Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Dinner in Baghdad with the Grand Mufti
She spoke English and Malay, not Arabic. She cut her hair short, wore western dresses, and thrived on progressive ideas. Being young and bright, she picked up Arabic quickly, but she was not about to cover her face, shroud her body or stop dancing.Why Would a Peace Activist Fly to Iran With Sept. 11 Truthers and Other Crackpots?
The very traditional Baghdadi family she married into couldn’t accept her, and she didn’t understand what it was to grow up in fear as they did.They didn’t understand how she, a Jew and a woman, dared speak out and talk back.
When men on the streets taunted her children or cursed her for a being a Jew she cursed them, in English.
She met a young non-Jewish Syrian couple, a doctor and his wife, who were enchanted by her. “They loved me so much, they were Muslim and they loved me so much, ‘you are not like the other Jews, we like you,’” they told her.
She felt embraced by this couple and their eclectic group of Muslim and Christian friends.
Granny loved it all and defied the family. She refused to give up her freedom.
“They, (the Jews) were like mice, I didn’t understand,” Granny said; until the dinner party where the guest of honor was none other than Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
She sat in stunned silence as he spun his diatribe against the Jews of Palestine, Jews of Iraq, and the Jews of the world. She sat there quietly “like a mouse,” as a fear she had never felt before drowned out his words.
She never imagined “educated people” sitting around a dinner table listening to his plan to ethnically cleanse Jews out of the Middle East. She felt the hate and heard the silence of her friends.
Dear Medea Benjamin,
I address you because your recent participation in a Tehran conference of anti-Zionist zealots suggests a larger and graver moral and political folly afflicting many others as well—the legions who think that hatred of America and of Israel are decisive criteria, perhaps even qualifications, for membership in “the left.”
You believe in speaking truth to power. You have gone to jail to do so. I admire your courage. But the Islamic Republic of Iran is also a power. It makes war and supplies war criminals, not least in Syria. Amnesty International maintains a formidable roster of the Iranian regime’s crimes against human rights. Human Rights Watch reports about 2013 in Iran: “The judiciary released some political prisoners, but many civil society activists remained in prison on political charges.” You are a longtime activist against corporate globalization, a vigorous Ralph Nader supporter and Green candidate for governor of California in 2000, and co-founder of the nonviolent peace group Code Pink, launched in 2002 to oppose the impending Iraq war. My guess is that, if you were Iranian, you would be one of those civil society activists who are enduring terrible conditions in prison right now for opposing or even merely criticizing the rule of their clerical leaders.
Lauder to Post: Israel is being defined by its enemies
Israel allows itself to defined abroad by its enemies, World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder said on Monday.'The Haters are Louder, but Millions Worldwide Love Zion'
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post while in Israel for a gathering supporting persecuted Christians throughout the region, Lauder explained that he believed Israel was falling behind in the battle over its image abroad.
Referencing Sweden’s recent recognition of a Palestinian state in the absence of a negotiated resolution to the conflict, Lauder said that the Palestinians “have been sending delegations up there for years working on the country” and that the Arab world has spent “hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars on public relations.”
Israel, he said, “has paid almost nothing,” and the Jewish state “needs a certain amount of PR.”
Lauder suggested that given the strategic imperative of presenting its case before a world audience, Jerusalem should build one less warplane and put the money toward hasbara, the Hebrew term for public diplomacy.
“Israel is being defined by its enemies,” he said. “Israel should be defining itself and should be defining its enemies.”
A group of 20 parliamentarians from Israel Allies Caucuses from 16 countries met in Jerusalem on Monday, to express solidarity with Israel.Parliamentarians for Israel Gather in Jerusalem
Arutz Sheva spoke to several MPs and dignitaries at the event, which was co-sponsored by the World Jewish Congress and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.
“The hundreds of Congressmen and parliamentarians around the world who are active in our network of caucuses represent millions of Israel supporters around the world,” said Rabbi Benny Elon, President of the Israel Allies Foundation. “While the anti-Israel crowd is often more raucous and vocal, it is imperative to know that there are millions of lovers of Zion whose voices can be channeled for political support for the State of Israel.”
