Dispatch from Jerusalem

The Russian Bear Returns

{image_1} When the September visit to Moscow by Israel Prime Minister Olmert was cancelled, the press speculated it was because he was embroiled in police enquiries in Israel. Olmert was expected to meet with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to discuss Israeli concerns regarding developments between  Russia and Syria.

First Aid Olympics

{image_1} When Magen David Adom (MDA) hosted an Olympics in August 2008, the events were much different than the norm. MDA, the Israeli ambulance service, started the Olympic competition to challenge other international services to test their skills. The two-day competition was called “Saving Lives at the Dead Sea.”

Raising Sturgeon in Israel

{image_1} As sturgeon populations decline in the Caspian Sea, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found a way for Israel to cash in on the world’s growing demand for caviar. Professor Berta Levavi-Sivan of Hebrew University and Dr. Avshalom Hurvitz have successfully reared Israel’s first sturgeon.

Helping Paraplegics Walk

{image_1} After being paralyzed for the past 20 years, Radi Kaiof began to walk down a street in Israel to the sound of a dim mechanical hum. That was the sound of an electronic exoskeleton, developed by a small Israeli high-tech company, propelling the 41-year-old paraplegic down the street with a proud expression on his face.

From Warmongering Hizbullah…

{image_1} Hizbullah’s secretary-general continues his psychological warfare against Israel. Hassan Nasrallah said that “Hizbullah is still at war with Israel,” warning supporters that “at the moment the enemy feels we are weak, it will return to occupy us.” Nasrallah stressed that even if Lebanon receives control of the Shebaa Farms, his organization will continue to battle Israel. “We are not using Shebaa as an excuse to bear weapons. If the area is freed, the weapons will remain because we are talking about a defensive strategy against a threatening country such as Israel,” he said.

US Radar Deployed in Israel

{image_1} A new American-developed and -staffed radar installation has been deployed in the Negev desert in southern Israel, marking the first permanent deployment of US military personnel in Israel, the Defense News Web site reported.

From Nuclear-producing Iran…

{image_1} Another world war will erupt if Israel or the United States attacks Iran, the Islamic Republic’s deputy Chief of Staff General Masoud Jazayeri warned: “Any aggression against Iran will start a world war.” Global Zionism and America’s unrestrained greed he said is leading the world towards a dangerous precipice. “It is evident that if such a challenge occurs, the fake and artificial regimes will be eliminated before anything,” he said.

Muslim Officials: Capitalism Has Collapsed

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Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has announced the collapse of capitalism and called for its replacement with an Islamic financial system. Speaking in Doha, Qatar, at the sixth Annual Conference on Jerusalem, he said, “The Western system has collapsed, and we have a complete economic philosophy, as well as spiritual strength.”

Boosting Wind Energy

{image_1} Wind power is a good energy alternative to free America from its oil dependence, but it could be made a lot more efficient. The wind can blow in gusts and spurts, it can tickle your ears or rip out trees, but the massive blades of today’s wind turbines can’t match the wind’s temperament: the rotors are fixed to spin at an even speed, maintaining a constant RPM (rounds per minute). The result is that a large amount of wasted energy just dissipates with the wind.

Israel Tourism Revisited

By Joshua Spurlock, Correspondent, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio

{image_1} Imagine horseback riding on a mountain, kayaking downriver, relaxing in a spa, and visiting a city that never sleeps—all in one vacation! No it’s not a hectic cross-country trip in the United States or an exotic trip to some far-away island; it’s just a few of a multitude of options a tourist has when visiting Israel. From the lush Golan in the north to the awe-inspiring desert in the south to central, busy Tel Aviv, the modern state of Israel is realizing exactly what God meant when He promised them a good land. Thanks to the relative peace since the end of the Second Intifada terror war, tourists are realizing it too, in record numbers.