Diker pointed to some of the concerns such borders represent, saying that “a return to the borders prior to 1967 would intensify the current instability across the Middle East region while posing a security threat to Israel by radical Islamists that also has ramifications for the wider world, including Latin America.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that Colombia has resisted the pressure to recognize a unilateral Palestinian state. Pray that they would be blessed for their support of Israel. Pray that all nations would repent and support Israel’s right to God’s land.
Scripture
“Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:3-4).
According to a WJC press release, on Wednesday [March 30], Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón told the delegation, led by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, that his government would “stand firm on this issue.”
The press release paraphrased the Colombian leader’s comments as saying that “as a matter of principle, Colombia would not follow other governments in the region which had recently recognized a yet-to-be-established unilaterally declared Palestinian state. He emphasized that the only path to peace in the Middle East was through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.”
The WJC delegation expressed their gratitude, with Lauder quoted as telling Santos, “We value your friendship and courage for Israel and the Jewish people. We also appreciate that you have withstood pressure from fellow Latin American leaders to prematurely recognize a Palestinian state.”
Some of the nations in Latin America have elected to recognize a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, which include the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, despite the fact that Israel and the Palestinians have yet to reach formal agreements on borders or security, which is one of Israel’s chief concerns.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called for essential security guarantees in any future peace deal with the Palestinians that would prevent the West Bank from turning into a rocket-launching point able to hit key areas of the country, noting in the past that could include Ben-Gurion International Airport.
In the press release, WJC Secretary-General Designate Dan Diker pointed to some of the concerns such borders represent, saying that “a return to the borders prior to 1967 would intensify the current instability across the Middle East region while posing a security threat to Israel by radical Islamists that also has ramifications for the wider world, including Latin America.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 30, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that Colombia has resisted the pressure to recognize a unilateral Palestinian state. Pray that they would be blessed for their support of Israel. Pray that all nations would repent and support Israel’s right to God’s land.
Scripture
“Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:3-4).
8. Facebook Removes Third Intifada Page
After initially deciding not to remove a page calling for a third Palestinian Intifada, a word commonly translated as “uprising,” Facebook shifted gears and deleted the page when it became apparent the site was endorsing violence.
The decision comes as groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), publicly called for Facebook to remove the page, citing the page’s call for a new intifada following the previous two. The first two Palestinian intifadas included a number of acts of terrorism resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Israelis civilians.
Andrew Noyes, a spokesperson for Facebook, told Bridges for Peace in an email on Tuesday [March 29] that while they believed the page began peacefully, it eventually turned violent. After repeated warnings by Facebook to the page’s administrators, the page was removed.
“The page, The Third Palestinian Intifada, began as a call for peaceful protest, even though it used a term that has been associated with violence in the past. In addition, the administrators initially removed comments that promoted violence,” said Noyes. “However, after the publicity of the page, more comments deteriorated to direct calls for violence. Eventually, the administrators also participated in these calls. After administrators of the page received repeated warnings about posts that violated our policies, we removed the page.”
The page had gathered hundreds of thousands of “likes” and wasn’t the only page of its type. Another page entitled “Third Palestinian Intifada,” but distinct from the deleted one and started prior to the removal of the original, had shot up to more than 1,000 “likes” as of Tuesday. That page, however, also included troubling content, including an Arabic post which Google translate said began with “death to Israel.”
The original intifada page had threatened that its removal would lead to Muslim boycott of Facebook, but it appears that instead Facebook will be faced with a need to closely monitor copy-cat pages calling for a new intifada against Israel. The ADL, a civil rights group based in the United States, praised Facebook for the move to remove the intifada page.
(Excerpts of an article By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that Facebook removed others’ hate and calls for violence against Israel. Pray that they and other Web sites would continue to do so and that online anti-Semitism will cease. Pray that calls for violence against Israel will be unsuccessful.
Scripture
“They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips. Selah. Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have purposed to make my steps stumble” (Psalm 140:3-4).
The decision comes as groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), publicly called for Facebook to remove the page, citing the page’s call for a new intifada following the previous two. The first two Palestinian intifadas included a number of acts of terrorism resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Israelis civilians.