"Our challenge is to locate them, to locate their representatives in the parliaments," he added.
Black South African Slams Politicians Who Call Israel An Apartheid State
A black South African said those who charge that Israel is an apartheid state are shaming the memory of the real apartheid in South Africa.A Black South African on Israel and Apartheid
Kenneth Meshoe, a member of the South African parliament, lived through apartheid and said that Israel is not an example of that segregation.
It is “inaccurate,” “malicious,” and a “slander” he says.
Claiming Israel is apartheid is “a lie about the real Israel,” Meshoe says in the video. “It is a lie about the real apartheid.”
He urges those who believe Israel is apartheid to travel to the country and experience it firsthand.
Black South Africans lived in apartheid under the National Party from 1948 to 1994.
Israelis Barred From New York Times-Hosted Iran Tour; Rep Says Advisable to Hide Jewish or Gay Identity
The New York Times is offering a pricey, 13-day excursion to the “once-forbidden land of Iran,” one of a series of its Times Journeys tours. However, if you’re an Israeli, joining the “Tales of Persia,” trip, “once-forbidden,” is still forbidden, and letting anyone know you’re Jewish, or gay, isn’t particularly recommended, either, a representative told The Algemeiner on Monday.Elie Wiesel: Quietly moving worlds
When this reporter called the number provided on their website to ask about details of the trip – specifically for Israeli passport-holders – a representative who gave her name as Megan hurriedly turned the call over to Kevin, who stated definitively that “…anyone with a page in their passport with an Israeli visa will be declined.”
The nearly $7,000 junket, organized by the newspaper that claims to publish “All The News That’s Fit To Print,” is led by journalist Elaine Sciolino, and promises a “Journey with on-the-ground experts who will help untangle this nation’s complicated timeline.”
Elie Wiesel is currently the most well-known Jew in the world. Every year he is chosen as one of the most influential individuals in American society. He is one of the few people who expresses in the most clear and decisive way possible the moral, cultural and Jewish values according to which cultured people should live their lives.Lancet editor regrets, but does not retract, Gaza letter
Wiesel represents the Jewish way of thinking and living at its best.
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee that granted Wiesel the award in 1986 wrote the following about him: “Wiesel is a messenger for mankind; his message is one of peace, atonement and human dignity.” He has won hundreds of awards and honors for his literary works and public activity. Wiesel has been invited to the White House by a string of US presidents and remains in close and continuous contact with heads of state around the world – with Israel at the top of the list.
Over the years, Wiesel has written 57 books.
He has received 138 honorary doctorates, and 100 research papers have been written about his works. He served as Andrew Mellon Professor of the Humanities at Boston University from 1976 until last year and is a fascinating conversationalist. He never raises his calm voice and always speaks respectfully.
The ideas he raises during conversations are always intellectually stimulating and broaden people’s horizons.
The editor of The Lancet wrote in the British medical journal that he regrets the polarization caused by the publication of an open letter accusing Israel of a “massacre” in Gaza, but did not retract it.‘Lancet’ editor sees positive side of Israel in visit
“At a moment of unbearable human destruction in Gaza, the unintended outcome of the Manduca et al letter was an extreme polarization of already divided positions,” Dr. Richard Horton wrote in an editorial in the latest issue of The Lancet following a visit to Israel and Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. “This schism helped no-one and I certainly regret that result. I have seen for myself that what was written in the Manduca et al letter does not describe the full reality.”
Horton said that the journal has proposed new guidelines to deal with “submissions that lie at the difficult intersection of medicine and politics.” Under the guidelines, “editors should always pause, reflect, and consult before publishing any manuscript that might unnecessarily polarize, or foster or worsen political division.”
He also announced that the journal would publish a series on Israel’s health and medical research system.
After publishing a controversial letter charging Israel with a “ruthless assault” on Gaza in the summer, the editor of a leading British medical journal told The Times of Israel that he has completely changed his view of the Jewish state after a short visit — but he’s not retracting the letter. The furthest he will go is to apologize for the effect it had.UK Jewish student union uses new media to fight oldest hatred
After spending Sept. 29-Oct. 2 touring Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and meeting with Israeli Arabs in Haifa, Acre, and Tel Aviv, Prof. Richard Horton told Haifa doctors that he “deeply regretted” the impact of the letter.
