Tag Archives: Israel

Inscription Found From King David Times

The Israeli Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of an inscription that was traced to the time of King David.

One of the researchers called it a “once in a lifetime” find.

A large clay storage jar was found at Khirbet Qeiyafa that was dated to the Iron Age between 980 and 1020 BC.  On the jar is the name os Ishba’al son of Beda according to the research published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.

“It is interesting to note that the name Ishbaʽal appears in the Bible, and now also in the archaeological record, only during the reign of King David, in the first half of the tenth century BCE. This name was not used later in the First Temple period,” Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University and Saar Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority said in an IAA statement Tuesday.

The researchers said it was unlikely the Ishba’al mentioned on the jar was the same as the rival to King David.

Garfinkel said that just five years ago there were no known Judean inscriptions from that period.

“Minimalists would say that writing only started in Judah in the 7th century BCE,” he said. With the discovery of a second inscription at Khirbet Qeiyafa, “you can see that it existed; before this we didn’t even have any evidence that writing or literacy existed at all.”

“Researching any culture we would like to know if the people knew to read and write,” he said. “In this specific case study it’s even more important because it’s the beginning of the biblical tradition, and then it’s not just of interest to 40 archaeologists but to billions of people.”

Greg Laurie: U.S. Needs Israel More Than They Need Us

California pastor Greg Laurie told the thousands at Harvest Church and the millions around the world watching online that America needs Israel more than the other way around in a lesson on the end times.

Laurie said that Israel is at the eye of the hurricane when it comes to the great events of the end times and Jesus made it very clear that Israel is beloved of God.  He added those who bless Israel will be looked upon favorably by the Lord.

“One of the reasons God has blessed the United States is because of our support to Israel. … America needs Israel more than Israel needs America … because we need the blessing of God,” the pastor said.

 

Laurie reminded the parishioners that the Bible is the only book that clearly outlines what is going to happen in the end times.

“The Bible is the one book that dares to predict the future … with 100 percent accuracy,” he said, adding that about 30 percent of the Bible is prophecy, and that God wants us to know these prophecies. “The more we know about the next world, the better we’ll live in this one.”

Netanyahu Slams Mahmoud Abbas and Boycott Movement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas is fostering “vilification of Jews” with his calls for boycotts of Israeli companies in the West Bank.

“Yesterday Palestinian President Abbas called for the labeling and boycotting of Israeli products. This is definitely not the language of peace,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna. We will continue to resist boycotts, defamation, de-legitimization. We’ll do that internationally, we’ll do that locally if we need to, and our hand will remain stretched out for peace for any partner that wants to have peace with us.”

“I say that to the foreign minister of a free proud and independent Poland, on whose soil the defamation of the Jewish people happened when the Nazis controlled Europe,” Netanyahu said. “The attacks on the Jews were always preceded by the slander of the Jews. What was done to the Jewish people then is being done to the Jewish state now. We won’t accommodate that. In those days we could do nothing.”

The Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign is designed to shut down Israeli companies in an attempt to force the Israeli government to give in to Palestinian demands.

The European Union is looking to put in place rules that would require all products from the West Bank to be labeled.

New Policy States Jerusalem-Born Americans Can’t List Israel As Birthplace

The right of U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem to list “Israel” as their country of birth on passports has been changed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court ruled on a 6-3 decision that Congress violated the Constitution when it passed a 2002 law telling the State Department any American born in Jerusalem could list Israel as their birthplace.

The new policy has been implemented in an attempt to stay neutral over any nation’s sovereignty over Jerusalem while Palestinians and Israelis negotiate its status.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority that the President has the right to recognize foreign nations and that the ability is his alone; meaning the Congress cannot assign nationality to any foreign land.

“Recognition is a matter on which the nation must speak with one voice. That voice is the president’s,” Kennedy wrote.

US Policy has held that Jerusalem’s city status should be resolved through negotiations between the parties.  Congress has for years pushed administrations of both parties to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

In his dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the Constitution “divides responsibility for foreign affairs between Congress and the president.”  He was joined in dissent by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

The ruling ends a 12 year old lawsuit brought by a Jerusalem-born American.

President Obama Interview: “More difficult to defend Israel”

During a recent interview with an Israeli television station,  President Obama  said that the international community is not convinced that Israel is serious about a two state solution, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed so many conditions to its establishment that it is unrealistic to think it could come into existence in the near future.

“Subsequently his statements have suggested that there is a possibility of a Palestinian state, but it has so many caveats, so many conditions, that it is not realistic to think that those conditions will be met anytime in the near future,” Obama told Channel 2.

Obama also said Netanyahu’s stand would make it more difficult for the U.S. to “defend Israel” around the world.

“If in fact there is no prospect of a peace process, if no one believes there is a peace process, it becomes more difficult to argue with those who are concerned about settlement construction, more difficult for me to say, ‘Be patient, we have a process here.’”

Obama explained that he does not at this point believe there is a likelihood for any kind of framework agreement between the sides to emerge, but that he hopes to work with them to find a way to move from what appears to be a hopeless situation, back to one where there is some hope.

“That is going to be hard work, because right now there is not a lot of confidence in the process.”

The President also addressed the ongoing nuclear negotiations claiming that  he cares very much  about the Israeli people. Obama said that he understands – given the realities of the region and the nature of Israel’s enemies – why Israelis are so concerned about security.

