Signs of the Times

Gaza Becomes Thorn In Israel’s Side

Israelis were promised that withdrawing from Gaza would result in being able to drop the area as a major security concern. But expected Palestinian Authority action against terror has not been forthcoming, the international community has not afforded Israel any meaningful understanding for its right to respond to and deter attacks on its citizens, and Gaza has instead become a thorn in Israel’s side.

Neo-Nazis Deface Holocaust Memorial in Germany

Neo-Nazis slogans and symbols were spray painted on a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in the city of Dessau, in eastern Germany. There were 308 anti-Semitic incidents in Germany between the months of July and September.

Earthquake Shakes Israel

Israelis preparing to see out the old year and welcome in the new with the sound of shofar blowing on October 3, the eve of Rosh Hashanah (the biblical Feast of Trumpets) felt their country shaking, as a 4.3 scale earthquake struck the region.

Originating just after 7:00 a.m. near the northern Jordan Valley town of Bet She’an, the quake shook beds and buildings, momentarily frightening people, before subsiding as quickly as it had begun.

Israel Likely to Keep 180,000 Settlers

Israel expects at least 180,000 of the current 240,000 settlers in the occupied West Bank will be able to stay in their homes with approval from the United States. Just before the Gaza evacuation, Dov Weisglass, senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said that Israel expects the evacuation of 8,500 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and a small area in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

Gaza’s Synagogues- Only the Latest

Despite the fervent claims of Palestinian Authority (PA) officials that the Muslims living under their rule have the utmost respect for Judaism, the synagogues of Gaza were burned and desecrated even before the last Jew had left the strip.

A cursory check of recent history would seem to contradict the PA’s assertions and make these scenes from Gaza very much expected.

The Case Of The… Missing Hummus

How can one lose 75 tons of hummus (chickpea paste)? That is the question Israeli detectives are asking after a massive consignment of chickpeas disappeared from a kibbutz in central Israel.

Israeli Arabs Reject Jewish Zionist State

A new poll of Israeli Arabs, conducted by a sociologist from the University of Haifa, shows an overwhelming rejection of Israel’s right to exist as a “Jewish Zionist state.”

Muslim Missile Threat Faces Israel

Former Israel Defense Ministry official Uzi Rubin says over 1,000 Iranian, Syrian, Egyptian, and Saudi long-range missiles, armed with 500 tons of military-grade warheads, are currently pointed at and capable of reaching all points of Israel.

Largest Jewish Community Worldwide

On July 13, 2005, there were 500 immigrants from the United States and Canada—the largest contingent of North American Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) in one day in Israel's history!

For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, Israel will next year become the largest Jewish community in the world, figures released by a Jewish Agency think tank revealed in July.

However, the report issued by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute predicted that even in 15 years, the majority of world Jewry will not be living in Israel. (At present, about 40% of world Jewry live in Israel, while by 2020, 46% will choose Israel as their home.)

Security Chief Reveals Staggering Terror Figures

Israel has been attacked by Palestinian Arab terrorists 25,375 times since October 2000, Shin Bet (Israeli internal security organization) Director Yuval Diskin told the Knesset (Parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

That figure includes 142 suicide-bomb attacks, and the results of all attacks are 1,048 persons murdered and over 5,600 injured and maimed, as well as incalculable mental trauma.