Signs of the Times

Israel Likely to Keep 180,000 Settlers

Israel expects at least 180,000 of the current 240,000 settlers in the occupied West Bank will be able to stay in their homes with approval from the United States. Just before the Gaza evacuation, Dov Weisglass, senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said that Israel expects the evacuation of 8,500 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and a small area in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

Gaza’s Synagogues- Only the Latest

Despite the fervent claims of Palestinian Authority (PA) officials that the Muslims living under their rule have the utmost respect for Judaism, the synagogues of Gaza were burned and desecrated even before the last Jew had left the strip.

A cursory check of recent history would seem to contradict the PA’s assertions and make these scenes from Gaza very much expected.

The Case Of The… Missing Hummus

How can one lose 75 tons of hummus (chickpea paste)? That is the question Israeli detectives are asking after a massive consignment of chickpeas disappeared from a kibbutz in central Israel.

Israeli Arabs Reject Jewish Zionist State

A new poll of Israeli Arabs, conducted by a sociologist from the University of Haifa, shows an overwhelming rejection of Israel’s right to exist as a “Jewish Zionist state.”

Muslim Missile Threat Faces Israel

Former Israel Defense Ministry official Uzi Rubin says over 1,000 Iranian, Syrian, Egyptian, and Saudi long-range missiles, armed with 500 tons of military-grade warheads, are currently pointed at and capable of reaching all points of Israel.

Largest Jewish Community Worldwide

On July 13, 2005, there were 500 immigrants from the United States and Canada—the largest contingent of North American Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) in one day in Israel's history!

For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, Israel will next year become the largest Jewish community in the world, figures released by a Jewish Agency think tank revealed in July.

However, the report issued by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute predicted that even in 15 years, the majority of world Jewry will not be living in Israel. (At present, about 40% of world Jewry live in Israel, while by 2020, 46% will choose Israel as their home.)

Security Chief Reveals Staggering Terror Figures

Israel has been attacked by Palestinian Arab terrorists 25,375 times since October 2000, Shin Bet (Israeli internal security organization) Director Yuval Diskin told the Knesset (Parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

That figure includes 142 suicide-bomb attacks, and the results of all attacks are 1,048 persons murdered and over 5,600 injured and maimed, as well as incalculable mental trauma.

Bnei Menashe-  “Descendants of Israel”

In a historic decision in March, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar decided to recognize formally the Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh) of northeastern India as “descendants of Israel.”

Israel Expects Middle Eastern war in 2006

Israel has expressed its belief that Iran and several of its Arab allies are preparing for a full-scale war against the Jewish state, possibly following the expected United States withdrawal from Iraq in 2006.

Unnamed U.S. officials told Middle East Newsline in April that, according to Israeli assessments, the departure of most American forces from the region will lead to increased tensions and provide an atmosphere ripe for an escalation of violence against Israel.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon “has relayed repeated messages to the U.S. administration that Iran and its Arab allies are preparing for war,” one official said.

Agricultural Production Jumps

Despite efforts to write off agriculture as an “old economy” industry, becoming less relevant in the high-tech era, figures released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reveal that the Israeli agricultural sector is thriving and growing.

Water shortages and steep water price hikes have not hampered what the statistics show is a growth industry. The value of agricultural production jumped by 28.7% in the period from 1999 to 2004.