(NEWS) Noam Shalit Appeals To Palestinian Public For Shalit Deal

"Father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit to hold East Jerusalem press conference urging parents of Palestinian prisoners to pressure Hamas into exchange deal.

The father of Gilad Shalit is to hold a press conference directly appealing to the parents of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel to pressure the Hamas government to agree to an exchange deal for Gilad Shalit's release, Haaretz learned on Saturday.

Noam Shalit announced he would hold a press conference in east Jerusalem marking 1,500 day since Gilad Shalit was abducted by Hamas in 2006, which also marked the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan. During the intended rally, Shalit said he would urge the Palestinian public to make sure their relatives 'celebrate Eid al-Fitr [the Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan] with their family, and not in a prison cell in Israel.'"



(NEWS) Israel: Gaza Rocket Damages Child Rehab Center In Sderot

"Escalation in violence continues as Qassam directly hits educational institution in Shaar Hanegev Regional Council; no injuries reported.

A Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza Saturday night hit the roof of a building in an educational institution located in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, outside of Sderot. There were no reports of injury.

Security forces and firefighters were alerted to the scene. On firefighter reported seeing smoke billowing from the building. 'I have no doubt that had there been people in the building – it would have been a major disaster. It's a miracle,' he said, adding that 'serious' damage was caused to three rooms.

The 'Color Red' siren warned residents of the incoming projectile."





(VIDEO) Islam 270 Million Bodies In 1400 Years - What Every Kafir Must Know!

Kafir is a term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever", or sometimes "infidel".

The term refers to a person who rejects God or who hides, denies, or "covers" the truth.

The Quran also uses the word for Muslims; in Sura 2 Verse 256, it asks them to take upon themselves the action of "Kofr" of all unjust idols, persons or powers.



(TECH) IBM Acquires Israeli Online Storage Optimization Provider Storwize

"IBM has acquired the online storage optimization provider Storwize, to help IBM clients further improve storage efficiency, reduce storage requirements. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Storwize, a privately held company based in Marlborough, Massachusetts USA, have raised $38 million in VC backing thus far, from Bessemer Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Tenaya Capital, Tamares Group, and Tokyo Electron Device.

Storwize provides online storage optimization through real-time data compression, delivering dramatic cost reduction without performance degradation. The company has over one hundred customers such as Mobileye, Polycom Israel, Shopzilla and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction across a wide range of industries including energy, manufacturing, finance, insurance, telecommunications and cloud services.

'Real-time data compression helps address a significant client need -- making it affordable to analyze and make sense of massive amounts of data in order to provide new services,' said Brian Truskowski, general manager, IBM System Storage and Networking. 'By adding Storwize to our innovative portfolio of storage solutions, IBM is better equipped than ever to help clients handle growing quantities of data and make more of it available for analytics.'

'IBM has the strongest vision for the future direction of storage and we are pleased to become a part of that vision,' said Ed Walsh, CEO, Storwize. 'Our customers will benefit significantly as our talented employees and innovative storage solutions merge with IBM's world-wide reach in sales, service and research and development.'

This acquisition continues IBM's investment in real-time compression, which has been proven for DB2 and Informix to reduce the overall total cost of information ownership by up to 80%. The Storwize appliance will work with popular NAS systems, including IBM N series and SONAS, as well as non-IBM NAS systems from EMC, HP, NetApp and others.

Storwize was founded in 2004 by Gal Naor, the company president, along with Jonathan Amit, the current Chief Technology Officer of Storwize. Ori Bauer, who joined Storwize in 2008 as Vice President of Engineering, is managing the company R&D site in Israel." (source)

(BLOG) The Nakba Obsession: The Biggest Obstacle To Peace With Palestinians

"The Palestinian national narrative is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

A specter is haunting the prospective Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations—the specter of the Nakba. The literal meaning of the Arabic word is 'disaster'; but in its current, expansive usage, it connotes a historical catastrophe inflicted on an innocent and blameless people (in this case, the Palestinians) by an overpowering outside force (international Zionism).

The Nakba is the heart of the Palestinians’ backward-looking national narrative, which depicts the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 as the original sin that dispossessed the land’s native people. Every year, on the anniversary of Israel’s independence, more and more Palestinians (including Arab citizens of Israel) commemorate the Nakba with pageants that express longing for a lost paradise.

