Dispatch from Jerusalem

Almighty—Shaddai

IN the polytheistic world of the ancient Middle East, it was important to know the exact name of the god that you served. This gave you a glimpse into his character as well as a degree of power over him. Since these deities were seen as capricious and exacting, appeasing them was a part of everyday life. Mandated worship took up tremendous amounts of time and demanded huge gifts that primarily benefited the local priesthood.  There was no guarantee that one’s prayers were heard or would be answered if they were. Therefore, any information that would help manipulate such gods was very helpful. This may explain the question Moses put to God upon meeting Him in the burning bush: “…when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exod. 3:13).

Vilnai: Next War to Include All Israel

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THREE-AND-A-HALF years have passed since the Second Lebanon War, and on November 24 a project for the renovation and restoration of bomb shelters in northern Israel was celebrated in a festive ceremony. The Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry invested NIS 96 million (roughly US $25.27 million) in the renovation of 3,019 public shelters. An additional 1,838 joint shelters were renovated by the administration for the restoration of the North.

Israel Barred from Turkish Air Space

{image_1}TURKEY, which has recently made political maneuverings to mediate future peace talks between Israel and Syria, warned of dire consequences for Israel if it used Turkish air space against Iran. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would respond harshly if Israel were to infiltrate its air space in an attempt to spy on Iran..

Wing of Love

{image_1}WING OF LOVE IS A WILDLIFE park with a social mission. Located in Kibbutz Kfar Menahem in south central Israel, it is a place where 14 to 18-year-old boys with police records work with mostly protected species of fowl, such as the spectacular Asian pheasant. It is also home to ibex, oryx, and other indigenous animals. And the singular “wing” in its name is not an error.

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.

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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.