The Hebrew Language

The Ins and Outs of the Holy Hebrew Language
Interest is growing in the 4th Annual Conference for Devotees of the Holy Tongue, to be held in Jerusalem this coming Wednesday. One of the purposes of the get-together is to encourage Torah study based on the linguistics of Hebrew. Read more>>

• Google Timeline on the history of the Hebrew Language

Peace agreements?

Netanyahu hints of unilateral pullback again
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again hinted yesterday, during a meeting in Jerusalem with the Spanish crown prince, that if the deadlock in the peace process persists, Israel would take unilateral steps. Read more>>

Israel may let new flotilla reach Gaza
Israel is considering allowing the Freedom Flotilla 2, due to sail next month, to reach Gaza, to prevent a repeat of last summer’s clash between flotilla participants and Israeli forces. Read more>>

Barack Obama to launch new Mid-East push
BARACK Obama is to plunge back into Arab-Israeli politics with a new push for a peace agreement as UN pressure on Israel grows. Read more>>

Obama must broker a new Mideast peace
The “Arab Spring” that is flowering in fits and starts in most countries of the Middle East has significantly altered the geopolitical situation in the region, and is likely to have a profound effect on American interests. Read more>>

A Palestinian state by September?
Israelis are growing anxious over the international community’s renewed rush to impose a peace settlement on Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. And the world’s impatience is being fueled by Palestinian threats to unilaterally declare statehood in September, even in the absence of a final status peace deal. Read more>>

Gas in Israel

The Next Big Lebanon-Israel Flare-Up: Gas: For most countries, the existence of a massive fossil-fuel deposit within its sovereign territory would be gratefully welcomed as an economic windfall. But the delight in Israel at the recent giant gas discovery off its northern coastline is tempered by the knowledge that it could provide the spark to ignite the next war between the Jewish state and its mortal foe to the north, Lebanon's militant Shi'ite Hizballah. 

Read more>>

Related articles on the gas drilling in Israel
Israel Discovers Gas!: The Houston-based Noble Energy company, drilling for Israel’s Delek fuel company, announced that it has discovered a huge deposit of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa. Read more>>

Israel Drills Big Gas Prospect: Oil companies in Israel, led by Texas-based Noble Energy Inc. this week are expected to start drilling one of the world's most promising natural-gas prospects of recent years, according to executives. Read more>>

Lebanon asks UN to guard gas from Israeli drilling: Lebanon has asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ensure that Israel's plans to drill for gas in the Mediterranean do not encroach on its own offshore reserves, the National News Agency said on Tuesday. Read more>>

UN refuses Lebanon request to intervene in Israel gas drilling
Lebanese FM urged Ban Ki-moon to prevent Israel from exploiting Lebanon's maritime wealth, but UN spokesman says it won't demarcate border. Read more>>

Wise Cogitations - Proverbs 3

When reading Proverbs 3 the other day, it reminded me why it was one of my favourites.  It is full of really great wisdom and advice.

Some of the verses that I love from this chapter, that I think should be really pondered, are:

v3-4: Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

v5-6: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understaing.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

v7: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

v11: My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: for whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

v27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Arab States, Russia, China v. Western Coalition

• Putin likens U.N. Libya resolution to crusade calls: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday likened the U.N. Security Council resolution supporting military action in Libya to medieval calls for crusades.

• Coalition air strikes see waning support from Arabs, China and Russia: Arab League and China express regret as Moscow suggests US-led coalition is going beyond its mandate. 

World Watch

With all that is happening around the world recently, Andy Walton's Weekly World Watch is an interesting read.

• Click here to read this week's Weekly World Watch (Will open in Power Point)

German-Israel Relations

• A Deepening Rift Between Germany and Israel: Germany has made it plain to Israel that it cannot expect unqualified support if it allows the conflict with Palestinians to drag on.  It marks a major change in Mrs. Merkel’s attitude toward Israel, which she had unswervingly supported since she took office more than five years ago.

• Deciphering German foreign policy toward Israel and Iran: The so-called German-Israeli ‘special relationship’ is clouded by Berlin’s tight relations with Tehran.