Signs of the Times

The Iron Dome

An Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system is the talk of the town in Israel. Rafael, the national authority for the development of weapons and military technology, has said that the Iron Dome can be operational in 18 months. Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak believes a future pullout from the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) depends heavily on the Iron Dome being operative. During an inspection of the project at Rafael, Barak said the system was of “national importance.”

New Spy Satellite Launched

Israel successfully launched its military spy satellite Ofek 7 on June 11. The satellite was launched on the back of a Shavit rocket and will replace Ofek 5, which was launched in May 2002 and reportedly travels over Iran, Syria, and Iraq every 90 minutes. Yitzhak Nissan, CEO of the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), said the new satellite will enhance the defense establishment’s capabilities.

Boycott: A Witch Hunt?

“The British lecturers’ union is trying to delegitimize Israel by promoting radical prejudice,” Dr. Jonathan Rynhold of Bar Ilan University and member of the International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom said in May, following a decision by Britain’s University and College Union (UCU) to consider boycotting Israeli academic institutions. According to Rynhold, the decision was reminiscent of “McCarthy’s witch hunt.”

Christians Under Islamic Rule

{image_1}Christians can only continue living safely in the Gaza Strip if they accept Islamic law, including a ban on alcohol and on women roaming publicly without proper head coverings, an Islamist militant leader in Gaza told WND (WorldNetDaily). He said Christians in Gaza who engage in “missionary activity” will be “dealt with harshly.”

PA Money has “Disappeared”

{image_1}The incoming Finance Minister of the Palestinian Authority [PA] has admitted that hundreds of millions of dollars transferred to the PA have “disappeared.” Salam Fayed, who formerly worked for the World Bank and the US Federal Reserve, told the Daily Telegraph that he has no idea where the more than US $700 million granted the PA since the Hamas terror group rose to power has gone. “Palestinian Authority spending is out of control, salaries are being paid to workers who never turn up, and nobody can track where the money is going,” the paper quoted Fayed as saying.

Thwarting Iran’s Nuclear Efforts… with Diplomacy?

Diplomatic efforts to resolve a standoff with Iran are working, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said at a press conference with Defense Minister Amir Peretz in Tel Aviv in April. The United States has been one of the leading powers demanding sanctions on Iran. “The international community is united in telling Iran what it needs to do with respect to its nuclear program,” Gates said.

Jordan to Join Nuclear-Power Club

{image_1}Amman is the latest Middle Eastern capital to announce it intends building a nuclear power plant. The country wants an operational facility by 2015. Other countries already embarked on a path toward atomic energy are Iran, Egypt, Yemen, and the Gulf Cooperation Council members (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates). Syria would also like to produce nuclear energy, but admits it is a long way from reaching its goal.

From Russia to Iran…From Iran to the PA

From Russia to Iran

Russia has announced deliveries of the TOR-M1 surface-to-air missile system to Iran. The Russian defense ministry said Iran was considering another order of the mobile, short-range anti-aircraft system. The TOR-M1 was said to be capable of destroying manned and unmanned aircraft as well as cruise missiles. The system, introduced in 2005, could destroy two targets simultaneously at an altitude of 3.7 miles [6 kilometers] and identify up to 48 targets simultaneously.

Jerusalem Twice as Poor

A new study conducted by the Hebrew University revealed that in the past six years, the poverty levels in Jerusalem have increased by 4%. The study further showed that among the ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations, the poverty rate has reached 70%. In 1999, the rate of poor families in Jerusalem came to 26%, whereas about two years ago, the rate had risen to 33%. Every second child in Jerusalem is defined as poor, as opposed to every third child in the rest of the country.

Northerners in Trauma

Thirty-three percent of northern residents are suffering from medium or high and, in some cases, severe post-traumatic symptoms, a new study has shown. The study probes 300 people from Jewish and Arab cities that were targeted by last summer. The study found that 33% of Jews and 85% of Arabs remained in their bombarded cities with their families. On the other hand, 45% of Jews against 13% of Arabs said that only some of their family members were evacuated during the war. Twenty-two percent of Jews and 2% of Arabs said everyone in the family sought refuge in a safe place. The average number of days spent away from home stood at 19 among Jews and 10 among the Arabs.