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Israel Navy Works with NATO in Major Exercise

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A huge earthquake hits northern Israel, killing thousands and knocking out infrastructure — this doomsday scenario was the premise for a multi-national naval drill this week.

Sailors from France, Greece and the United States arrived on their vessels and were joined by the Israelis off the Israeli port city of Haifa for the four-day exercise, called Mighty Waves.

They simulated extracting wounded civilians to sea for treatment, fishing people out of the water and transferring humanitarian aid, with representatives of seven other navies taking part as observers. . .

Israel is always looking to boost its profile among Western allies as well as reinforce its image as the Middle East’s most powerful military, and the drill was a chance to do that, said Eran Lerman, former deputy to Israel’s national security adviser.

“The very fact that Israel is perceived by key global players as a state that can and should be cooperated with militarily conveys a message of deterrence to potential enemies, while strengthening the increasing ties with like-minded Arab states,” said Lerman, now vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. (Read more from “Israel Navy Works with NATO in Major Exercise” HERE)

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Israel Conducts Successful Missile Test Over Alaska

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The United States and Israel successfully carried out “a high altitude hit-to-kill engagement” with a co-developed anti-ballistic missile interceptor system in Alaska, officials announced Sunday.

The Arrow-3 Interceptor missile achieved a “major milestone” in its development during a successful flight test where the system effectively intercepted a missile target outside the atmosphere, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said in a statement.

“This unique success in Alaska provides confidence in future Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing threats in the region,” MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said in the statement. “We are committed to assisting the Government of Israel in upgrading its national missile defense capability to defend the State of Israel from emerging threats.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a Cabinet meeting Sunday that the Arrow 3 gives his country the “ability to act against ballistic missiles fired against us from Iran and from any other location.”

Arrow 3, along with the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow 2 systems, is part of the multi-layered shield Israel is developing to defend against rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon, as well as Iran’s long-range missiles. (Read more from “Israel Conducts Successful Missile Test Over Alaska” HERE)

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Palestinians Are Greater Threat to Israel Than Iran, Expert Says

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The Palestinians pose a “greater threat to Israel than Iran and Syria,” the director of a Philadelphia-based think tank told Breitbart in a wide-ranging interview on the heels of a new poll that shows the overwhelming majority of Israelis (78%) do not see an end to the conflict in sight.

Gregg Roman, director of the Middle East Forum (MEF), cited demography, politicized violence and proximity as the reasons why the intransigent Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more dangerous to the future of the Jewish state than even Iran.

“The crux of the conflict is the Palestinian rejection of the right for Jews to have self-determination and live in their ancestral homeland,” Roman said.

“The Palestinians are rewarded for rejecting, Israelis are punished for accepting,” he said, and added that the problem was compounded by the fact that the Palestinians believe “time is on their side.” . . .

Roman pointed to recent statements made by President Donald Trump’s Special Mideast peace envoy Jason Greenblatt that put into question some of the thorniest issues in the conflict and core tenets on the Palestinian side, including the Palestinian refugee misnomer and the Palestinian “right” to a capital in east Jerusalem. (Read more from “Palestinians Are Greater Threat to Israel Than Iran, Expert Says” HERE)

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During Mueller Hearing, the UN Took Another Swipe at Israel

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With Robert Mueller’s anticipated hearings on the Hill now over, we can browse through some of the other news around the world we missed. Boris Johnson delivered his first speech as prime minister, Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned, and, apparently, the United Nations took (another) biased vote on Israel.

By a vote of 40-2, with 9 abstentions, the UN Economic and Social Council concluded that Israel was the “major obstacle” for Palestinian women “with regard to their advancement, self-reliance, and integration in the development of their society.” The only “no” votes were the U.S. and Canada.

The Jewish state was harshly and repeatedly condemned in a resolution, adopted 40 to 2 with 9 abstentions and 3 absent (see breakdown below), for allegedly being the “major obstacle” for Palestinian women “with regard to their advancement, self-reliance, and integration in the development of their society.”

