February 15, 2018
Israel Defense Minister: Iran declared war on us long ago
“Iran declared war on us long ago. The highest echelons in Tehran want to erase the Zionist entity; they do not hide the fact that they want to wipe the State of Israel off the face of the earth,” Lieberman said at the annual conference organized by the Federation of Local Authorities and Kerem Kayemeth LeIsrael, held at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, Wednesday (14th).
According to Lieberman, “while Israel wants to live quietly, the turbulent reality of the Middle East makes the word peace irrelevant; the only way to live here quietly is to prepare for war.”
(jpost.com)
Iran defends its military presence in Syria, asks U.S. forces to leave
A senior Iranian official said on Wednesday (14th) that Iran’s military presence in Syria was legitimate and based on the invitation of Damascus, and called on U.S. forces to leave the country.
Reacting to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who said on Wednesday that Iran needed to withdraw its military from Syria, Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said: “Iran’s military presence in Syria was based on an invitation from the Syrian government.”
“Those should leave Syria who are there without permission of the Syrian legal government,” Velayati was quoted as saying by ISNA, answering a question about Tillerson’s comments.
(reuters.com; isna.ir)
General from Cyprus visits Israel to strategize with IDF
The head of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus, Lt. Gen. Ilias A. Leontaris, came to Israel Wednesday (14th) for an official visit as the guest of IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot.
According to a statement put out by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the two were slated to discuss “common challenges and future military collaborations.”
Cyprus and Israel have grown closer as Turkey’s relationship with the Jewish state has grown colder, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regularly blasting Israel and openly supporting the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip. The Cypriots’ troubles with Turkey began when that country invaded Cyprus in 1974 and actively partitioned the country, establishing a Turkish-Cypriot government in the northern part that only it recognizes.
(worldisraelnews.com)
Police called after Kings College London protest of Israeli speaker Dan Meridor – Jenni Frazer
A screaming crowd of 60 students shouted down a talk by former Israeli deputy prime minister Dan Meridor to an Israel Society meeting at Kings College London. Students bearing posters with the words “War Criminal” began screaming at anyone who was making their way into the hall to hear Meridor, and chanting and screaming from outside continued throughout his address.
Meridor said before the meeting that he believed in dialogue and hoped that it might be possible for those who were critical of Israel to come inside and have “a civilized discussion.” But that did not prove possible.
(jta.org; thejc.com)
‘Jews out’ scrawled on monument for synagogue in Poland destroyed by Nazis
A monument commemorating a synagogue that Nazis destroyed in what today is Poland was vandalized with an anti-Semitic slur and far-right imagery written in German.
The incident occurred earlier this month in Zielona Gora, a city in Poland that was under German control from 1871 until 1945. Unidentified individuals wrote “Jews Out,” in German on a stone slab commemorating the synagogue that Nazis burned down in 1938
(jta.org)
Palestinians launch 6th attempt to blow up Israeli court
A Palestinian terrorist attempted to blow up a military court in Samaria on Tuesday (13th), but Israeli forces securing the compound were successful in thwarting the attack.
This is the 6th failed attempt by Palestinians to bomb this target.
Similar incidents occurred earlier this month, twice in December, twice in October, and before that in May.
(worldisraelnews.com; haaretz.com)
UNIFIL Spokesperson: New barrier is on Israeli side of Lebanese border – Yaniv Kubovich
Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said Tuesday (13th) that the barrier Israel is building along two sections of the border with Lebanon is on the Israeli side of the border between the two countries, in areas that are not sensitive. Last week Lebanese leaders said they would act to stop Israel from building the barrier.
The new fence will replace existing barriers in two sections along the border – between Metula and Misgav Am in the east, and between Hanita and Rosh Hanikra in the west. In places where homes adjacent to the border are under a direct threat of sniper fire or anti-tank missiles, the barrier will take the form of a wall.
(haaretz.com)
Hizbullah Commander Imad Mughniyeh: 10 years since his assassination – Brig. Gen. Dr. Shimon Shapira
On Feb. 12, 2008, exactly ten years ago, Imad Mughniyeh, the head of Hizbullah’s military and security wing, was assassinated in Damascus. Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei knew Mughniyeh personally.
Mughniyeh directed the kidnappings of foreigners in Lebanon during the 1980s. He headed the Islamic Jihad organization in Lebanon in close cooperation with Iranian intelligence agencies. Among its major operations were the 1992 suicide bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, and the later attack on the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. He also met with Osama Bin Laden in Sudan in the 1990s.
When Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, Mughniyeh came to be known as the hero of the withdrawal and the “liberator” of the south.
(jcpa.org)
Macron: ‘France will strike’ if proven chemical bombs used in Syria
PARIS – President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (13th) that “France will strike” if chemical weapons are used against civilians in the Syrian conflict but that he had not yet seen any evidence that this was the case.
“On chemical weapons, I set a red line and I reaffirm that red line,” Macron told reporters. “Today our agencies, our armed forces have not established that chemical weapons, as set out in treaties, have been used against the civilian population.”
In a telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin last Friday (9th), Macron expressed his concern at signs that chlorine bombs had been used against civilians recently.
(reuters.com)
Latvia purchases Rafael’s Spike missile systems
The Latvian Defense Ministry signed a contract this week to receive the Spike Missile system developed by Rafael.
The missiles will be manufactured and supplied by Eurospec in collaboration with Rafael, Diehl, and Rheinmetall.
The Spike missiles, widely used by the IDF and many armies around the world, are precision-guided missiles that can be launched from a variety of ground, land, air, and naval platforms for ranges up to near 19 miles.
To date, Rafael has sold more than 29,000 “Gil” variety missiles to 29 countries.
(israelnn.com)
