Eye on the Enemy: ’’Israel’’ to US: We Need Four Iron Dome Batteries
"Israel" to Reduce Unemployment in Egypt to Lessen Hatred
Channel 10 - Amri Nahmias
An "Israeli" delegation has secretly discussed doubling the Egyptian exports to the U.S. from $1.5 billion to $3 million, in order to strengthen the relation between Cairo and Jerusalem. "Israel" is hoping that if this step is carried out, the unemployment in Egypt will be reduced and the sense of hatred towards "Israel" will decline as well. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry will set up the new embassy inside the ambassador's residence in Cairo.
Amazing developments in relations between "Israel" and Egypt: A delegation on behalf of the "Israeli" Foreign Ministry spokesman visited Egypt last week and discussed with the authorities the matter of doubling the Egyptian exports to the United States via "Israel". A source in Jerusalem reported to Nana 10 News, that the delegation examined the issue with the participation of the administration in Washington as a means of cooperation between both countries.
It is noteworthy that in the end of year 2004 a special trade zonal agreement was signed between "Israel" and Egypt called the QIZ.
According to the agreement, "Israel" will export goods produced in Egypt to the United States of America.
States are currently trading based on this agreement with $1.5 billion, but according to the contacts that were conducted between the envoys of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian authorities; the range of trade will double to about three billion dollars. It's all about a long-term step taken in the relationship of these two countries, by which "Israel" practically helping the Egyptian authorities on the export of various goods to the United States of America. Had the agreement not been adopted, a large part of the goods were not to be exported to the United States, because it would not be profitable to Egypt in terms of cost on the customs duties.
In Jerusalem, they said the idea behind this move was that "Israel" is trying to "soften" the Egyptian authorities in order to establish relations of mutual trust. They also said that in case the trade was actually doubled between the two countries , 150 thousand job opportunities will be added to the Egyptian economy, which would reduce, even if slightly, unemployment in the state, which can contribute to the mitigation of negative public opinion of the Egyptians towards "Israel".
New embassies will be the ambassador's residence
Despite the optimism, Jerusalem said that the decision of the Muslim Brotherhood to provide a candidate for the presidency in Egypt in their name would cause chaos at the polls. The ministry of foreign affairs estimates that the elections be postponed, and will be held at the end of the month of May, as specified. The estimate stems from the divisions of opinions in Egypt regarding the powers of the president on the subject of Foreign Affairs, and the question of how would the new Egyptian law be set .
In the meantime, it was decided in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a new permanent embassy in Egypt, which will be inside the current ambassador. By virtue of the decision, the basement at the Ambassador's residence will be the embassy offices, while the top floor will be used as a place for the accommodation of the "Israeli" ambassador. Today repair workshops are taking place, which are supposed to be done within several months.
Due to the attempt of violently taking over the "Israeli" embassy last summer, the embassy building is shutting down; the "Israeli" diplomatic activities in Egypt shrank almost to zero. However, they are now hoping in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act in public as if there are normal relations between the two countries.
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Army Estimate: "Terror groups" Reinforcing in Sanai
Ma'ariv - Ahikam Moshe David
The "Israeli" security services estimated this morning and after the sudden launch of Grad rockets towards neighborhoods in the city of Eilat, that the launch is part of a growing trend in which the "terrorist organizations" are moving their bases and activities from Gaza to Sinai.
According to estimates, the "terrorist organizations" are counting on the weak "Israeli" Intelligence coverage in Sinai. The Egyptian security control has been shaky since the fall of the Mubarak regime; therefore, "Israel" does not dare to target terrorist groups in Egypt.
After hearing the sound of explosions in the city after midnight, it was exposed that a Grad rocket was fired at a building near the neighborhood, "Hshmoun" in Eilat. The police confirmed that no one was hurt and there was no material damage.
The missile was found by 3 new immigrants from France who reside near the place where the rocket was hit.
The commander of the Eilat said that yesterday evening the police station received around 800 phone calls in which people reported that they heard two explosions.
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"Israel" to US: We Need Four Iron Dome Batteries
Walla News - Amir Bohbot
Although the words of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the beginning of the week were, "We need more taxes for more batteries of Iron Dome", yet it seems that he funding source is completely different
Walla news has been reported on Wednesday that the Ministry of Defense quoted a request to the U.S. administration to allocate one extra billion shekels to "Israeli" defense systems.
According to the request, NIS 700 million earmarked for the purchase of four Iron Dome batteries and an additional NIS 300 million budget for the system "Magic wand", which aims to protect "Israel" from middle range and naval missiles. These allocations are in addition to the security assistance provided by the U.S. Administration to "Israel" annually.
The Minister of Defense in the United States, Leon Panetta, said about two weeks ago that the U.S. Ministry (of Defense) will file the request of having an additional amount for the Iron Dome batteries to the Congress. They believed in "Israel" that the decision on the subject of the amount of assistance will be decided by the Congress in the coming weeks and will be studied in the light of the success of the system in protecting the "Israeli" population from the short-range missiles. The batteries, which the United States participates in their funding since the beginning of the project, claimed a success rate of more than 75% as it intercepted short-range missiles during the last recent round of violence in the south.