Out of 20 items on the UN Economic and Social Council’s 2018-2019 agenda, only one — Item No. 16 against Israel — focuses on condemning a specific country. All the other focus areas concern global topics such as disaster relief assistance and the use of science and technology for development. (UN Watch)

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“The UN reached new heights of absurdity by singling out Israel alone on women’s rights, yet saying nothing on Iran holding women’s rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh behind bars, Saudi Arabia jailing and torturing women’s rights activists, and subjugating women under harsh male guardianship laws, or on Yemen denying women hospital treatment without the permission of a male relative,” Executive Director of UN Watch Hillel Neuer noted. (Read more from “During Mueller Hearing, the UN Took Another Swipe at Israel” HERE)

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Tlaib: BDS Movement Against Israel Like American Boycott of Nazi Germany

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) likened the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement to the American boycott of Nazi Germany during a floor speech on Tuesday.

Tlaib, a Palestinian-American and a supporter of BDS, spoke on the floor about her opposition to a House resolution affirming opposition to the movement. It is likely to pass on a bipartisan basis.

Tlaib said she could not stand by as the “daughter of Palestinian immigrants” and watch an attack on the right to “boycott the racist policies of the government and state of Israel.”

“The right to boycott is deeply rooted in the fabric of our country,” she said. “What was the Boston Tea Party but a boycott? Where would we be now without the boycott led by the civil rights activists in the 1950s and 60s like the Montgomery bus boycott and the United Farm Workers Grape boycott?” . . .

“Americans boycotted Nazi Germany in response to dehumanization, imprisonment, and genocide of Jewish people,” she said. “In the 1980s, many of us in this very body boycotted South African goods in the fight against apartheid. Our right to free speech is being threatened with this resolution. It sets a dangerous precedent because it attempts to delegitimize a certain people’s political speech and to send a message that our government can and will take action against speech it doesn’t like.” (Read more from “Tlaib: BDS Movement Against Israel Like American Boycott of Nazi Germany” HERE)

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Archaeologists Find Lost Biblical City Connected to King David — and It Backs up Scripture

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By The Blaze. Archaeologists have reportedly uncovered the location of an Old Testament city connected to King David — an exciting development that lines up with the biblical narrative.

Experts believe they have found the location of Ziklag, a town mentioned in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles.

After years of experts suggesting that the “lost” town could be in 12 different locations, new evidence has led Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists and researchers to believe that Khirbet a-Ra’i is the site where Ziklag was located, according to the Times of Israel.

The Old Testament tells us that David found refuge from King Saul in Ziklag before heading to Hebron to be anointed king, with the location having a fascinating place in biblical history. British Friends of the Hebrew University has more:

According to the Biblical narrative, Achish, King of Gat, allowed David to find refuge in Ziklag while fleeing King Saul and from there David also departed to be anointed King in Hebron. According to scripture, Ziklag was also the scene of a dramatic event, in which the Amalekites, desert nomads, raided and burned the town taking women and children captive.

(Read more from “Archaeologists Find Lost Biblical City Connected to King David — and It Backs up Scripture” HERE)

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Archaeologists Say They Found Town Where Future King David Took Refuge from Saul

By The Times of Israel. . .Based on artifacts and carbon 14 dating results of excavations since 2015, scholars proposed Monday that the archaeological site of Khirbet a-Ra‘i in the Judaean foothills is the site of the elusive Philistine town. . .

According to a joint press release from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists discovered remains of a Philistine settlement from the 12-11th centuries BCE, which was followed by a rural settlement dating to the early 10th century BCE, which is in keeping with the biblical account. Carbon 14 dating supports the archaeologists’ timeline and identification, according to the press release.

As recorded in the Hebrew Bible, David settled at Ziklag for 14 months under the patronage of the Philistine King Achish of Gat, with 600 of his men and their families, and used it as a base to raid neighboring peoples.

While the then-Philistine vassal David attempted to join the army of his Philistine lord Achish to defeat Saul, retaliating Amalekites razed the town and took off with the Israelites’ women and children, along with much booty. (Spoiler: In the end, David prevailed.)

According to the press release, in addition to the cultural transition between Philistine buildings and the presumed later Israelite camp, the Davidic-era settlement shows remains of an intense fire that destroyed it. (Read more from “Archaeologists Say They Found Town Where Future King David Took Refuge from Saul” HERE)

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New Zealand ‘Factsheet’ Wipes Israel from the Map, Has Horrifying Replacement

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New Zealand’s government recently erased Israel from the map in a “factsheet” on Palestine marred by numerous factual inaccuracies and minimal nuance, provoking outcry from Jewish and Israeli voices.