“I care very much about the people of Israel as well, and in my mind it is very much in Israel’s interest to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and I think that I can demonstrate, not based on any hope, but on facts, evidence and analysis, that the best way to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon is a verifiable tough agreement. A military resolution will not fix it, even if the United States participates, it would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but not eliminate it.”

The President then directed his thought to the Israeli leadership, saying that just like he had to do some changes after taking office due to the Iraq war where he felt America “lost our values”, that Israeli leaders need to do the same.

“I respectfully suggest that Israel has to do that same self-reflecting, because if it doesn’t, then there are things that you can lose that don’t just involve rockets.”

UK Student Organization Votes To Boycott Israel

A leading British student group has voted to join the anti-Semitic boycott of Israel spurred by the Palestinian authority.

The UK’s National Union of Students voted 19-12 to join the “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign” started by the Palestinians as a way to attack Israel on the world stage.  The NUS is the umbrella student organization for the nation with over 7 million students represented in 600 schools.

The motion also calls on the British government to stop arms sales to Israel.

The Jewish Chronicle reports that the vote was taken by secret ballot, so it’s impossible to know which members of the group voted in favor of the anti-Semitic action.

A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the vote is really insignificant given the group’s previous anti-Semitic leanings.

“Instead of expressing hatred, British students would benefit from studying history and understanding that the distance between conveying hate language and prejudice to committing despicable crimes is not that great,” the spokesperson said.

Netanyahu Slams Palestinian Boycott Campaign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed a boycott campaign by Palestinians that he says is an “international campaign to blacken” Israel.

“We are in the midst of a great struggle being waged against the state of Israel, an international campaign to blacken its name. It is not connected to our actions; it is connected to our very existence. It does not matter what we do; it matters what we symbolize and what we are,” Netanyahu said.”I think that it is important to understand that these things do not stem from the fact that if only we were nicer or a little more generous — we are very generous, we have made many offers, we have made many concessions — that anything would change because this campaign to delegitimize Israel entails something much deeper that is being directed at us and seeks to deny our very right to live here.”

The focus of Netanyahu was a Palestinian attempt to get Israel thrown out of the world’s international soccer federation because of Israeli treatment of Palestinians.

“It is important to understand that these things do not stem from the fact that if only we were a little nicer or a little more generous that anything would change,” the prime minister said, according to a statement released by his office, “because this campaign to delegitimize Israel entails something much deeper that is being directed at us and seeks to deny our very right to live here.”

Netanyahu pointed out that the Palestinians in their push used historically invalid complaints used to smear the Jewish people.

“Now, this is a phenomenon that we have known in the history of our people. What hasn’t been said about the Jewish people? They said that we are the focus of all evil in the world. All of these things are being said about us today as well. It was not true then and it is not true today. This does not have a shred of truth,” Netanyahu said.

Several key leaders in FIFA were furious about the Palestinians’ actions, saying that they were attempting to politicize the world soccer body when the group notoriously has remained neutral in all political matters.

Netanyahu Tells U.S. Senator ISIS Should Be Fought; Iran Stopped

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and said that while ISIS needs to be fought, Iran needs to be stopped in their nuclear program.

“We shouldn’t give Iran a path to nuclear weapons and billions of dollars to pursue aggression because of ISIS. ISIS should be fought; Iran should be stopped,” Netanyahu said.

“As horrific as ISIS is, once Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it will be a hundred times more dangerous and more destructive than ISIS,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu spoke to the Senator about the nuclear negotiations that have resumed with Iran.

“I see no reason to rush to a deal, and certainly not a bad deal that paves Iran’s path to the bomb, but also fills Iran’s coffers with tens of billions of dollars to pursue its aggression throughout the Middle East and around Israel’s borders,” Netanyahu said.

Cassidy, who defeated incumbent Mary Landrieu in a runoff election last year, has been a staunch supporter of Israel during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Palestinians Try To Get Israel Thrown Out of World Soccer Federation

Palestinians are attempting to get Israel thrown out of FIFA, the world’s body over international soccer competition, claiming that Israel unfairly treats Palestinian athletes.

“Negotiations are still going on but they are very complicated,” a top FIFA official told AFP.  “There may not be a solution until the final hours.”

Officials inside FIFA said that the only way the vote on Israel’s removal can be stopped is if Palestine pulls their demand.

The head of the Palestinian Football Association has refused to withdraw the motion, which would require 3/4 of the 209 member federations to approve.  They want Israel banned from international competition and for clubs in the Jewish West Bank settlements to be banned from any competition.

The head of FIFA is vehemently against the action, saying that it is bringing politics into the Federation.  Sepp Blatter said that he met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to try and stop the vote from taking place.

Blatter said that Israel has done nothing to violate the FIFA statutes and that they should not face any kind of negative action from the group if they have violated no statutes.

However, Israeli officials have noted the head of the Palestinian group has violated FIFA statutes by calling for violent attacks on Israelis and supporting terrorist organizations.

Rockets Fired Into Israel

Rockets were fired toward Ashdod and Lakhish on Tuesday night.

An army source told the Jerusalem Post said that sirens went off in the areas before the rockets headed toward the cities.

Various Israeli media outlets reported five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward the country but that only one rocket actually landed inside Israeli territory.  Initial reports had said that three had landed inside the country.

Sources in Gaza told the Times of Israel that Islamic Jihad fired the rockets toward Israel.  There are disputes inside the organization that led to kidnappings in northern Gaza and ended with the rocket launches into Israel.

The IDF said they are investigating the launch and attempting to confirm the launches were the result of in-fighting among Islamic Jihad.