So far, "Rafael" has produced four Iron Dome batteries, three of them are in use and the fourth will be delivered to the Air Force in the next two weeks. Two additional batteries will be sent in the middle of next year.
In the meantime, high-ranking officers in the "Israeli" army claimed recently that according to operational plans, the "Israeli" army, in order to rationally defend the State of "Israel", needs 12 Iron Dome batteries at the very least. The "Israeli" army fears from having a difficulty in distrusting the systems during a multi-front war in which rockets from Lebanon and Gaza will be launched in parallel.
Following the announcement of the U.S. intentions in granting additional assistance for "Israel", Ehud Barak said on the same day that, "the U.S. decision is further expresses the depth of security relations between the United States and "Israel". It is an honorable distinction for the industry of "Israeli" security, which developed the Iron Dome and still persists in developing a multi-layered system. I thank the U.S. Administration that helps strengthening the security of "Israel". "
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Ayalon: compensating for the Jewish refugees is an integral part of any future negotiations
Haaretz - Revital Blumenfeld
Deputy "Israeli" Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, said yesterday (Tuesday) during a special conference held on the matter of Jewish refugees from Arab countries," At this juncture in time I call for putting an end to the historic injustice and call upon the Arab League to assume responsibility and admit it was they who caused the Jews from Arab countries to become refugees."
He presented at the conference a report, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the National Security Council on his activities done for the recognition of the Jews refugees from Arab countries. Ayalon stated that the issue of compensation for the Jewish refugees from Arab nations will be an integral part of any future negotiations or settlement. Financial restitution will be based on the "Clinton fund" principles of 2000, according to which the Jewish refugees would be recompensed, as would the countries that took them in, such as "Israel" and Jordan. Ayalon made it clear that "Israel" would insist on the Palestinian refugees being integrated into the Palestinian state when it is established, just as the Jewish refugees were absorbed into "Israel".
The deputy foreign minister further added, "Today some 50% of Israel's residents are the same refugees from Arab countries and their progeny, who were fully integrated and who contributed to the establishment and development of the State of "Israel". Just as the State of "Israel" absorbed the Jewish refugees, so the Arab refugees who left Mandatory Palestine should receive the same treatment, all the more in light of the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, the existence of which renders the continued existence of the Arab refugee camps unjustified."
The main points of the report and of the Deputy FM's guidelines for action gained overwhelming support from the organizations' representatives, who also spoke at the conference. Meir Kahalon (chairman of the organizations of Jews from Arab countries and Iran) said, "The Jews from Arab nations are entitled to help and support," while Levana Zamir (on behalf of Egyptian Jewry) said, "I support your raising the subject at the United Nations and I urge you to call upon them not only to return the property but also to restore custody and ownership over the Jewish heritage sites and holy places. Your success is our success."
Ayalon instructed all of "Israel's" missions abroad to persuade the world's parliamentarians to adopt a resolution recognizing the Jewish refugees from Arab states, just as the American Congress did by passing House Resolution 185 in 2008, " to help bring an end to the conflict. Acknowledging and taking care of refugees is not just a matter of historic justice but also one that is valid based on UN Resolution 242."
According to the report, between the years 1948 and 1951, about 850 thousand Jews from Arab countries were expelled and became refugees. He wrote in the report " In fact, a two-way migration of populations began, along with the creation of two different refugee groups. The ratio between the two refugee groups was 2:3, with the Palestinian group numbering around 600,000 as opposed to the Jewish refugees, which numbered about 850,000 (up until 1968), and their descendents now account for about one half of the population of the State of "Israel".
The report also pointed that A 2008 study estimated that the ratio of lost property stands at almost 1:2; the Palestinian refugees lost property totaling roughly 450 million dollars (in today's prices around $3.9 billion) whereas the Jewish refugees lost property totaling 700 million dollars (around $6 billion dollars).
Nevertheless, the issue of Jewish refugees was pushed to debate before. In February 2010 the issue did gain recognition in "Israel", with the legislation of the Law for Preservation of the Rights to Compensation of Jewish Refugees from Arab countries and Iran, passed by the Knesset. According to law, the State of "Israel" is obligated to make sure that any negotiations for peace in the Middle East include the subject of compensation for the Jewish refugees as well. At the same time, the National Council for Jewish Restitution, chaired by Rafi Eitan, was established under the auspices of the Ministry for Senior Citizens which was given the task of advising the government and the Prime Minister regarding the issue of restitution.
During the 60 year celebrations of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in December 2011, DFM Ayalon spoke in the United Nations plenum in front of the international community about this issue.
An international conference is expected to be held in the near summer in cooperation with the Jewish organizations in the country and the world and all those working on the subject.
Source: Hebrew Newspapers, translated and edited by moqawama.org