The “factsheet” labels all territory currently governed by Israel as Palestine. It also calls Palestine as a “state,” which is not consistent with the New Zealand government’s official view. . .

The “fact sheet” was first published by New Zealand’s Immigration Agency under the title ‘State of Palestine Refugee Quota Factsheet” to give a brief overview of how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict created Palestinian refugees. It is unclear who exactly created the “fact sheet” nor the editing process for it.

After the documents made the rounds on social media with numerous people weighing in on the subject, the government took down the controversial document:

Ashley Church, the director of the Israeli Institute of New Zealand, called for the retraction of the “fact sheet” and an apology from the New Zealand government. (Read more from “New Zealand ‘Factsheet’ Wipes Israel from the Map, Has Horrifying Replacement” HERE)

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Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks

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By Breitbart. A former Iranian diplomat claimed that Israel [was] responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Iranian media outlet reported.

Without offering any evidence, Hamid Reza Asefi, who served as Iran’s ambassador to France and Foreign Ministry spokesman, claimed the motive behind the attack was “clear.”

“I think the directing of such incidents in the region are done by the Zionist regime and this has no hidden dimensions,” Asefi told Iran Online in an interview cited by the Tehran Times.

srael benefits the most from accusations against Iran, Asefi theorized, and therefore “logically the Zionist regime is the agent of this incident.”

He added that Israel seeks to drag the Islamic Republic into turmoil with the rest of the world. (Read more from “Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks” HERE)

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Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions

By Reuters. Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will take all actions necessary to guarantee safe navigation in the Middle East, as tensions mounted following attacks on tankers last week.

Brent futures had climbed 26 cents, or 0.4%, to $62.27 a barrel by 0314 GMT. They gained 1.1% on Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $52.68 a barrel. They rose 0.4% in the previous session.

Prices had jumped as much as 4.5% on Thursday after the attacks on two oil tankers near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

It was the second time in a month tankers have been attacked in the world’s most important zone for oil supplies as tensions increase between the United States and Iran. Washington blamed Iran for Thursday’s attacks, prompting a denial and criticism from Tehran. (Read more from “Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions” HERE)

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Israel Honors Trump with Settlement in the Golan Heights

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled Sunday a new Jewish settlement in the internationally contested Golan Heights named after President Donald Trump.

The settlement is called “Trump Heights” — or “Ramat Heights” in Hebrew — and essentially renames an existing settlement in Kela Alon that was built decades ago, the Wall Street Journal reported. Fewer than a dozen Israeli citizens live in the settlement, which sits just 12 miles from the Syrian border.

Netanyahu revealed the settlement during a meeting of his cabinet.

“We are going to do two things — establish a new community on the Golan Heights, something that has not been done for many years. This is an act of Zionism and it is paramount,” he said, according to the New York Post. “The second thing is to honor our friend, a very great friend of the State of Israel — President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.” . . .

The move was internationally condemned, and did not generate any worldwide support. The international community maintains that Israel has illegal control over the Golan despite winning control over the the majority of the land during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel officially annexed Golan in 1981.

(Read more from “Israel Honors Trump with Settlement in the Golan Heights” HERE)

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Extremist Tlaib Promotes Anti-Semetic Movement to Destroy Israel

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) promoted the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement on Thursday which is designed to destroy Israel.

Tlaib retweeted a tweet from a far-left Democrat activist that goes by the name “Rasha” on Twitter. The tweet stated: “We are connected in radical love. And we have a duty and a privilege in this position to protect not the most popular amongst us, but the most vulnerable amongst us. @thrasherxy on #Palestine and #BDS”

The Washington Free Beacon reported that “the BDS movement targets Israeli organizations and companies doing business in Israel in an effort to weaken Israel economically and politically, forcing the Israeli government to change its policies. Israel is not an apartheid state.”

This is just the most recent example of Tlaib expressing her hatred for the State of Israel, which Democrats no longer push back against, as she recently engaged in Holocaust revisionist history to delegitimize Israel which came in the context of her discussing a one-state solution which calls for the elimination of Israel. Tlaib said:

There’s always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors — Palestinians — who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people’s passports. And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them.

(Read more from “Extremist Tlaib Promotes Anti-Semetic Movement to Destroy Israel” HERE)

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