Andrew Noyes, a spokesperson for Facebook, told Bridges for Peace in an email on Tuesday [March 29] that while they believed the page began peacefully, it eventually turned violent. After repeated warnings by Facebook to the page’s administrators, the page was removed.
“The page, The Third Palestinian Intifada, began as a call for peaceful protest, even though it used a term that has been associated with violence in the past. In addition, the administrators initially removed comments that promoted violence,” said Noyes. “However, after the publicity of the page, more comments deteriorated to direct calls for violence. Eventually, the administrators also participated in these calls. After administrators of the page received repeated warnings about posts that violated our policies, we removed the page.”
The page had gathered hundreds of thousands of “likes” and wasn’t the only page of its type. Another page entitled “Third Palestinian Intifada,” but distinct from the deleted one and started prior to the removal of the original, had shot up to more than 1,000 “likes” as of Tuesday. That page, however, also included troubling content, including an Arabic post which Google translate said began with “death to Israel.”
The original intifada page had threatened that its removal would lead to Muslim boycott of Facebook, but it appears that instead Facebook will be faced with a need to closely monitor copy-cat pages calling for a new intifada against Israel. The ADL, a civil rights group based in the United States, praised Facebook for the move to remove the intifada page.
(Excerpts of an article By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 29, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that Facebook removed others’ hate and calls for violence against Israel. Pray that they and other Web sites would continue to do so and that online anti-Semitism will cease. Pray that calls for violence against Israel will be unsuccessful.
Scripture
“They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips. Selah. Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have purposed to make my steps stumble” (Psalm 140:3-4).
9. Israeli, Russian Space Agencies Sign Cooperation Agreement
The Israeli and Russian space agencies signed a framework agreement on Sunday [March 27] that will enhance cooperation in a variety of space research fields and is being touted as evidence of the two nations’ improved relationship. According to a press release posted on the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Web site, the agreement “enhances cooperation between the Israeli and Russian space agencies in the fields of space research, observation, navigation, medicine and biology in space, research in advanced materials and launchings.”
The press release said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s Ambassador to Israel Pyotr Stegny were among the officials present at the signing. Netanyahu was in Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week. In comments posted separately on the Prime Minister’s Office Web site, the Israeli leader was quoted as saying the space cooperation was agreed to during the visit.
Israel has multiple satellites in space, with Netanyahu praising the potential for the cooperation between Israel and Russia in the space field. Netanyahu also used the space agreement to highlight the bilateral relations with Russia, as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Russian decision to renew diplomatic relations with Israel.
Said Netanyahu of Israel’s space technology, “The technology is very focused and very advanced; therefore, the combination of Russia's major and developed industry, including its technology, and Israel's developed and advanced technology, is, I believe, one that could provide major benefits to both countries. “Moreover, this genuinely reflects the impressive development of our bilateral relations, the first two decades of which we are celebrating.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 28, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for the improved relations between Israel and Russia and pray that the bettering of the ties would continue. Pray that God will bless Israel in her efforts to be a blessing.
Scripture
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 106:48).
The press release said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s Ambassador to Israel Pyotr Stegny were among the officials present at the signing. Netanyahu was in Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week. In comments posted separately on the Prime Minister’s Office Web site, the Israeli leader was quoted as saying the space cooperation was agreed to during the visit.
Israel has multiple satellites in space, with Netanyahu praising the potential for the cooperation between Israel and Russia in the space field. Netanyahu also used the space agreement to highlight the bilateral relations with Russia, as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Russian decision to renew diplomatic relations with Israel.
Said Netanyahu of Israel’s space technology, “The technology is very focused and very advanced; therefore, the combination of Russia's major and developed industry, including its technology, and Israel's developed and advanced technology, is, I believe, one that could provide major benefits to both countries. “Moreover, this genuinely reflects the impressive development of our bilateral relations, the first two decades of which we are celebrating.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 28, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for the improved relations between Israel and Russia and pray that the bettering of the ties would continue. Pray that God will bless Israel in her efforts to be a blessing.
Scripture
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 106:48).
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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