Israel Will Buy 20 F-35 combat jet

JERUSALEM Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has agreed in principle on Sunday, the purchase of 20 jet fighter that can avoid radar stealth artificial United States under an agreement worth 2.75 billion U.S. dollars, according to several defense officials said.Warplanes F-35 is expected to be delivered between 2015 and 2017, said an Israeli defense official, as quoted from Reuters.Some Israeli officials have been talking about the country’s old enemy, Iran, which potentially has developed nuclear weapons in the mid-decade.Israel gives the impression that the planes F-35 will not be used for preventive action, but rather to bolster the country’s deterrence.A ministry statement said Barak “has been approved in principle the recommendations of the Israel Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense to move forward” with the purchase.

Stealth fighter planes, made by Lockheed Martin Corp., “will provide a continuing Israeli air superiority and maintain the technological advances in our region,” said Barak was quoted as saying in a statement.The defense officials said Israel had initially planned to buy 20 aircraft, which is expected to reach full price of 2.75 billion U.S. dollars, which will be closed to the granting of annual U.S. defense amounted to 3 billion dollars.Some officials predict that the final approval of the agreement can be given at the end of September by a panel of Israeli government ministers.Israel will become the first foreign country to sign an agreement to buy F-35, or the Joint Attack Fighter aircraft, outside the eight international partners who have helped to develop the plane.

The treaty has been negotiated since September 2008, when the first Pentagon approved the sale of 25 jet fighters with more options in the coming years.F-35 aircraft is designed to avoid radar detection and can play a role in efforts to strike Israel what Israel regarded as a threat to their survival posed by Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran denies Western and Israeli accusations that the country has been trying to produce atomic weapons.

Defense Ministry Director General Udi Shani declared Israel’s incorporation of technology into the F-35 has played a role in Barak’s decision to buy the planes.Israel, widely regarded as the only country in the Middle East which has a nuclear arsenal, has also been considering a cheaper option – the purchase of fighter version of the Boeing F-15 which has modification. (AFP)

Israel finds rare 2,200-year-old gold coin weighs an ounce (28 grams)

JERUSALEM  Archaeologists say they have uncovered the heaviest and most valuable gold coin ever found in Israel. The 2,200-year-old coin weighs an ounce (28 grams) and was found at the Tel Kedesh site near the Lebanon border on June 22, according to Wednesday’s statement from the antiquities authority.It said this coin is six times the weight of most others from that era.Donald Ariel, head of the antiquities authority coin department, said the coin dates back to the rule of the Iraq-based Seleucid Empire, though it was minted by the rival Egyptian Ptolemies.Ariel said the coin’s image may represent Cleopatra I, wife of Ptolemy V. It is only the second gold Ptolemaic coin ever found in Israel. The first weighed just two grams (0.07 ounces).(AP)

Netanyahu Give Testimony In Assault in the Ship

Jerusalem  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to testify Monday on his version of events that led to deadly attacks against aid ships Gaza purposes. Testimony prime minister will be delivered in front of an Israeli commission investigating the deadly attack in late May that. Netanyahu became the first of three high officials who will give sworn testimony this week about the incident, which the Israeli navy commandos stormed the six vessels that help to break through the blockade against the Gaza Strip, which killed nine Turkish activists and injuring dozens of other passengers.

May 31 operation that sparked a diplomatic crisis and global calls for an investigation.Investigative panel that will hear sworn testimony from high-level decision makers involved in the commando raid, including the Prime Minister of Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, in a series of public hearings that began on 9 August.

However, the committee’s mandate would be limited to the study of international legal issues, and they will not investigate the decision-making process that led to the deadly operation.Public hearings will be held in a hall in Jerusalem.Israeli officials said the panel will listen to Barracks sworn testimony on Tuesday and Ashkenazi in the next day. Israeli commandos raided ships in the fleet assistance to the Gaza Strip on 31 May. Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activist killed in the attack on one ship.

Israel-Turkey relations plunged to its lowest level since the two countries reached a strategic partnership in the 1990s due to the incident.Turkey summoned its ambassador from Tel Aviv and canceled three planned military exercises after the raid. Turkey also twice rejected the Israeli request for military aircraft using the airspace.

Severe violence in the pre-dawn raid Monday (31 / 5) by Israeli troops occurred on the boat Turkey, Mavi Marmara, who led the fleet of aid to Gaza.Israel argued that the passenger-passenger ship was attacked the troops, but the organizers claimed that the fleet of the Israeli troops started shooting as soon as they landed.

After the attack, Egypt, who reached peace with Israel in 1979, it opened the Rafah border to allow aid convoys into Gaza – widely seen as an effort to counter critics of the Egyptian role in the blockade.Cairo, in coordination with Israel, allowing only limited in its border crossing since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.

Under increasing pressure, Israel then launched an investigation along with two international observers for the attack. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon encourages a separate investigation into the UN with the participation of Israel and Turkey.