Every year, the legend grows of the crimes committed against the Palestinians in 1948, crimes now routinely equated with the Holocaust. Echoing the Nakba narrative is an international coalition of leftists that celebrates the Palestinians as the quintessential Other, the last victims of Western racism and colonialism."



(NEWS) Israel Honors Aboriginal Elder For Defying Nazis

"The efforts of Aboriginal leader William Cooper are to be recognised

AN Aboriginal elder is about to make history by becoming the first indigenous Australian to be honoured with his own memorial and garden at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

Following a year-long examination of records, historians at Yad Vashem have approved the memorial for the late William Cooper, who led a protest march in Melbourne against the treatment of Jews in Germany only weeks after Kristallnacht in 1938.

The memorial will be the Entrance Gate Garden at the entrance of the huge Yad Vashem complex."



(NEWS) Egyptian Journalist Describes 'Absolute Prosperity' In Gaza

"With Hamas telling tales of deprivation and suffering in Gaza, Egyptian journalist Ashraf Abu al-Houl has added his report to others who were surprised to discover a 'prosperous' Gaza in which prices are low and luxury businesses are booming.

Al-Houl's story of his trip to Gaza and his realization that 'in actual terms, Gaza is not under siege' was written up in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

'A sense of absolute prosperity prevails, as manifested by the grand resorts along and near Gaza's coast. Further, the site of the merchandise and luxuries filling the Gaza shops amazed me,' he reported."



(NEWS) Hamas Military Commander Killed In IAF Strike On Gaza Targets

"Movement's military wing says man killed in Friday's attack on Strip was 40-year-old Issa al-Batran, who had survived five past assassination attempts.

The Hamas operative killed in the IDF strike in Gaza Friday was a senior official who survived five assassination attempts by Israel, an announcement by Hamas' military wing the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades stated on Saturday.

Twelve other Palestinians were also injured in the strike, and some of them sustained serious wounds."



Related Article:

(NEWS) 1000 Immigrants From 17 Countries Arrive In Israel

"Also this week, Jewish Agency launches first summer camp program in country for teens from former Soviet Union.

The Jewish Agency for Israel brought 1,000 new immigrants from 17 countries to Israel this week, including 550 new olim from France, more than 100 from the United Kingdom, 60 from South Africa and 170 from South America.

Upon arriving in Israel, the new immigrants received all the initial absorption services – from opening a bank account to signing up for health insurance – at a mini-expo organized by the Jewish Agency. They also received their new Israeli ID cards at a ceremony at the Western Wall."



(NEWS) IDF: Terror Groups Have Improved Abilities

"Military officials hope Friday morning's Grad rocket in Ashkelon was lone incident which will not be followed by escalation in south, although two mortar shells land in Eshkol Regional Council several hours later. 'They have longer range missiles,' head of Home Front Command's southern district tells Ynet."

The explosion sounds which rocked Ashkelon on Friday morning took the southern city's residents back to the days of fear. Nearly a year and a half after Operation Cast Lead, eight people suffered shock as a Grad rocket landed in a populated area in the city.

According to an initial military estimate, the Hamas movement was not responsible for the rocket, which was fired from an open area near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun."



(NEWS) Turkish Jews Seek Apartments In Israel 'Just In Case'

"Flotilla crisis leads to surge in number of Turkish Jews looking for real estate in Jewish state.

The crisis between Israel and Turkey has led dozens of wealthy Jewish families in Istanbul to consider purchasing luxury apartments in the Tel Aviv area, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the Turkish families are looking to purchase real estate in Israel in case anti-Semitism in the Muslim country escalates to such a level that they will be forced to flee."



(NEWS) Middle East Internet Users Highly Educated

"Most Middle Eastern web users are graduates.

The vast majority of Middle Eastern Internet users are highly educated, with 69 percent having either graduate or post-graduate degrees, a new survey has found.

The study, 'Media Consumption and Habits of Middle East and North Africa Internet Users', found that 57 percent of Internet users in the region have a graduate degree, and another 12 percent have a post graduate degree."





(NEWS) Israel Files UN Complaint On Hamas Grad Missile Attack

"Foreign Ministry: Attack on Ashkelon shows barbaric, murderous intent.