In an hour-long telephone interview with The Times of Israel from London, Horton said that his visit to Israel expanded his perspective on Israel and on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He defended his refusal to apologize or to retract the letter, but he said that his visit had contradicted some of the letter’s claims, and he pledged not to publish a similar letter in the future.
In late September and early October every year, hundreds of thousands of new and returning students journey from their family homes to university campuses across Britain. This includes over 8,500 Jewish students who, in the addition to the usual pressures associated with resuming university life, are having to consider what this summer’s record spike in anti-Semitic incidences will mean for them in the coming year.Shlomo Sand’s sickening Guardian article slams both Israel and Judaism.
At JW3 in north-west London, The Times of Israel spoke with Ella Rose, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), the peer-led body which represents British Jewish students and is a confederation of 64 Jewish societies (JSocs) from across Britain’s universities. As president, Rose is responsible for representing the interests of students to the wider community as well as setting the strategic goals and objectives for the UJS during her one-year term.
During our interview, we discussed how the UJS has prepared for the new university year, as well as issues of anti-Semitism on campus and the place of Israel advocacy in the union’s work.
There are times when something is so obviously wrong that it shouldn’t even need pointing out. That the Guardian thinks there is no problem promoting someone who wants to “resign” from Judaism shows how little respect its editors have for Judaism.Mordechai Kedar: Down To the Last Kurd
Last Saturday the Guardian allowed Shlomo Sand, a Tel Aviv university professor, to write a lengthy piece in its pages about how he has had enough of being Jewish.
Sand is relatively unknown in the UK. This might be a news story in Israel, but in the UK? In the UK it isn’t news, but will only incite anti-Semitism. The Guardian wouldn’t dare treat another religious minority in such a demeaning manner.
The battle over the Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria has become a point of convergence for all the forces currently on the stage in the Middle Eastern arena: Radical Islamists are represented by "Islamic State", failed states by Syria, backers by Qatar, hypocrites by Turkey, angry nations by the USA and anxious ones by Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.Turkey bombs Kurdish rebel targets in southeast
Radical Islam is gaining more and more power as "Islamic State" succeeds in pushing city after village, fortress after army base, under the wheels of its jeeps. Kobane, a Kurdish-Syrian city on the Turkish border, refused to join "Islamic State", so its residents were duly sentenced to the usual punishment: massacre for the males and the slave markets for the females. The Kurds, however, did not accept that verdict and are fighting bravely, down to the last [Kurdish] man.
Assad's regime calls the city "Ayn Al-Arab", but the Kurds call it "Ayn Al-Kurd". This difference in names is not simply semantic; it expresses the struggle between Assad and the Kurds. He wants an Arab Syria that ignores Kurdish identity, but the Kurds want an independent area, if not an independent state – this at the expense of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran.
Assad abandoned the Kurds to their fate in order to teach them a lesson, and as far as he is concerned, they can be butchered down to the last man.
Turkish jets bombed targets of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey, officials said Tuesday, the first strikes on the outlawed group since a 2013 ceasefire amid growing concern about the peace process.Daniel Pipes: How Turkey Went Bad
Turkish F-16 jets dropped bombs late Monday on PKK targets in the village of Daglica in the Kurdish-majority Hakkari province near the border with Iraq, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
In a separate incident also Monday, Turkish attack helicopters struck at PKK targets around the village of Geyiksuyu in the Tunceli province of eastern Turkey following raids by the PKK.
Only twelve years ago, the Republic of Turkey was correctly seen as a stalwart NATO ally, the model of a pro-Western Muslim state, and a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. A strong military bond with the Pentagon undergirded broader economic and cultural ties with Americans. For those of us who work on the Middle East, time in Istanbul, Ankara, and other Turkish cities was a refreshing oasis from the turmoil of the region.Turkey: Jihad-Lite
And then, starting with the still-astonishing election of 2002, the country dramatically changed course. Slowly at first and then with increasing velocity since mid-2011, the government began breaking its own laws, turned autocratic, and allied with the enemies of the United States. Even those most reluctant to recognize this shift have been forced to do so. If Barack Obama listed Turkey's dominant political leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as one of his five best foreign friends in 2012, he showed a quite different attitude by having a mere chargé d'affaires represent him at Erdoğan's presidential inauguration a few weeks ago – a public slap in the face.
