Prepared for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs | |||
DAILY ALERT |
Friday, December 28, 2018 | ||
In-Depth Issues:
Netanyahu Heads to Brazil for Bolsonaro Inauguration - Herb Keinon (Jerusalem Post)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed early Friday in Brazil to attend the Jan. 1 inauguration of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro. This will be the first-ever visit of an Israeli prime minister to Brazil, the world's 5th most populous country with the 8th largest economy and the 9th largest Jewish community of 120,000. He also has scheduled meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and Chile's President Sebastian Pinera. Former Israeli Ambassador to Brazil Giora Becher said that now Brazil has a president who "says openly that he is pro-Israel...this is a major change in the foreign policy of Brazil."
Israel: Iran Operating on Syrian Border, Despite Russian Assurances (Israel Hayom)
An Israeli security official said Wednesday that Iranian forces were operating less than 80 km. (50 miles) from the Israeli border, contrary to Russian assurances.
German Company Linked with Iran's Rockets Stops Business with Tehran - Benjamin Weinthal (Jerusalem Post)
Rainer Westermann, a spokesman for the German company Krempel, which provided material used in rockets produced by Iran to gas Syrians, told the Jerusalem Post on Thursday that the firm has stopped trade with the Islamic Republic. "Corporations realize that doing business with Iran means funding the IRGC's terror strategy," U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell told the Post on Thursday. A Syrian photographer found parts made by Krempel Group in the remains of Iranian-produced chemical rockets that gassed Syrian civilians in January and February.
Israel Develops Wing Components to Make F-35s Invisible to Radar - Clyde Hughes (UPI)
Israel Aerospace Industries announced Thursday that F-35 stealth fighter components for the outer wings to make them invisible to radar have entered production.
29,600 Jews Moved to Israel in 2018 - Judy Maltz (Ha'aretz)
29,600 Jews moved to Israel in 2018, an increase of 5% over 2017. 10,500 immigrants from Russia arrived, an increase of 45%, while 6,500 came from Ukraine, down 9%. Aliyah from North America totaled 3,250, down 10%. Aliya from France totaled 2,600, down 25%. Aliya from the UK totaled 500, down 9%.
Fabricating Palestinian Suffering for Profit - Ari Lieberman (FrontPage Magazine)
A Twitter account called Free Gaza Team published multiple graphic photos of "Noor from Gaza," a young girl whose arm had been sheared off. A link to an online crowd funding site called "Social Fund" was provided with the appeal: "Help Noor from Gaza get an artificial limb." When I performed a Google image search, Noor's image appeared. The girl advertised by the Free Gaza Team was in fact a Syrian child from Deir ez-Zor, injured as a result of airstrikes. I immediately reported the scam to Social Fund, which promptly terminated Free Gaza Team's donation drive. It has since opened another "charity drive" for Noor on PayPal. In the age of modern communications and social media, fraudulent images are transmitted to millions of people in seconds and negative impressions and beliefs are instantly formed.
Palestinian Mission Takes Down Pro-Terror Post after Rebuke from Germany's Foreign Ministry - Benjamin Weinthal (Jerusalem Post)
The Palestinian Mission in Berlin posted on its Facebook page an illustration of convicted Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist Leila Khaled, a key member of the terrorist cell that hijacked a TWA flight in 1969 who also participated in the attempted hijacking of an El Al flight in 1970. On Tuesday, Germany's Foreign Ministry blasted the Palestinian Mission for glorifying terrorism.
Israeli-Japanese Friendship: A Potential Yet to Be Realized - Shaun Ho (Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
Although relations between Jerusalem and Tokyo have improved significantly since the end of Japan's participation in the Arab League boycott, the two countries have yet to develop a close relationship to the extent that Israel has with its Western allies and even China. Because of Jerusalem's improved relations with the Arab states and Japan's declining reliance on Middle Eastern oil supplies, Tokyo will not need to be as cautious in improving political relations with Jerusalem or fear pressure from its other Middle Eastern partners. As geopolitical obstacles from other Middle Eastern countries decline in significance and the economic benefits of technological cooperation become clear, there is little reason for Israel and Japan not to increase their cooperation.
Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem Displays Smuggled Antiquities - Amanda Borschel-Dan (Times of Israel)
For decades, 40,000 stolen ancient artifacts confiscated from smugglers and looters in the West Bank were stockpiled in the offices of the Antiquities Department of the Israeli Civil Administration. In 2010, the new Staff Officer of Archaeology of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, Hananya Hezmi, began sorting, dating, registering, and documenting the artifacts. In the process, he stumbled upon some rare items. The recently published first of four volumes, called Finds Gone Astray: ADCA Confiscated Items, catalogues 134 examples of the more unique items. The Civil Administration has loaned a collection of items for display in an exhibit which opens on Dec. 31 at the Jerusalem-based Bible Lands Museum.
Record 4 Million Tourists Visit Israel in 2018 - Yvette J. Deane (Jerusalem Post)
Israel expects a record-breaking 4 million tourists by the end of 2018. There were 13% more tourist entries in 2018 than in 2017 and 38% more than in 2016. 61% of tourists were Christians and 22% were Jews. 40% had visited Israel before. There were 813,500 tourists from the U.S., 320,000 from France, 303,200 from Russia, 259,500 from Germany, 200,000 from Britain, and 100,000 from China.
Israeli Startup NoTraffic Raises $3.2 Million for Congestion Management System (Times of Israel)
Israeli startup NoTraffic has developed a traffic management system that tracks vehicle movement in cities and uses AI algorithms to optimize traffic lights at intersections to relieve congestion. "The system streamlines the timing of the traffic lights to maximize traffic flow," the company says. Search the Recent History of Israel and the Middle East Send the Daily Alert to a Friend If you are viewing the email version of the Daily Alert and want to share it with friends, please click Forward in your email program and enter their address. |
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U.S. to Withdraw Troops from Syria Other Issues Anti-Semitism Weekend Feature Observations: Crafting a Constructive Gaza Policy - Peter Berkowitz (RealClearPolitics)
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