Senseless Vandalism

{image_1}Sadly, it has been reported that the large, 30-foot long (9-meter) mosaic at Hirbet Madras, which we covered in our April Dispatch issue, was vandalized. In late March, vandals destroyed large sections of the mosaic that was in almost pristine condition, described by archaeologist Amir Ganor as “one of the most beautiful mosaics to be uncovered in Israel in recent years,” and estimated to be about 1,500 years old.

Digging in the West Bank

{image_1} While the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists do not work in the West Bank, other Israeli archaeologists do. However, finds within the West Bank  (Judea and Samaria) can be problematic. Though the West Bank is currently under Israeli control, it is “disputed” territory, since much of it is supposedly to become a Palestinian state. If that happens, what happens to everything that has been found in archaeological digs there? If Israelis found it, is it theirs, or since it was found in “Palestinian” territory, will it belong to “Palestine”?

Goldstone Retracts War Crimes Claim against Israel

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The chairman of the UN Human Rights Council fact-finding team that accused Israel of possibly committing war crimes during the 23-day, 2008–09 Gaza war effectively retracted those claims on April 1 in an op-ed in The Washington Post. Judge Richard Goldstone, of the UN’s Goldstone Report on Operation Cast Lead, said that if he had known then what he knew now, the report would have been different. He said Israel’s own investigations into the war, which were recognized in a UN follow-up committee’s report, have indicated that “civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy.”

Mideast Arms Buyers Stocking Up

{image_1}The governments of the Middle East and North Africa dug deep into their pockets last year to stock up on weapons, according to the annual study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Experts doubt the current wave of political turmoil will do much to change that.

550 Hizbullah Bunkers Identified

An Israeli security official provided The Washington Post with a map detailing no less than 550 bunkers, 300 surveillance sites, and 100 other facilities the Jewish state believes belong to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon. Most of the sites marked on the map are located south of the Litani River. [Hizbullah weapons there would be in violation of the United Nations resolution ending the Second Lebanon War.]

Egypt Makes Overtures to Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has welcomed a proposal by his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Al-Arabi, to improve ties. “A good relationship between the two countries will definitely help stability, security, and development in the region,” Salehi told The Teheran Times.

What Is Happening in the Middle East?

I have heard this question nearly every day recently. It is the subject of countless newspaper articles, and everyone in Israel is talking about the changing face of the Middle East. I have also heard the phrase “Gog and Magog” repeatedly used in connection with the shaking Middle East. It isn’t unusual to hear Christians talking about future events and Bible prophecy, but it is much more unlikely in the Jewish world. So, I have been surprised recently to hear many Jewish people referring to the present time as times leading to Gog and Magog.

Saving Lake Victoria

{image_1}Israel and Germany have signed a letter of intent for a first-of-its-kind joint cooperation effort, with the goal of saving Lake Victoria in Kenya. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest in the world and is being threatened by a severe ecological disaster. Half of the fish species in the huge lake—410 kilometers (255 miles) long and 250 kilometers (150 miles) wide—have already become extinct. About 30 million people make their living from the seaweed-filled lake that has low oxygen levels. Lake Victoria is one of the sources of the Nile, which is also suffering from the lake's ecological disaster.

A Glass Tribute

{image_1} Much has been written about the contributions Jewish people worldwide have made in cultural, scientific, and technological fields in modern times. It has been noted that though they only comprise 0.25% of the world’s population, they make up 22% of all Nobel Prize winners. Their contribution has also impacted the arts, and one of today’s greatest contributors is Dale Chihuly, a world renowned glass artist. In December, he opened a four-month long exhibit in Tel Aviv, featuring about 100 of his works, 10 of which were created specifically for that exhibit.

Below the Lines

{image_1} The need for potable water has reached critical proportions in Israel because of a seven-year drought, as reported in the February Dispatch. Internet sites record every millimeter of rain that falls on a daily basis. However, that information can be somewhat difficult to comprehend, especially those for the Sea of Galilee (or Kinneret). What are the two “red lines” often referred to? And what about the “black line”? How much water is needed to get from one to the other, and what are the consequences of falling below any one or all three lines?

The Culture of the Bible

{image_1}In my role as International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace, I travel to various places around the world. It is fascinating to visit other countries and absorb the local culture, tasting new foods, learning a bit of the language, enjoying the mannerisms and clothing, and visiting spots of beauty and history. What is ordinary and well understood by those within the culture seems exotic, strange, and unique to me. Outward differences can be readily seen in how we greet one another, how we dress, how we speak, but other differences go much deeper.

“Palestine Is Big”

Palestinian TV, which is owned by the Palestinian Authority (PA, Fatah) and operated under the auspices of Mahmoud Abbas's office, frequently presents Palestinians with a world without Israel, which is the most explicit non-recognition. Following are instances from three recent programs.