The Foreign Ministry instructed Israeli ambassadors to file an immediate complaint to the president of the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council in Geneva following the Grad missile attack in Ashkelon and mortar fire in the western Negev on Friday.

'In the complaint, Israel will emphasize that the grad missile launch on a city the size of Ashkelon, is a clear attempt to kill men, women and children and is a clear violation of international law and sheds light on the murderous, barbaric and violent intent of the missile attack,' said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yossi Levy."



Related Article:

(NEWS) Israeli Parachuter Killed In Peru

"Doron Lugasi died in a hospital after slamming into a mountain.

Doron Lugasi, a 39-year-old Israeli, was killed in a parachuting competition in Peru Saturday after crashing into a mountain, Israel Radio reported.

According to Peruvian media, Lugasi participated in a championship parachuting competition in the city of Huancayo. He was slammed into a mountain slope by strong wind gusts and was severely injured by the impact. The medical teams' efforts to reach him were prolonged as result of his location, which delayed his evacuation to a local hospital. He later died of his injuries while at the hospital."



(NEWS) Hundreds Mourn Fallen Airmen

"Six IAF servicemen killed in Romania helicopter crash laid to rest.

Hundreds of mourners attended the funerals Friday of the six Israeli Air Force servicemen killed during a training exercise in Romania earlier this week.

The bodies of the fallen airmen killed in Monday's Yasour helicopter crash in the Carpathian Mountains were brought to Tel Nof air base earlier Friday. The funerals of the fallen soldiers were held at various military cemeteries throughout Friday."



(IDF) Pics: Coffins Of Fallen IAF Helicopter Crew Arrive At Tel Nof In Israel

"Below are photos of members of the Israeli Air Force, along with soldiers of the Military Rabbinate carrying the coffins of the fallen members of the Yasur helicopter crash in the mountains of Romania.

The coffins were loaded onto a Boeing plane and landed this morning (30.7.10) at the Tel Nof air base in Israel." (source)

"Lieutenant Colonel (res.) Avner Goldman just turned 48 last week and got to celebrate it with his wife, Orit. His wife said, “He was a smart man, a good person, the best husband I could have asked for. I told the kids, ‘At least he didn’t suffer. Until the very last moment, he had a smile on his face.’ We were privileged to have a wonderful husband and father, an amazing person.” Avner also leaves behind him four children, ages 22, 18, 16, and 13.

Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Shipenbauer was born in Uruguay and made aliyah to Israel with his family when he was 6 yeas old. As he kid he was an enthusiastic soccer player and stayed a devoted fan, taking his children to matches every week. During the second Lebanon war he was promoted to head of his squadron. His friends describes him as a very honest, modest, and hard working individual that despite his tough exterior was a very sensitive soul. Having been in the squadron for the last 20 years, he had the chance to mentor almost every new pilot that was trained. Daniel is survived by his wife, Yael, and three children – Amit, 16, Roee, 12, and Yonatan, 8.

Major Lior Shai was born and raised in Ramat Hasharon near Tel Aviv. According to his mother, he never seriously thought he would be a pilot, being just as interested as studying electrical engineering at Tel Aviv University as remaining with the Yasurim squadron. Still, he was ecstatic for the opportunity to fly. He leaves behind his wife, Tamar, and their four-month-old baby.

Major Yahel Keshet was born and raised in the moshav Sharona in the lower Galilee, and was currently residing in the Hatzerim air base before the crash. He was the pride of the whole moshav. While he originally wanted to serve in the commandos as his father did, after passing the cadets course he quickly rose the ranks of the Israeli Air Force. He was only two weeks away from being promoted to deputy squadron commander. Yahel is survived by his wife, Hofit, and two children – Harel, 2, and Ofri, two-months old.He was a quiet man, devoted to his family, his wife Hofit and their children, Harel, 2, and Ofri, two-months old. He loved volunteering and helping the community, working to help underprivileged youth and new immigrants from Ethiopia. His hobbies were traveling and tracking, diving, snowboarding and playing guitar.

