BY ROTEM ELIAV, IDF NEWS— “Plug in the speakers, Kaplan,” says Master Sgt. Gabriel Cohen, inspection NCO of the Military Rabbinate to his soldier Pvt. Eliyahu Kaplan, and the first Sukkot celebration is underway. Every holiday the IDF makes sure to give the soldiers spending the celebration guarding at military posts and away from their…
BY AVI ISSACHAROFF, HAARETZ— Forty-two released Palestinian prisoners arrived in Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Qatar on Tuesday after being set free as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. The prisoners are considered the most notorious of 1,027 Palestinians and Israeli Arabs being released by Israel in exchange for abducted Israel Defense…
BY SAMARA GREENBERG, JEWISH POLICY CENTER— Last month’s Palestinian Authority (PA) ploy at the United Nations to gain recognition of statehood represents the continuing Palestinian strategy to avoid negotiating a peace agreement with Israel. While it would be unfortunate and unhelpful to reward bad behavior, there is an even more fundamental reason why members of…
BY MICHAEL FREUND, JEWISH PRESS— As the Palestinians press forward in international forums with their plans for statehood, a growing chorus of countries has expressed support for the move. Defying history, logic and reason, much of the world has made clear that it would like to see a state of Palestine arise alongside Israel. And…
BY JPOST— Noam Schalit briefly shared some details of his son Gilad’s captivity and release at a press conference outside his family’s home in Mitzpe Hila Tuesday night after Gilad’s arrival. Gilad said that at the beginning he was held in difficult conditions, Noam recounted, adding that his conditions later improved. He said Gilad was…
Though his freedom came with a price, there is not a dry eye in Israel today.
BY JPOST— Gilad Schalit walked down the steps of his family home in Mitzpe Hila on Tuesday afternoon following his release from over five years of Hamas captivity. Police vehicles with flashing lights escorted the convoy carrying Schalit from a helicopter landing strip to his home. The IAF helicopter carrying Schalit landed near his home…
BY TRAVELUJAH— This morning, after 1941 days in captivity, Israel welcomed home IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Gilad arrived by helicopter at Israel’s Tel Nof Airforce Base where he met Prime Minister Netanyahu just before meeting his parents and family for the first time after more than five years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first…
BY JEROLD S. AUERBACH, AMERICAN THINKER— In Haifa eight years ago, Asaf Zur was returning home from school. Along the way, his fellow bus passenger, a Hamas suicide bomber, blew himself up and killed seventeen Israelis, mostly school children like 17-year-old Asaf. The bomb belt worn by the terrorist was made by Mawaz Abu Sharach…
BY RYAN JONES, ISRAEL TODAY— A Palestinian public opinion poll conducted over the weekend revealed that Israel’s ostensible peace partners have had enough of talking, and may be gearing up for more violence. The Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University in Nablus asked local Palestinians if they believe a lasting…