Report—1 in 4 Israelis Poor

DATA PUBLISHED last year points to an extremely grim picture: There are 1,651,300 needy people living in Israel, including 783,600 children. The percentage of poor people in Israel dropped slightly to 23.7%. In other words, one in four Israelis is defined as needy.

Anti-Semitism Up, Islamophobia Down

{image_1}RIGHT-WING PARTIES are growing stronger in Europe, and Swiss citizens have even voted in favor of a ban on mosque minarets, yet the fear or hatred of Islam in the continent has dropped over the past year. However, hatred of Jews and homosexuals is on the rise, according to a study conducted in Germany by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence at the University of Bielefeld.

In Range: The Missile Threat and Israel’s Response

{image_1} One night in early November of last year, Israeli Navy commandos boarded a freighter ship flying an Antiguan flag in the Mediterranean Sea. The naval forces were looking for smuggled weapons heading for Hizbullah in Lebanon. What they found was staggering. According to Isranet, 320 tons of weapons, including rockets, mortars and more, were packed in crates aboard the ship, known as the Francop. Locating the origin of the arms was easy—IRISL (Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines) was clearly labeled on some of the containers.

Insulin Research Brings Hope

{image_1}RESEARCHERS FROM THE HEBREW University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Japanese and American universities, have discovered how a specific gene within the pancreas affects secretion of insulin. Their work opens the way for a new understanding of possible paths to battle diabetes (excessive blood sugar) and diabetes-related health problems, which are on the rise all over the world. Blood glucose levels are tightly regulated by secretion of insulin from beta cells in the pancreas. Defective insulin secretion results in poorly regulated blood glucose levels and diabetes.

Do you have the desire to bless the Jewish people?

Have you always wanted to spend some time living in Israel?

You can do both by volunteering with Bridges for Peace. Whether you like sitting in an office or working with your hands, there are plenty of opportunities. So, why not have the experience of a lifetime? You can make an impact…and you can do it in Israel!

Tax Exemptions for Israeli Food

{image_1}GOOD NEWS for Israeli food manufacturers: As of January 1, 2010, food products exported to Europe have been tax exempt. The products include chocolate, pastries, waffles, pasta, coffee, fruit juice concentrates, marshmallow, fresh salads, and more. As a result, the prices of Israeli products in European markets could be reduced, increasing their competitiveness. So far, the exports of Israeli processed foods have been exported to Europe under restrictions of high levies, preventing their exports in some cases.

Adopting Towns Builds Relationships

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AUSTRALIAN AND ISRAELI FLAGS were flying in the breeze as joyful Hebrew music played and hundreds of school-age children clapped along. The elementary school in Beit Shemesh was humming with excitement as we walked in with the Australian ambassador to Israel. The town was rolling out the red carpet for his visit. At the same time, BFP volunteers from Australia were working at the school: cleaning, painting, creating playground decorations, and tutoring students in English. The ambassador heard of this activity and came to see the Australian — Israeli cooperative venture for himself.

A Light to the Nations

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God said that the Jewish people would be a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:3). We see that happening repeatedly as Israel is quick to respond to emergency situations around the world.

Israel Blasts UN Report

{image_1} ISRAEL BLASTED THE UNITED NATIONS fact-finding mission report, also known as the Goldstone Report—on Israel’s Operation Cast Lead campaign in the Gaza Strip—which declared Israel and Hamas both guilty of actions that amount to war crimes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site said that the report “effectively ignores Israel's right of self defense, makes unsubstantiated claims about its intent, and challenges Israel's democratic values and rule of law.”

Iran’s Nuclear Program…Evolving

{image_1}THE EVER EVOLVING DEVELOPMENTS of Iran’s nuclear program—with weekly, if not daily, new reports—are keeping the world on its toes wondering what’s coming next. The Media Line reported that, on September 23, Iran’s nuclear head said that a “new generation” of centrifuges had been constructed, which were “stronger and faster” and were being tested.

Fire—Esh

{image_1}FIRE IS ONE OF THE BASIC ELEMENTS THAT JUDAISM has defined as preceding the world’s creation, along with water and spirit. It can have both beneficial and detrimental effects, depending on how we control it. But fire is also an important element that represents God, as described in the Bible and other Jewish writings.

According to Jewish tradition, the light was created out of God’s primordial fire: “The fire became pregnant, and gave birth to light” (Ex. R. 15:22, rabbinic text). Moreover, they say that everything that is considered as having come directly from God came through fire. In this way, the Torah (Gen.–Deut.) was given by God in a frame of white fire, and the letters were engraved in black fire. “It was itself of fire and mixed with fire, hewn out of fire, and given in the midst of fire” (Yer. Sotah viii. 22d).

Netanyahu to UN: Stand with Israel against Iran

{image_1}ON SEPTEMBER 24, ISRAELI PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his hope that the world can “learn from history—that we can prevent danger in time.” In an English speech that touched on topics ranging from the reality of the Holocaust to the “travesty” of the recent UN report on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza that accused Israel of war crimes, Netanyahu attempted to portray a world in which forces for peace are faced off against extremist forces, with the UN facing vital choices on how to respond.