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ISRAEL MFA
 
IICC Update - Febr 26-March 4, 2008


Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields (IICC)


Mar 4 2008 7:22AM
Five days of escalation in the Gaza Strip (IICC)


Mar 2 2008 7:45AM
Sderot: How one family was shattered (Haaretz)


The Hamas war against Israel: A Diary - February 2008


YMCA library building in Hamas-controlled Gaza City blown up by Palestinian terrorists


Der Spiegel (7 Feb): A Visit to a Gaza Rocket Factory


PM Ehud Olmert: "Every solution will be painful" - Interview in The Jerusalem Post - Friday, Jan 4


Iran sponsors terror (IICC)


 
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Scene of the terror shooting in the library of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem

Scene of the terror shooting in the library of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem (Photos: Zaka)

8 students killed in Jerusalem yeshiva terror attack

Shortly after 20:30 on Thursday evening (6 Mar 2008) a terrorist armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle infiltrated the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem and opened fire in the library where about 80 people, mostly teenagers, were gathered. Eight students were killed and 11 wounded, three critically. (full story)

A memorial service for the eight victims was held at the yeshiva at 10:00 on Friday morning (7 March), to be followed by eight funerals throughout the country.

In the Gaza Strip, gunmen fired in the air to celebrate the attack. Hamas issued a statement saying the group "blesses the (Jerusalem) operation. It will not be the last."

MFA Spokesman: "Tonight’s murder of yeshiva students during a religious event expresses at its most deplorable the fundamentalist-extremist foundations, in the name of which Palestinian terrorism operates." (full statement)

• Israel vows not to allow yeshiva shooting to derail peace talks. (Ynet report)

 
 
Hamas terror war against Israel: Soldier killed near Gaza border
GRAD rocket explodes in Ashkelon - March 2, 2008

Video: GRAD rocket explodes in Ashkelon - March 2, 2008Video: GRAD rocket explodes in Ashkelon
6 Mar 2008
An IDF soldier - a Bedouin tracker - was killed Thursday morning (6 March) during a routine patrol along the security fence in the central Gaza Strip, near Kissufim, when Palestinian terrorists detonated an explosive device near the jeep in which he was driving. Another soldier was seriously wounded. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. (Ynet report)

Four Sderot residents wounded as Kassams score direct hits (6 March). (Haaretz report)

FM Livni: "The success of the negotiations is based on the determination of the two leaderships, Israeli and Palestinian,  to continue the negotiations." (Joint press conference with US Secy of State Rice - 5 March)

Security Cabinet decides on policy for action against the firing of projectiles at Israel, and against the strengthening of terrorist forces in the Gaza Strip. (5 March)

IDF Spokesman (4-6 March): About 400 truckloads of humanitarian aid have been transferred to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni crossings.

Over 1,000 rockets have been fired since the Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in mid-June 2007.

- Responding to Hamas attacks from Gaza - Issues of Proportionality
- Behind the Headlines: Israeli operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip
- Behind the Headlines: Hamas artillery rockets bombard Ashkelon
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  Latest releases

• Response to report by human rights organizations on humanitarian situation in Gaza 6-Mar-2008
• Statement by Amb Levanon to Human Rights Council, Geneva 6-Mar-2008
• 400 truckloads of humanitarian assistance transferred to Gaza 6-Mar-2008
• Editorials 6-Mar-2008
• Security Cabinet sets policy vis-a-vis Gaza 5-Mar-2008
• FM Livni briefs visiting Turkish journalists 4-Mar-2008
• Behind the Headlines: Pragmatic Arab views 3-Mar-2008
• Israel welcomes UN Security Council resolution against Iran 3-Mar-2008
• Responding to Hamas attacks from Gaza - Issues of Proportionality
• Premature Palestinian babies treated at Barzilai Hospital 3-Mar-2008
• Israel Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Seminar for Young Jewish Leaders (June 29 - July 10, 2008)

Hamas websites tell Israelis: We want you dead
Hamas poster - Attack on Ashkelon
Source: Official website of the Hamas' armed wing, the "al-Qassam Brigades"
28 Feb 2008
Don't allow yourself to be fooled by their media manipulation of woman and children, the Hamas' true message to Israelis is unequivocally clear: "You are our target - We want you dead."

Israel's goals are also clear - Staying alive.
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Seals dating to the 8th Century BCE found at City of David excavations

Complete seal bearing the Hebrew name “Rephaihu (ben) Shalem       (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority)
27 Feb 2008
Finds recovered from the excavations in the City of David reveal an interesting development in the ancient world: whereas during the 9th century BCE letters and goods were dispatched on behalf of their senders without names, by the 8th century BCE the clerks and merchants had already begun to add their names to the seals.

