Thousands to participate in Priestly Blessing at Western Wall
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation invited the public to take part in the mass blessing of the Kohanim (Jewish priests) that will take place on Monday (4/2) at the Western Wall Plaza, and join in the special tours at the Western Wall sites.
During Passover, there will be experiential tours of all the sites, including Western Wall tunnels, a visit to the Temple from virtual reality binoculars, and more.
The Priestly Blessing will take place with the participation of the Chief Rabbis of Israel and hundreds of priests, Monday morning.
The commandment to bless the Jewish people and the words of the blessing are found in the Bible (Numbers 6:22-27). Two tiny silver amulets containing scrolls on which parts of the blessing were written were found in an ancient burial site in Jerusalem in 1979.
(israelnn.com)
Israel to waive construction permits for US Embassy in Jerusalem
Israel’s National Council for Planning Construction will waive the usual re-zoning approval and construction permits for the work in turning the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem into the American Embassy.
The Council on Tuesday (27th) said it would authorize the waiver in order to allow the work to be completed before the planned May 14 move of the embassy from Tel Aviv. The move is timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel’s founding.
(jta.org)
Fathers escorting Israeli teens’ hike that was attacked will not be charged in shooting death of Palestinian
Israeli prosecutors will not charge two Israeli fathers who shot into a mob of rock-throwing Palestinians, killing one, while escorting a Hike of Jewish teenagers in honor of a boy’s bar mitzvah.
On Monday (26th), the Central District Attorney’s Office determined that the fathers shot their firearms in self-defense and closed the case.
On November 30, at least 30 Palestinian men from the northern West Bank surrounded the children and their parent escorts and started throwing rocks. The fathers shot into the air to stop the assault, and killed one Palestinian.
(jta.org)
Armed Palestinians infiltrate Israel from Gaza; IDF arrests three
IDF forces on Tuesday (27th) arrested three Palestinians armed with grenades and knives who infiltrated into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
During a routine patrol of the southern Gaza border fence, soldiers detected footprints leading from the Strip into Israel. Additional security forces were alerted, while local residents were notified of the possible danger.
The IDF subsequently arrested three armed Palestinians near the Tse’elim IDF base, some 12 miles from the border. There were no injuries.
(worldisraelnews.com)
Hamas’ ‘defensive’ drill seen as a warning to Israel, Abbas, and Trump
Hamas mounted a large-scale military exercise in the Gaza Strip on Sunday (25th) and Monday (26th), the terror group’s largest show of force in recent years.
Hamas said some 30,000 members of its armed wing, Izaddin al Qassam, participated in the drill using live ammunition and various types of weapons, including rockets and missiles.
The drill was designed to send a message to the US administration and other international parties to the effect that Hamas remains a major player, with an impressive military capability in the Palestinian arena.
(timesofisrael.com)
Hamas: Palestinians will not give up ‘one inch of Palestine’
The Palestinians will not “give up one inch of Palestine” no matter how much time lapses, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior official of the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip declared on Monday (26th)
Zahar also warned Israel against targeting participants in the mass protests that his group and other Palestinian factions are planning in the coming weeks along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
(timesofisrael.com)
Hamas is using the “Great Return March” to help take over the PLO – Ehud Rosen
Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood affiliates across the globe are playing a leading role in supporting and promoting the “Great Return March” campaign to begin on March 30, 2018.
According to Israeli TV, Hamas spent $10 million behind the scenes to fund and organize the march to Gaza’s border with Israel. For the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, this march is part of a wider mobilization to implement their long-held aspiration to take over the PLO.
(jcpa.org)
IDF to Gazans: ‘Anarchy march’ a diversion from Gaza problems
As part of the Israel Defense Forces’ preparations for the upcoming march on the Gaza security fence, the IDF Spokesperson’s Office has begun an information campaign on the social networks aimed at the residents of Gaza. The campaign’s slogan is “Not Return Anarchy,” an Arabic play on words used by organizers to describe the march.
The office is sending out direct messages to the public in Gaza, in order to expose Hamas’ attempt to divert attention from the internal problems in Gaza (electricity, sewage, unemployment, etc.) and divert resources to what the office is calling a useless procession. The IDF effort is being covered by the large Palestinian Authority media, such as the Maan news agency and the Jerusalem newspaper Al-Quds.
(israelnn.com)
As Abbas blows out 83 candles, Palestinians left grasping for heir
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas turned 83 on Monday (26th), and with his health rumored to be on the decline, speculation mounted over the leadership struggle that will ensue when he is no longer in power.
Only a few days ago the Associated Press reported that Abbas is constantly accompanied by a cardiologist due to concerns for his health.
(timesofisrael.com; afp.com)
2,000-year-old coins from Jewish revolt against Rome discovered in Jerusalem
Dozens of bronze coins dating from the Roman-Jewish War (66-73 CE) were discovered by Hebrew University archeologists recently in a cave near the south wall of the Temple Mount, it was reported Monday (26th), by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The coins are decorated with Jewish symbols such as the four species, a palm tree that symbolized the Tribe of Judah, and a cup used in the temple.
Dr. Eilat Mazar, who heads the archeological dig at the site, said, “The discovery of dozens of coins in the center of ancient Jerusalem, bearing the inscription ‘to freedom/to save Zion,’ is of special importance during this period, when the Jewish state is preparing to celebrate Passover.”
(timesofisrael.com; israelhayom.com)