Israel also relax the blockade of Gaza by allowing the majority of civilian goods into the coastal territory.Gaza Strip, a densely populated coastal regions, blockaded by Israel and Egypt after Hamas to power nearly three years ago.

Group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June of 2007 after defeating Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a deadly battle for a few days.Since then, these poor coastal blockader by Israel. Any Palestinian entity into two separate areas – the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and West Bank under Abbas government. European Union, Israel and the U.S. enter into the Hamas terrorist organization list.( AFP)

Israel approved the construction of houses illegally on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem as many as 3336 housing units during March

Ramallah  – Israel approved the construction of houses illegally on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem as many as 3336 housing units during March, according to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Monday. The giant project, including construction of 1600 housing units in the Jewish settlement of Ramat Shlomo and 600 other homes near these settlements, the report said. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem regional government has set a plan and is awaiting approval to build more houses 50,000 units in the coming months, according to the report.

Last month, the United States did not reach agreement with Israel on the Tel Aviv latest plan to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank including Jerusalem. Failure to achieve agreement came after a two-day visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the U.S.. Discussion between Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, George Mitchell has been completed but did not resolve the dispute between the two countries, U.S. officials said.

U.S. President Barack Obama in his meeting with Netanyahu demanded that the Jewish state in order to rebuild trust resumed peace talks with the Palestinians. Obama-Netanyahu meeting comes amid tension that rarely happens between the U.S. and Israel relate to American demands to freeze all Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank. U.S. believes that Israel’s settlement building activities for the Jewish settlers disrupt the prospect of peace talks with the Palestinians.

Israel, Washington’s anger when the government announced the construction of 1600 houses in East Jerusalem, during U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden, a visit to Tel Aviv. Later, a cabinet minister of Israel apologized for the attitude of Israel which is considered insulting VP nominee Joe Biden. “This attitude should not need to happen in one visit that the vice president of the United States. For that we should express apology for this blunder.” said Welfare Minister Isaac Herzogliter Isreal. Palestinian government said the plan to build homes near Jerusalem that can shut off any opportunity to revive peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.( Xinhua-Oana)

Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a "day of rage" Hamas Islamists declared in protest at Israel's consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city

Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a “day of rage” Hamas Islamists declared in protest at Israel’s consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city.The violence presented another challenge to U.S. efforts to revive Middle East peace talks after Israel angered Palestinians and touched off a dispute with Washington by announcing plans last week to build 1,600 homes for Jews near East Jerusalem.Palestinians hurled stones at police and burned tires and trash bins in several areas of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured along with the West Bank in a 1967 war.

Police responded with tear gas and fired rubber bullets, witnesses said. Some 40 Palestinians were treated at East Jerusalem hospitals for minor injuries, medical officials said.A police spokesman said some 3,000 officers were put on high alert after Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip and wields influence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, called for anti-Israeli protests.”We call on the Palestinian people to regard Tuesday as a day of rage against the occupation’s (Israel’s) procedures in Jerusalem against al-Aqsa mosque,” Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas and Palestinian officials affiliated with its rival Fatah movement have said the restoration work at the ancient Hurva synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s walled Old City endangered al-Aqsa, situated some 400 meters (yards) away.Israel has denied the allegation.An inauguration ceremony was held Monday at the synagogue, which was blown up by Jordanian forces when they overran the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 Middle East war. Israel captured the area 19 years later.

Sporadic violence has erupted in recent weeks in Jerusalem after Israel decided to include West Bank religious sites in a Jewish national heritage plan stoked Palestinian anger.Citing biblical and historical links, Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its capital, a claim not recognized internationally. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In Washington Monday, a State Department spokesman voiced concern about the tensions over the rededication of the synagogue and appealed for calm.”We’re deeply disturbed by statements made by several Palestinian officials mischaracterizing the event in question, which can only serve to heighten the tensions that we see,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

A crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over the settlement housing project, opposed by Washington, deepened Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s said he would not curb construction of homes for Jews in and around Jerusalem.After Netanyahu’s defiant comments, U.S. officials said U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who had planned to leave Washington Monday for discussions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on getting indirect negotiations under way, had put off his departure.Announcement of the housing plan during a visit last week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden embarrassed the White House and Palestinians, who had just agreed to begin indirect talks with Israel, demanded the project be scrapped first.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in unusually blunt remarks, called Israel’s actions an insult.Clinton telephoned Netanyahu Friday to convey unspecified demands about the housing project as well as about demonstrating commitment to the U.S.-mediated peace talks, the State Department said, without elaborating.U.S. officials said they were still waiting for Israel’s formal response. Israeli media reports said Clinton had asked for the settlement plan to be scrapped and for Israel to agree to discuss core statehood issues with the Palestinians.(Reuters)

Israel's prime minister is urging calm following another stern rebuke from Washington over plans to build 1,600 apartments in contested east Jerusalem