In an excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting together with the Nature and Parks Authority and the Elad Association, a complete seal bearing an ancient Hebrew inscription with the name of its owner – Raphaihu (ben) Shalem – as well as parts of other seals with writing on it were found.
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Israel, the Conflict and Peace: Answers to frequently asked questions
Israel, the Conflict and Peace: Answers to frequently asked questions
Updated November 2007

• What is Israel's position on a Palestinian state?
• Does Israel have partners for making peace in the Arab world?
• Why is Israel a Jewish state?
• How does Israel's legal system protect human rights and basic freedoms?
• Is Palestinian terrorism part of international terrorism?

Read the answers to these and many more questions.

Now also available in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian (pdf).
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A year and a half in terrorist captivity
One year in terror captivity - Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser

View video conference with Karnit Goldwasser with six US campuses

A year and a half have passed since the unprovoked abduction of Gilad Shalit on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza on June 25, 2006 and the abduction of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border on July 12, 2006.

World Solidarity Day - On Tuesday October 30, more than 40 rallies were held around the world, with the participation of thousands of students: in New York - across from the United Nations headquarters, Holland, France, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, San Diego, Michigan, Boston and more.
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Today in history
7 year/s ago
29th Government of Israel
Hamas exploitation of civilians as human shields: Photographic evidence
Trail of smoke rises over Gaza homes after launching of rockets against Israel
Trail of smoke rises over Gaza homes after launching of rockets against Israel (Photo: Amir Meir)
6 Mar 2008
In its fight to defend itself against Hamas attacks against its civilians, Israel is faced with moral challenges unprecedented in their complexity. Hamas, as a basic element of its strategy, exploits the Palestinian population as shields for its terrorist operations and infrastructure. This cynical strategy include:
- The deliberate launching of rocket from populated areas
- The deliberate use of civilian homes to shield Hamas arms and explosives manufacturing facilities
- The deliberate use of civilians as human shields against anticipated airstrikes.
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FM Livni to the Diplomatic Corps: We will change the rules of the game
FM Livni addresses the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem - March 3, 2008
FM Livni addresses the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem - March 3, 2008 (Photo: Flash 90)
3 Mar 2008
"If we let Hamas know that by using terror they win the cessation of negotiations, this will only give them a good reason to continue terrorism. We decided to enter the negotiating room because in so doing, we can create a genuine alternative to Hamas and undermine Hamas at the same time...

Hamas are not going to be the ones who decide when to start targeting Israel and when to stop. We are going to change the rules of this game. We will continue in different operations until they understand that cessation of violence is something which relates also to Israel's need to ensure the security of its citizens and to prevent any kind of a buildup of forces through the Philadelphi Corridor."
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'From Art to Heart' international photo exhibition to be launched at Foreign Ministry
Save a Child's Heart - 'From Art to Heart' Photo Exhibit
Save a Child's Heart (SACH)
27 Feb 2008
The Save a Child's Heart's (SACH) 'From Art to Heart' International Photography Exhibition will be officially launched on Wednesday, February 27th at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. 

'From Art to Heart' documents the humanitarian activities of Save a Child’s Heart which has treated over 1800 children from 29 different countries. It features the works of seven talented photographers, who capture the touching stories of children from around the world who have come to Israel for life-saving heart surgery.
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MFA sends medical aid and equipment to Kenyan hospitals

Israeli ambassador to Kenya, Jacob Keidar transferring aid package to representative of Kenyan hospital         (Photo: MFA)
25 Feb 2008
The MFA's MASHAV Center for International Cooperation, in cooperation with the International Distribution Program of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, has shipped three tons of medical aid and equipment to Kenyan hospitals.
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BI ARTS - British Israeli Arts Training Scheme accepting applications
BI ARTS - British Israeli Arts Training Scheme
5 Mar 2008
BI ARTS - British Israeli Arts Training Scheme - provides exciting opportunities for exchange and development of professional artists based in the UK and in Israel. Professional artists who are developing projects that involve artists from both countries, and that are taking place either in the UK or in Israel, are eligible to apply.
The next deadline for BI ARTS applications is 21 April 2008.
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"When the Shark and the Fish First Met" by Gilad Shalit
"When the Shark and the Fish First Met" by Gilad Shalit
1 Feb 2008
Gilad Shalit was abducted on 25 June 2006, in the course of an infiltration and attack by terrorists on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza. Since then, he has been held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

When Gilad, aged 11, was in the 5th grade, he wrote a story entitled "When the Shark and the Fish First Met". In this allegory, Gilad writes about a young fish who meets a young shark. Although natural enemies, they decide to become friends and live in peace.
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