Staff Sergeant Oren Cohen served in the very same squadron as his father before him. His friends describe him as a brilliant man, he knows his job very well and he picked on new things faster than anyone else” said his friend Oren Dunai. He said Cohen was a supporting and fun loving friend – “there was not a single thing in the world you couldn’t have talked to him about – rock music or quantum mechanics – Oren knew it all, and he was always fun to be around”

Lieutenant Nir Lakrif “was an example of excellence for many. He completed his studies at Air Force technical school with honors, enlisted, and completed his training as a mechanic, a position he chose together with a select group of people who are the pride of the Air Force and the State of Israel. This was also the position he filled during this exercise,” said his uncle. He would have been celebrating his 25th birthday on August 3rd. August was also suppose to mark his first year anniversary of his marriage to Maggie, who is four months pregnant. He will never get to meet his child.

Captain Stefan-Claudiu Dragnea was a member of Romania’s Air Force. He was 31 years old. His wife is five months pregnant. (source)

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My Opinion

These are truly sad pictures to see of our soldiers who protect us, please say a prayer for each and every one of them as well as for their families...

May they rest in peace, may their families recover from the pain and live a long life...

Mourners Prayer (Kaddish)


Hebrew Phonetic:

Yit-gadal v'yit-kadash sh'mey raba, b'alma di v'ra hirutey, vyam-lih mal-hutey b'ha-yey-hon uv'yomey-hon uv'ha-yey d'hol beyt yisrael ba-agala u-vizman kariv, v'imru amen.

Y'hey sh'mey raba m'varah l'alam ul'almey alma-ya.

Yit-barah v'yish-tabah v'yit-pa-ar v'yit-romam v'yit-na-sey v'yit-hadar v'yit-aleh v'yit-halal sh'mey d'kud-sha, b'rih hu, leyla* min kol bir-hata v'shi-rata tush-b'hata v'ne-hemata da-amiran b'alma, v imru amen.

Y'hey sh'lama raba min sh'ma-ya, v'ha-yim aleynu v'al kol yisrael, vimru amen.

Oseh shalom bim-romav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleynu v'al kol yisrael, v'imru amen.

English Translation:

Magnified and sanctified be God's great name in the world which He has created according to His will.

May He establish His kingdom soon, in our lifetime. Let us say: Amen.

May His great name be praised to all eternity.

Hallowed and honored, extolled and exalted, adored and acclaimed be the name of the Holy One, though He is above all the praises, hymns, and songs of adoration which men can utter. Let us say: Amen.

May God grant abundant peace and life to us and to all Israel. Let us say: Amen.

May He who ordains harmony in the universe grant peace to us and to all Israel. Let us say: Amen.

(NEWS) National Geographic Ranks Tel Aviv Among World's Top Beach Cities

"'Call it Miami Beach on the Med. Tel Aviv is the Dionysian counterpart to religious Jerusalem.'

They may be hot, crowded and swarming with jellyfish, but Tel Aviv beaches are apparently a world-class asset.

National Geographic yesterday published a list of the world's 10 best beach cities and rated Tel Aviv alongside Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Nice (on the French riviera ) and Cape Town."



(IDF) Pics: Arrival Of ‘Yasur’ Helicopter Pilots To Israel From Search Mission In Romania

"Last night (29.7.10), the pilots who flew Yasur (CH-53) helicopters that participated in the search team to find and evacuate victims of the Yasur helicopter crash arrived back in Israel.

They were met by their loved ones as well as well as IDF officials, including the Chief Military Rabbi, Brigadier General Rafi Peretz." (source)

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(NEWS) Israel: Grad Missile Strikes Residential Area Of Ashkelon

"Rocket explodes near apartment building just after 8:30 A.M., causing no casualties but some damage to structure and parked cars.

A Katyusha rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck close to an apartment building in a residential area of Ashkelon on Friday.

The Grad-type rocket hit the populated neighborhood just after 8:30 A.M., causing some damage to the nearby building and to a number of parked cars. There were no casualties in the incident, but at least two people were treated for shock."



Related Article:

(IDF) Video & Pics: IDF Search Team Delegation Leaves Romania For Israel

"A number of Yasur (CH-53) helicopters departed from the Romanian crash site to return back to Israel with some of the IDF search team members.

The delegation will leave over the course of the next couple of days in a gradual manner.

In addition, a Hercules transport plane left Romania to carry remaining equpment left at the scene and refuel the Yasur helicopters on their way back to Israel.

An IAF Boeing airplane has departed Israel for an air force base in Romania in order to return the coffins of the IAF crew who were killed in the helicopter crash.

Below are photos of the delegation members boarding the Hercules aircraft." (source)

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