JERUSALEM Israel’s prime minister is urging calm following another stern rebuke from Washington over plans to build 1,600 apartments in contested east Jerusalem.Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday “not to get carried away and to calm down” over the crisis with the U.S.News of the construction plan emerged during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel last week.Biden condemned the plan, which enraged the Palestinians. He later appeared to try to put aside the row in the interest of advancing peacemaking.A day later, however, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the plans “a deeply negative signal.”Netanyahu has not indicated he would reverse the plans.(AP)

Israel to Build Nuclear

JERUSALEM Israel expressed interest in building nuclear power plants. This step could certainly attract the suspicion of other countries over Israel’s nuclear activities are kept secret for so long. Israeli National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau is planning to announce this plan on the International Nuclear Energy Conference in Paris, France today. “Building a nuclear reactor to produce electricity allows Israel to produce their own energy, while eliminating the dependence on other countries,” Landau said as quoted by the Associated Press, Tuesday (9/3/2010).

Landau added, if it can be applied nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and cooperation between nations. Jewish state is indeed dependent on other countries to supply energy for the people. So far Israel’s use of coal and gas to produce electricity. Landau himself had a meeting with the French Energy Minister Jean Lous Borloo and articulate a plan of cooperation between France, Israel and Jordan, to develop nuclear power. This plan was greeted enthusiastically by the French Minister.

History of cooperation in the French-Israeli nuclear affairs lasted a long time indeed. In 1950 France helped Israel build a nuclear reactor in Dimona. In reactor development were allegedly used as the Israeli nuclear arsenal. While other reactor at Nahal Soreq, often used as research interests. Regarding the planned third reactor, the Minister Uzi Landau said, his department had no specific plans to build it until now. Development of nuclear reactor by Israel certainly can invite a strong reaction from many countries, especially in the Middle East. Meanwhile, when asked about the Jewish state’s willingness to do the inspection by the UN Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA), it would be appropriate to the prevailing regulations. Israel has yet to sign non-proliferation treaty that aims to limit the number of countries capable of developing nuclear weapons.

30 protesters have trapped themselves inside the mosque.Police say there are no injuries

Israeli police say they raided a courtyard near the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem Sunday to stop stone-throwing Palestinian protesters.  Local media reports say about 30 protesters have trapped themselves inside the mosque.Police say there are no injuries, and one arrest has been made.Palestinians have staged violent protests since Israel announced this past week that it has added the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem to its heritage restoration plan.The plan to renovate the holy sites has angered Palestinians, who claim the West Bank as part of a future state and reject any Israeli presence there. The al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third holiest place in Islam, and is claimed by both Arabs and Jews.  Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall, borders the mosque compound.(VOA)

Two parts of an ancient biblical manuscript separated for centuries are going on display together for the first time

JERUSALEM Two parts of an ancient biblical manuscript separated for centuries are going on display together for the first time.Friday’s showing has been made possible by an accidental discovery that may help illuminate a dark period in the history of the Hebrew Bible.

The pieces of the 1,300-year-old manuscript include the text of the Song of the Sea from the Book of Exodus. They were reunited after two scholars noticed in 2007 that the writing on one fragment known as the Ashkar manuscript matched another rare fragment known as the London manuscript.The two pieces are among a handful of surviving biblical manuscripts from the period between the early centuries A.D. and the 10th century A.D. They will be displayed at Israel’s national museum in Jerusalem. (AP)

discovery of an ancient road called David in Jerusalem by the archaeological

JERUSALEM, Israeli archaeological Agency Wednesday (10/2/2010) to find a street in the Old city of Jerusalem, which became the central veins of the economy and trade about 1,500 years ago. The old road was discovered when workers from the city infrastructure to conduct excavations on the side of the Jaffa Gate, west of town. Here was found a large rock, whose position was under way currently known by the street name of David, reports the Israel Antiquities Authority Board (Israel Antiquities Authority / IAA). “Today we have released a number of archaeological artifacts at a depth of 4.5 meters below the surface of the road. Many of our findings. We found a large floor slabs, which kemukinan a road in the past,” said Ofer Sion, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Excavations . According to the IAA, a number of ancient artifacts were also found at the dig site.

“The possibility of a road from a busy period. The main artery road, when Jerusalem became a Christian city. It is widely used, it turns out the way David held so many stories, so many human lives the journey interesting, always passing through the road which was built about 1,500 years before this, “says Zion. This ancient artifacts unearthed ancient mosaic map match, which was found in a church Jordan, which is currently known as the Madaba map, which describes the holy land in the Byzantine period. According to the IAA, in the old map is described, “To enter into the holy city of Jerusalem from the West side has to go through a very large door, which leads to a downtown street that is very busy.” Among the ancient artifacts found in excavations are coins, pottery vessels and five small bronze square, weights are likely used by traders to consider the ancient noble metals.