What caused this shift? Why did Turkey go rotten?
Turkish and U.S. officials are now planning to push the "moderates" onto the battlefield. The "moderates" -- Islamists featuring lighter shades of jihad -- will be trained at a military base in Turkey to specialize in bombing, subversion and ambush, paid for by U.S. taxpayers, and expected to fight Islamists featuring darker shades of jihad.German Deputy Speaker: Turkey Must End Support of ISIS
The "moderates" are a potential threat to Western security interests. They are potential allies of Turkey's Islamists.
If Turkey had not funded and armed ISIS in the hope that it would bring Assad's downfall, none of this would have happened.
Claudia Roth, deputy speaker of Germany's Parliament, says Turkey must end its support for ISIS, and NATO must pressure it to do so if necessary.Latest Issue of ISIS Magazine Justifies Slaying of Steven Sotloff as ‘Jew and a Citizen of the Jewish State’
According to Rudaw, Roth alleges that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is purposely pursuing a "'murky' policy in Syria" to allow time for ISIS to wipe out as many Kurds as possible. She said: "What we have learned is that Mr. Erdogan wouldn't mind if Kurds were weakened and then annihilated."
Moreover, Roth also claimed Turkey "harbors an ISIS camp in Istanbul" and that ISIS "has been able to sell its oil via Turkey."
Roth wants Germany to pressure Turkey to change its stance toward ISIS, and she said "NATO members...[should] do the same."
The latest edition of an online English-language magazine published by the Islamic State, “Dabiq,” says the beheading of American-Israeli journalist, 31-year-old Steven Sotloff, is justified as he was a “Jew and citizen of the Jewish state.”Krauthammer: Susan Rice Turkey Gaffe ‘A Huge Embarrassment,’ ‘Unbelievable’
According to the slickly-edited ebook, “The case of Steven Sotloff contains a direct refutation against those who portray western journalism and humanitarian aid as purely innocent, for this man was a Jew and citizen of the Jewish state.”
The Pinecrest, FL, native, made aliyah (emigrated to Israel) and studied at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya from 2005 to 2008.
Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer lashed out at National Security adviser Susan Rice following her seemingly premature announcement that the U.S. had reached an agreement with Turkey over using territory to train troops to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.ISIS Takes Yet Another Key Iraqi City
Krauthammer told “Special Report” host Bret Baier, after airing Rice’s comments on “Meet The Press” on Sunday, that the adviser’s proclamation, coupled with the Turks’ denial, is a “huge embarrassment” and “unbelievable.” The conservative commentator also blamed President Barack Obama for this failure to reach an agreement, wondering why the Turks would join a war “where the leader of the coalition is not serious.”
ISIS on Monday achieved yet another major victory – taking over the beleaguered city of Heet on the edge of Anbar province in Iraq. ISIS was able to enter the city, on the western side of the Euphrates river, after Iraqi troops withdrew.Tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia returns after signs of improved ties
ISIS forces are said to control about 80% of Anbar Province, US officials said.
The evacuation came Sunday night, a spokesperson for the Iraqi government said. “Our military leaders argued that instead of leaving those forces exposed to attacks by ISIS, they would be best used to shore up the defense of Asad air base,” the official told news agencies. The base is considered one of the last bastions in the defense of Anbar, and officials fear that if it falls, the road to the provincial capital of Ramadi will be wide open.
Senior Saudi and Iranian officials have renewed criticism of each other's interventions in the Middle East in a sign that tensions between the rival Gulf powers remain high despite top-level meetings this summer.Khamenei blames United States, 'wicked' Britain, for creating Islamic State
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal repeated longstanding accusations that Iran is an "occupying force" in Syria, while Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian attacked the kingdom's role in Bahrain.
