Spot Report: The best is yet to come

Think on this: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Messiah Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:…

Details

Czech-Israeli Relations: An Enduring Friendship

By JOSEPH PUDER, FRONTPAGEMAG— Sixty-five years ago, on November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states and on that same day in 2012 the Palestinians pushed UNGA to resurrect the very state they refused to accept in 1947, simply because it would have meant accepting a Jewish state…

Details

Hagel, Obama and the Israeli elections

Monday the National Journal reported that President Barack Obama is reconsidering his decision to appoint former Senator Chuck Hagel secretary of defense. Hagel’s looming appointment provoked angry responses from many leading Jewish voices in the US. Whether this opposition made a difference in driving Obama to reconsider his choice is unclear. Other influential groups –…

Details

Assad said to be stocking up on artillery

BY YAOV ZITUN, ROI KAIS, YNETNEWS— “Assad’s current artillery acquisitions are the highest since 1973,” a top military source told Ynet Wednesday, as war-ravaged Syria seems to be sinking deeper into civil war. The nearly two-year conflict between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the pro-democracy opposition has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people. According…

Details

What to expect of Secretary Kerry

By YAAKOV AHIMEIR, ISRAEL HAYOM— Democratic Senator John Kerry is not going to have any problems filling the shoes of his predecessors in his new capacity as secretary of state. As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, he has gained expert knowledge on the U.S.’s ties with other countries, making him a…

Details

Making Jerusalem truly indivisible

By MICHAEL FREUND, JPOST— The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, much like any clash of civilizations, has a history rife with significant dates and anniversaries, many of which in retrospect proved to be decisive. From the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement to the 1929 Arab riots on through the 1947 UN Partition Plan, the 1967 Six Day War and the…

Details

Abbas – masterful illusionist mesmerizes UN with Palestinian state mirage

By EARL COX, ISRAEL ALWAYS— As expected, the United Nations General Assembly  recently voted, 138 to 9 with 41 abstentions, to grant the Palestinians in Israel what has been termed “non-member status,” and also “observer status” in the UN. Nobody is quite sure exactly what the new status means in relation to legitimate Palestinian statehood…

Details

'Jesus and Mary have become weapons in hands of Israel-haters'

By YOSSI ALONI, ISRAEL TODAY— Anti-Israel activists in Ireland have printed and distributed Christmas greeting cards that claim if Mary, the mother of Jesus, was alive today, she would be unable to give birth to Jesus as documented in the New Testament because Israeli soldier would hold her up at the Bethlehem checkpoint as they…

Details

Haggling Over Hagel

By GARY BAUER — END-OF-DAY-REPORT— In recent days, conservative and pro-Israel groups have jumped into action on the growing rumors that President Obama plans to nominate former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense. Jewish leaders spoke up right away due to Hagel’s anti-Israel record and comments that border on anti-Semitism. Christians…

Details

Wish I'd said that

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all…

Details

Palestinians aim to isolate Israel with new steps

By ASSOCIATED PRESS— Weeks ahead of Israeli elections, Palestinian officials are already plotting a series of tough steps against Israel to be taken if, as polls predict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is re-elected and peace efforts remain stalled. Emboldened by their newly upgraded status at the United Nations, the Palestinians are talking of filing war…

Details

Sea of Galilee water level very encouraging

By ISRAEL TODAY— Israeli officials now believe that the region will receive more rain than expected this winter, bringing the Sea of Galilee back up to a level it has not been at in over 10 years. Speaking to Israel’s Ma’ariv newspaper, Israel Water Authority official Dr. Amir Givati noted that due to abundant rainfall…

Details

Bethlehem: A place of refuge and redemption

By DAVID SMITH, JPOST— The idea of Bethlehem touches every believer at a primal level. It stirs in us stories of David being called from the sheep flock to shepherd the people of Israel. It reminds us of Christmas carols and plays, nativity scenes and even the roots of our faith. Interestingly, Bethlehem’s first mention…

Details