Israel Nabs Palestinian Terrorist Fisherman Plotting to Attack Navy

Illustrative naval ship off the coast of Israel. By Joshua Spurlock

Palestinian terrorists once again were seeking to exploit their own civilians to attack Israel, which arrested ten of them who were part of a plot to launch a rocket attack and kidnapping against the Israeli Navy. The plan, according to an Israeli press release on the arrests, was to lure a Navy vessel with one Palestinian boat and then have a second boat fire a Cornet ship-to-ship rocket at the Israeli vessel, intending to kill and wound crew members. A third boat would then swoop in and kidnap Israeli sailors to use in prisoner exchanges.

The plotters were caught last month aboard a fishing boat that had gone outside the fishing zone and was suspected of gathering intelligence on the Navy, notes the press release, which was jointly published on Wednesday by the IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA). One of the Palestinians is a fisherman and a member of the Islamic Jihad terrorist faction. He had been directed to plan an attack from superiors, turning his otherwise innocent-looking fishing expedition into information-gathering for terrorism and it wasn’t the first time he’d scoped out naval vessels.

The press release said the incident “once again proves that the terrorist organizations are trying to exploit the civilian easements that Israel has repeatedly tried to enact vis-à-vis fishing in order to advance terrorist attacks that also harm the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.” … Continue Reading

Israel Stifles Border Attack, Kills Terrorists in Massive Gaza Riots

Illustrative Palestinian banner of gunmen and Dome of the Rock. By Joshua Spurlock

Tens of thousands of Gazans rioted on the Israeli border last Friday, wielding Molotov cocktails, burning tires and attempting terrorism against Israel’s Gaza border security system. During the rioting, the IDF killed at least 10 known terrorists with a history of involvement in attacks, the IDF Spokesperson tweeted, later following up with photos of all ten terrorists.

During the riots, which Hamas dubbed the “Great Return March” and claimed would be peaceful, a terror cell opened fire on Israeli forces, the IDF Spokesperson Twitter feed reported. A follow-up Tweet said that in response, the IDF—“according to the rules of engagement”—fired at the terrorists and then further struck three Hamas terror sites.

The IDF Spokesperson tweeted that “this severe shooting attack is further proof that the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip use these violent riots to camouflage terror.” A separate tweet highlighted that Israeli tanks prevented an infiltration attempt by terrorists trying to break across the border. Tweeted the IDF Spokesperson, “The Hamas terror organization is responsible for violent riots and everything taking place under its jurisdiction. The IDF will not allow the security fence to be turned into an area of terror.”

IDF Spokesperson Maj. Keren Hajioff detailed the Gaza riots in a summary video posted to the IDF Spokesperson’s Twitter feed. She noted that more than 30,000 Palestinians participated in the riots that included molotovs, burning tires and efforts to “harm or destroy Israel’s security infrastructure.” … Continue Reading

Israel Reportedly Flew over Iran Nuclear Sites; IRGC Again Calls Jewish State ‘Cancer’

Israeli jets reportedly flew over Iran. Illustrative image of F-35. Image courtesy of the Department of Defense website. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Israeli stealth fighter jets reportedly flew over Iran in the last month, including locations thought to be part of Iran’s nuclear program, avoiding detection by Russian radar in Syria in their path from the Jewish State to the Islamic Republic. The Jerusalem Post last week cited the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida as the source of the claims, which also alleged that the Israeli F-35 jets can fly to and from Iran twice without refueling—addressing a critical component to any potential Israeli missions in Iranian airspace.

However, a source in the Russian Ministry of Defense refuted the report that the Israeli jets could have evaded Russian air defense systems. In comments to the Russian news outlet Sputnik and published in the outlet’s English website, the defense source called that idea “total stupidity.”

If the Israeli flyover claims are true, they would come just months ahead of a deadline imposed by the United States on the Europeans to upgrade the Iranian nuclear deal or the Americans will pull out of the accord. If the US were to exit the deal and reinstate sanctions on Iran, the Iranians may choose to cancel the deal as well and push forward on their nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, Iran is already back to its old rhetoric of predicting the destruction of Israel. … Continue Reading

Gazans Set Fire to Fence Structure ahead of Mass March; Israeli Tanks Respond

Is war brewing with Gaza? Israeli tank. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock

Just one day after three Gazan terrorists were caught in Israel after sneaking across the border, suspects on Wednesday set fire to a structure surrounding the security fence separating Gaza from Israel. The IDF Spokesperson posted to Twitter that the suspects “did not cross the security fence and did not infiltrate Israel.” The Times of Israel clarified in their article on the incident that the targeted structure was a wooden platform attached to an old Gaza border crossing.

In response, Israeli tanks fired at a pair of Hamas observation posts, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Twitter feed. Noted the Tweet, “The IDF views with great severity any attempt to damage the security fence, as well as security infrastructure.”

The fence attack not only follows an infiltration incident, but also comes ahead of plans for a mass march by Palestinians towards the border area, per the Times of Israel article. The leader of the Hamas terrorist organization reiterated their support for the march in comments on Wednesday posted in an article to the Hamas website. While Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh claimed that the march would be peaceful, he made it clear that Hamas would continue to use violence against Israel to pursue their goals. … Continue Reading

2,000-Year-Old Jewish Coins Promoting Redemption Found in Temple Mount Area

Ancient Jewish revolution coins. Photo credit: Eilat Mazar/Hebrew University

The last time that the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Jewish revolutionaries were holding out against Rome in a brutal siege, minting their own coins in independent defiance. Those coins included the inscriptions of “For the Freedom of Zion” or “For the Redemption of Zion”, highlighting their struggle. Nearly two thousand years later, some of those coins were discovered near the Temple Mount by Hebrew University archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar. And it’s not just the history that’s eye-catching; the time of year for the discovery caught Dr. Mazar’s attention as well.

“A discovery like this—ancient coins bearing the words ‘Freedom’ and ‘Redemption’—found right before the Jewish Festival of Freedom—Passover—begins is incredibly moving,” Dr. Mazar was quoted by Monday’s Hebrew University press release as saying. The Festival of Passover—marking the Israeli redemption from Egyptian slavery as found in the Biblical book of Exodus—begins this year on Friday evening. … Continue Reading

With Trump Deadline on Nuke Deal Approaching, Israel Talks Iran with Europe

PM Netanyahu and German FM Maas. Photo courtesy of Kobi Gideon / GPO

Iran was a key topic as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted two of the most influential diplomats in Europe on Monday, with time running out to fix the Iran nuclear deal before United States President Donald Trump pulls his country out of the accord. Trump had set a four month deadline to upgrade the arrangement in January, leaving Europe roughly six weeks to make the required changes. It was certainly a top-of-mind talking point for Netanyahu.

“The foremost terrorist-sponsoring regime in the world, in our region and beyond is Iran. We have to roll back its aggression, and it is vast, and we must ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in comments from his office. “I think this is the preeminent issue facing the international community in the coming months, in the coming years.”

Netanyahu also met with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas—just weeks after he was named Berlin’s top diplomat—and the Iranian nuclear deal was on the agenda. And even if the two nations don’t always agree, Haas made it clear they remain friends. … Continue Reading