Shi'ite Muslim Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are enmeshed in a struggle for influence across the Middle East and they support opposing sides in wars and political disputes in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain and Yemen.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday blamed the United States and the "wicked" British government for creating the Islamic State in his first speech since undergoing prostate surgery last month.Reports: Mystery Blast on Military Base Proves Iran Nuke Program “is Real”
The sharp remarks were a reminder of Iranian suspicions about the West despite the emergence of the ultra-hardline Sunni militants in Iraq and Syria as the common foe of Tehran and Washington.
"America, Zionism, and especially the veteran expert of spreading divisions - the wicked government of Britain - have sharply increased their efforts of creating divisions between the Sunnis and Shi'ites," he said, according to his website, in a speech marking a Shi'ite Muslim religious holiday.
Speculation continues to deepen surrounding last Monday’s mysterious explosion at Iran’s Parchin military base, where it is widely believed – including by the UN’s nuclear watchdog (IAEA) – that the Iranians conducted tests relevant to the development of nuclear warheads. Official Iranian outlets had acknowledged early in the week that there had been a fire on a military base somewhere east of Tehran, but opposition sources insisted more specifically that the fire had been generated by an enormous blast and that the military base in question was Parchin.Three Swastikas Chalked On Yale University Campus
Before-and-after satellite images published Wednesday by Israeli media outlets all but confirmed the opposition description of the events. They showed what seems to be the aftermath of a massive blast, with one expert telling Israel Defense that “a complete section of structures was simply eliminated by an unexplained explosion.” At least half a dozen buildings were leveled, including some in an area near where the IAEA believes that weapons-related work had taken place.
The New York Times on Thursday published an extensive report on the incident, suggesting that it raised “new questions about whether the blast was an accident or sabotage” and comparing it to a November 2011 explosion at a missile-development site:
Three swastikas appeared on the campus of Yale University, according to an email sent by Jonathan Holloway, the Dean of Yale College, addressed to the campus community.Sears removes swastika ring from website
"I am saddened to report that three swastikas were chalked on the sidewalk outside of Durfee Hall on the Old Campus Sunday night, October 12th. Attempts were made to remove these troubling images, but some faint impressions remain," wrote Holloway. "I condemn this shameful defacement, perpetrated anonymously under cover of night. The swastika, appropriated by the Nazis in the last century as an emblem of anti-Semitism, is particularly offensive and disrespectful toward the Jewish members of our community, but, in truth, it insults us all. The use of the swastika violates our values of respect, thoughtfulness, generosity, and goodwill. I will not stand idly by when this or other symbols of hate are used on this campus. It is my hope that you will join me in taking a similar stand."
The retailing giant Sears removed a swastika ring offered for sale on its website.Reports of anti-Semitism in Odessa highlights use of Jews in wartime propaganda
The item was listed under the “men’s punk rock style” jewelry collection.
“This gothic jewelry item in particular features a Swastika ring that’s made of .925 Thai silver,” the item description read. “Not for Neo Nazi or any Nazi implication. These jewelry items are going to make you look beautiful at your next dinner date.”
After consumers called attention to the item, a Sears representative responded via Twitter: “This item is a 3rd party Sears Marketplace product that does not abide with our guidelines and is being removed.” (h/t Sara)
Despite media reports, there has been no surge of anti-Semitic attacks in Odessa, local Jewish leaders say.Anti-Semitic books displayed at Frankfurt fair, watchdog says
Reports in Pravda, Izvestia and other Russian news outlets last week painted a picture of an Ukrainian Jewish community terrorized by members of the ultra-nationalist Pravy Sektor (Right Sector) movement.
According to Izvestia, Pravy Sektor “declared war” on the community, beating 20 Jews and prompting local leaders to appeal to the World Jewish Congress to “disarm and disband” the group.
“Pravy Sektor is just destroying us, it is pure militant Nazism,” Mikhail Maiman, referred to as the leader of Odessa’s Jewish community, was quoted as saying.
World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer said, however, that no such appeal was received and he had heard nothing about such attacks during a visit to Kiev before Succot.
