Signs of the Times

Impending World Jihad “Tsunami”

In May, former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Ze’evi warned of an impending world jihad “tsunami” that he said may soon descend on the entire Middle East.

Al-Qaeda Supports the Palestinians

In February, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen] announced that Al-Qaeda cells had infiltrated and are operating in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] and Gaza.

“We have intelligence information that Al-Qaeda is in the West Bank and Gaza. I am very concerned about this,” said Abbas. “If they succeeded in infiltrating in such a way, and if no one watches over them, the result could be disastrous for the entire region.”

A Tornado…In Israel?

Spring in Israel blew in with the fury of a roaring lion. High winds and heavy rains raged across the Western Galilee, and ping pong ball-size hailstones were reported. A tornado––not reported in Israel in at least 50 years––was witnessed by residents around Acre [Acco] on the north shore. Sandstorms in the Negev covered some roads in 20 centimeters (8 inches) of sand.

Iran’s First “Embassy” in Territories

Iran has opened an “ideological embassy” in the Palestinian territories to espouse Shia Muslim beliefs––including Islam’s waging of a final, apocalyptic battle against “evil”––and to help spread Iranian theocracy and rule throughout the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza Strip.

Although Tehran has long financed Palestinian terror organizations, the opening of its office here marks the establishment of Iran’s first official agency in the Palestinian areas, senior Palestinian security officials said.

Iran Holds Huge Military Exercise

Iran has completed a huge military exercise that tested Teheran’s ability to attack Western shipping and Arab oil facilities in the Gulf.

Western diplomatic sources said that in December 2005, Iran completed its largest military exercise in years. The sources said the military conducted an air and sea exercise designed to test capabilities to strike the United States and Arab targets throughout the Persian Gulf.

North American Aliyah Highest Since 1983

The aliyah (immigration) rate from North America this year is the highest it has been since 1983, according to the Jewish Agency. More than 3,100 North Americans moved to Israel by the end of 2005.

Tony Gelbart, cofounder of Nefesh B’Nefesh— Jewish aliyah organization, insisted, “This is just the beginning. We are rolling up our sleeves and getting to work…you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Syria And Iran Sign Pact

Syria has agreed to store Iran’s nuclear material, and Iran will grant asylum to Syrian officials implicated in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Harriri, according to Jane’s Defense Weekly, a London-based defense magazine. The two countries signed a strategic accord to help each other resist international pressure regarding their weapons programs and misdeeds.

“I Want to Stop Being So Scared Every Moment”

When Tahel Maman, 4, comes home from kindergarten, she crawls under the kitchen table and stays there. When this behavior began last year, her mother, Ofra, thought it was a game. But after some cajoling, it turned out it was the girl’s way of dealing with the security hardships that have blighted her short life—the Kassam rockets on Sderot, the sound of Israel Defense Forces shells fired at the Gaza Strip, and the sonic booms from Israel Air Force planes.

Iran´s New Satellite Capable Of Spying On Israel

Iran, just weeks after its president called for Israel’s destruction, admitted that its new Sina-1 satellite is capable of spying on Israel. The Islamic country insisted the satellite was for scientific purposes, prior to its launch aboard a Russian rocket in October 2005. Officials said its purpose was to take pictures of Iran and monitor regions prone to earthquakes.  The head of the country’s space program, however, said that the satellite is able to easily spy on the Jewish state from outer space.

Palestinians Lead as Suicide Bombers

Despite Al-Qaeda’s campaign in Iraq, Palestinians continue to lead the world in suicide bombings. A report by Tel Aviv University said Palestinians comprised the largest group of suicide bombers. Authored by Yoram Schweitzer and Sari Goldstein Ferber, the study cited 400 Palestinian suicide bombers compared to 376 Iraqi suicide attackers.