Netanyahu Forms Huge Coalition

{image_1}Israelis woke up on the morning of May 8th to find that during the night a deal had been struck between Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud party and Shaul Mofaz's Kadima block in the Knesset [Israeli Parliament]. It means that the new coalition has a guaranteed 94 seats in the Knesset's 120-seat forum. The nation was shocked and conversation was dominated by political analysis.

Majority of Israeli Arabs Prefer Israel

{image_1}The vast majority of Israeli Arabs are reconciled to the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and even exhibit a degree of patriotism, according to a poll released in June. The survey by Haifa University found that nearly seven in ten (68.3%) preferred to live in Israel than anywhere else, even a future Palestinian state. It found that 57.7% are reconciled to Israel as a Jewish democratic state whose day of rest is the Sabbath on Saturday and Hebrew is the main language.

African Wild Ass Born in Israel

{image_1}Once again the Ramat Gan Safari Park has participated in the preservation of one of the world's most endangered species. The African wild ass is found in the wild only in Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the immediate region. It is thought that there are only about 570 individual animals in the wild all together. There is no present danger of extinction, but the wild species is listed as critically endangered. Early in June, a female wild ass, with its distinctive leg markings, was born at the Ramat Gan Safari Park near Tel Aviv.

On Jerusalem Day

On Jerusalem Day

{image_1}To a Knesset [Parliament] plenum on May 20: “We need to stop for one day every year and realize that we are witnessing and experiencing the fulfillment of a prophecy, the yearning for Zion, the return to Zion and the revival of Zion.” Referring to Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism and the visionary of the State: “He foresaw the problem and the solution, but he didn’t give up on Zion. He raised his right hand and said—‘If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither.’ Today we are raising our hand with the same oath. We are taking an oath for a built-up Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel.”

Christian Exodus from the Holy Land

Is Israel the oppressor or protector?

{image_1}Throughout their history, regardless of where they have lived, the Jewish people have been blamed for everything from the plague to the high cost of automobile insurance. They have been accused of poisoning wells, intentionally spreading the HIV virus, killing Christian children to use their blood to make Passover matzah (unleavened bread), and attempting to take over the world through their alleged control of its finances. No matter how ludicrous some of these may sound, there have always been anti-Semites at hand ready to believe the current rhetoric and incite the local populations to hatred, violence, and even murder.

The Geography of Israel

{image_1}Have you ever wondered why God asked Abraham to move? Why couldn’t he have served God in Ur? Moving his household was a major event. Remember, they didn’t have moving trucks, so moving took weeks, maybe months. There is a very good answer, and it has to do with geography.

IDF Celebrates 64 Years of Defending the State of Israel

{image_1}Facts about the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] you have never heard before:

—When the IDF was formed on May 26, 1948, its structure was based on that of its predecessor, the Haganah.

Pirkei Avot: A Banquet of Wisdom

{image_1}”Moses received the Instructions of the Lord from Sinai and passed it on to Joshua, and Joshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets.” This encapsulation of the beginning of the transmission of the Torah (God's teachings) has been a fundamental truth for the Jewish people for thousands of years.

Off the Beaten Track

{image_1}One of the advantages of living in Israel as volunteers with Bridges for Peace instead of just touring Israel for a week or two is being able to see some sites off the beaten track that are usually not part of a tour. In May, our staff from Karmiel and Jerusalem came together for our annual retreat. Besides spiritual refreshment, another delightful ingredient of the three-day event is going on fun excursions.

Worship His Majesty–Hod

{image_1}The word hod is one of several translated as “majesty” in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is used several times to describe and define God. He is called the majestic Lord (Isa. 33:21, NKJV), and the Bible speaks of the majesty of His Name and the majesty of His presence. I think it would benefit us to understand the word and the concept in truly biblical terms.

Finally!—Help with Customer Service Calls

{image_1}When Israeli biotech executive Saadia Ozeri dialed a call center to get information about his mother-in-law’s cell phone bill, he realized something was terribly wrong in the customer service department. “Every time I tried to speak to an agent, I couldn’t find the right path,” he recalls. “I thought to myself: If this information was written down and provided visually, it would be much easier.”

A Lock with an Eye

{image_1}If locks could talk, what would they say? A new joint venture between two Israeli companies has created the WatchLock, a smart lock that sends an alert if a lock has been tampered with, opened by the wrong person, or moved to a different location.