Several publishers from Arab countries displayed books featuring anti-Semitic content, Holocaust denial, and terror glorification, at the Frankfurt Book Fair last week, an annual report from the Simon Weisenthal Center said.Berlin’s Palestinian mayoral candidate proud of city’s Jewish revival
The worst offenders were Qatar, a Palestinian publisher, Egypt, and Iran, the report indicated, with examples including children’s books condoning jihad, a text honoring child murderer Sami Kuntar, and an adaptation of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
Turkey, however, “for the 3rd year, remained hate-free,” Dr. Shimon Samuels, director for international relations of the organization’s Paris branch, said in a statement.
A German politician who has been outspoken in promoting the need for early Holocaust and anti-Semitism education is poised to be the next mayor of Berlin. Seeking to succeed the German capital’s incumbent, Klaus Wowereit — the city’s first openly gay leader — Palestinian-born Raed Saleh may become Berlin’s first immigrant mayor.Young Israeli cyberwarriors learn to duel in the dark
Saleh, 37, who was born in the West Bank and came to Berlin at age 5, offers a story of social advancement and tolerance he hopes will win over voters and set an example for others.
The son of a Palestinian “guest worker” who brought his family to then-West Berlin in the early 1980s, the 37-year-old Saleh started out working at Burger King and later co-founded a company that provides printing services.
“At the moment, a lot of young people have the feeling that they don’t have a share” in society, he said. Berlin is home to a large immigrant community, including many people with Turkish roots, some of them poorly integrated.
But Saleh said this trend can be easily reversed. The cure? Experiential education.“With young people with foreign roots, I regularly visit Auschwitz and Birkenau to explain that German history is also part of their history… because they were born here and must be acquainted with both the positive and negative aspects of German history,” Saleh said.
There are a lot of secrets kept in Israel’s intelligence community, but this is not one of them: Israel aims to become a cybersecurity superpower, and to do that, the Israeli military is launching an ambitious program to groom the next generation of cyberwarriors while they are still in high school.What The United States Can Learn From Israel About Cybersecurity
The little Jewish state that prides itself on the sobriquet “Start-up Nation” has set cybersecurity as a national goal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a prominent cheerleader.
Netanyahu sees cyberspace as both Israel’s new frontier and new front line. The prime minister wants Israel not only to have the best military wonks in the world, but also to partner Israel’s high-tech military with the country’s venture capitalists and young computer talent to offer clients defensive strategies against the kind of hack attacks that have hit eBay and Target, South Korean banks and Google in China.
At a September conference here devoted to cybersecurity, Netanyahu described the Israeli military’s cyber units as locked in battle with “hacktivists” and state-sponsored actors, such as Iran, in daily duels that take place in dark rooms in front of computer screens.
Israel has become the world’s No. 2 exporter of cyber products and services, after the United States. There are 200 homegrown cybersecurity companies in Israel, alongside dozens of joint research-and-development ventures. They produced $3 billion in exports last year, or about 5 percent of the $60 billion global market in products designed to keep hackers from crashing systems or siphoning data with viruses, malware and purloined passwords.
Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the creation of a new cyber defense authority to defend Israel’s civilian networks. This is the latest in a series of steps taken by Israel’s government to bridge the public-private cyber divide and bolster the country’s position as a global leader in cybersecurity.Gulfstream jets with Israeli radar to replace US Navy’s P-3 orion in test-range surveillance
Washington, in contrast, suffers from a severe lack of new ideas on cybersecurity. U.S. policymakers struggle to understand the technical aspects of key issues and avoid meaningful engagement with the private sector, academics, and NGO community. The U.S. government often prioritizes security over innovation, privacy, and access, and unfortunately ignores the long-term risks of its own approach. This week marks the start of the 11th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is a perfect occasion for the U.S. government to learn from Israel’s example and embrace much-needed new thinking on cybersecurity.
The US Navy announced it plans to acquire a Gulfstream G550 modified to carry the conformal airborne early warning system (CAEW), to be used as ‘range support aircraft’, replacing P-3 and C-130 based radar carrying aircraft. The Navy will take delivery no later than the end of fiscal 2017. The US Navy will become the system’s fourth customer, following orders from the Israeli Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Italian Air Force.US Army Awards $12.7M Contract to Israeli Defense Company
The aircraft is designed to host as multiple telemetry links supporting L, S and C bands supporting different telemetry test equipment and command destruct and flight termination system. On board radar would also provide range surveillance and range clearance, Flight Global reports.
The US subsidiary of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems Ltd. was awarded an approximately $12.7 million contract to provide Apache Aviator Integrated Helmets (AAIH) to the United States Army, it announced Sunday.Kaspersky Lab to open Jerusalem R&D center
As part of the contract, work will be performed over a two-year period at Elbit Systems of America's facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We have specifically designed the helmet modifications of the AAIH and Apache Integrated Helmet and Display and Sight System to improve safety features and add greater comfort for the Army Aviator,” stated Raanan Horowitz, president and chief executive officer, Elbit Systems of America, LLC.
Russian software security giant Kaspersky Lab, known for its popular anti-virus system, will open a development center in Jerusalem next year - one of its few outside of Russia. In its first stage, the development center will employ six workers, but the number is expected to increase over time.Start-up protects connected cars from hack attacks
Kaspersky chairman, CEO, and co-founder Eugene Kaspersky is currently in Israel, taking part in a cybersecurity conference in Jerusalem, with the participation of the Jerusalem municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and Jerusalem-based venture capital firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP).
Kaspersky also arrived for the opening of the Jerusalem Formula Peace Road Show, which he was involved in creating. Kaspersky led a similar event in Moscow, and brought the Formula event to Israel last year, together with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
Picture this: You’re in your car, slowing down for a left turn– but suddenly your car decides on its own to speed up and turn right. If it hasn’t happened yet, say security experts, it will soon, because vehicles are hooking up to the Internet, and that’s where hackers live. Preventing such incidents is the mission of Israeli start-up Argus CyberSecurity, which is developing a system to detect and prevent real-time hacking of “connected cars.”From Muslim school to IDF: Twins Fatima and Zukra have become Cpl. Yael and Noga
Such cars are already here, with higher-end autos from companies like GM, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and others equipped with Wi-fi using 3G and 4G data connections, allowing drivers and passengers to use the Internet in their vehicles to get directions, tune into cloud-based music services, and much more. Part of the entrance of the Internet of Things (IoT) into daily life, connected cars will, its proponents hope, make our lives easier.
But connected cars are about much more than the Internet, said cyber-security expert Erez Kreiner, co-founder of cyber-security firm Five-C and former director of Israel’s National Cyber Security Council. “Companies will use the data connections to ensure that drivers don’t get lost or don’t take excessive risks, and monitor the condition of vehicles to ensure that they don’t break down on the road. But hackers will be able to take control of vehicles by hacking into those connections as well,” he warned.
Fatima and Zukra Islambakov, twins to a Muslim mother, were born 19 years ago in Uzbekistan. After several years in a Muslim school, they discovered that their father was Jewish, after Jewish Agency representatives showed up at their home, trying to convince them to make Aliya.First Druse to head an Israeli hospital
They abandonded the local tradition and arrived in Israel, still remaining, however, Muslims by Israeli law. Today they serve the IDF, after a conversion and name-change process. One of them even took part in one of Operation Protective Edge's significant operations.
They are no longer Fatima and Zukra – but Yael and Noga. Their last name was also changed, from Islambakov to Steinman. Fatima, or Yael, has already finished a military conversion to Jewdism course, and her sister Zukra (soon to be Noga) – is due to complete the process within a few days.
Col. Dr. Salman Zarka, head of the Israel Defense Forces’ health services, has been named director-general of Safed’s Ziv Medical Center, thus becoming the first Druse to head an Israeli hospital.
Zarka served in the IDF Medical Corps for the last 25 years.
Born in Peki’in in the Upper Galilee into a large Druse family, he is married and the father of three. He studied medicine at the Technion’s Rappoport Medical Faculty as part of the IDF’s academic program and then went directly into the Medical Corps, with special expertise in public health and medical administration.
He has also lectured in University of Haifa's Welfare and Health Faculty, and Hebrew University’s special military medicine program in Jerusalem. He is the author of many medical journal articles.
