ICFI 3 Weekly Newsletter

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Dear Friends 7th June 2014

Please keep in prayer our Pentecost/Shavuot Celebration on Pentecost Sunday 8th June at 8pm (sharp) till 9.30pm in Johnstown Parish Centre, Killiney, Co. Dublin. There will be lively worship led by Brendan Creed. The worship should be very rich as there will be an amazing variety of instruments – Guitar, Uilleann Pipes, Hammered Dulcimer, Accordion, Low Whistle, Tin Whistle and Bodhrán. There are 44 booked in at present. However there is no need to book at this stage – just come along

The Jewish Speaker is Grant Wetherall from Ballymena Co. Antrim who is a Messianic Jew ie a Jewish person who has accepted Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world. Over the last 50 years there has been an amazing move of the Holy Spirit among the Jewish people with up to 300,000 coming to know Jesus (Yeshua) in Israel and around the world. The Christian Speaker is Eugene Boyle, a Catholic lay missionary from Rostrevor who has a wonderful Scripture ministry and also a real heart for unity in the Body of Christ. Please keep in prayer

Enclose our News Update for past 3 weeks. I have highlighted 4 particular areas for prayer:

1. EU Elections: Results of elections showed significant growth for far-right political parties in France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Hungary and Greece, inspiring major concern among Jewish communities world-wide. Pray the 14 MEPs from Ireland will stand against any displays of anti Semitism in the EU.

2. Ukraine Jews: The Jerusalem Post reports that there are 11,000 Jews in Donetsk and about 130,000 in all of Ukraine. Israel's Jewish Agency came to the rescue of two Jewish Ukrainian families (6 people) after rebels seized control of Donetsk airport as they were waiting to immigrate to Israel. Praise God the Agency was able to find a way to get them to Israel. Pray for many more Jews to come to Israel from Ukraine. If you would like to contribute to the ICFI appeal for funds for Ukrainian Jews please send a cheque to ICFI PO Box3542 Dun Laoghaire.

3. Persecuted Christians: i. Sudan: The Sudanese foreign ministry said and later denied that Meriam Ibrahim, 27, is guaranteed

religious freedom in the country. She had been sentenced to be hanged for apostasy. She gave birth to a baby girl in prison. International outrage against Ibrahim’s sentence has grown significantly in recent weeks, as more than a million people signed online petitions protesting the sentence. Continue to intercede for the soon release of Meriam and her children who are in prison with her. As sources have pointed out, “For every Meriam there are thousands more we do not hear about.” Pray for all those who suffer for their Christian faith particularly in majority Muslim countries.

ii. Germany: Some 4,500 Iranian-born Muslims who converted to Christianity have found refuge in Germany in past 6 years. Pray for many thousands of Muslims in Iran who have become Christians for courage and strength for them to witness to their faith.

4. Anti Semitism:

i. PA Incitement in Schools to hate Jews continues: A recent study of 150 new Palestinian Authority school textbooks released last month, revealed widespread delegitimization of Israel and continued calls to use violence against Jews. We understand Ireland has contributed tax payers money to fund PA text books in the past. Pray that Minister for Foreign Affairs Gilmore will take up this issue.

ii. Basketball: Twitter users in Spain posted 17,500 messages of anti-Semitic abuse after Israeli basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Real Madrid to win the Euroleague Championship.The Euroleague was quick to release a statement decrying the antisemitic comments. Pray for Twitter and other Social Media to not allow themselves to be used to foster anti Semitism.

iii. Brussels: Four people died in a shooting incident at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels. The culprit arrested is French and fought with the rebels in Syria recently. Pray for protection for the 21,000 Jewish people in Brussels and for the EU to adequately monitor returning Jihadist rebels to EU countries (over 22 Irish Residents Muslims fought with Syrian rebels)

Blessings and Shalom,

Paddy Monaghan, ICFI

JNN News Update June 4th 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

SHAVUOT 2014: Shavuot 2014 began the evening of Tuesday, June 3 and ends in the evening of Thursday, June 5. The holiday commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. We extend to JNN readers and friends our heart-felt blessings for a Happy Shavuot!

ISRAEL DISAPPOINTED USA WILL WORK WITH PALESTINIAN UNITY GOVERNMENT: Israel said Monday it was "deeply disappointed" by the US State Department saying it would work with a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas Islamists opposed to Israel's existence. In a response issued after Washington's announcement, an Israeli official said: "We are deeply disappointed by the State Department regarding working with the Palestinian unity government." The statement said Washington could advance peacemaking by urging Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "to end his pact with Hamas and return to peace talks with Israel." State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday, "Based on what we know now, we intend to work with this government. We will continue to evaluate the policies of the new government, and if needed, we will recalibrate our approach." Psaki also said the Obama administration has no intention of cutting off aid to the PA, which amounts to roughly $500 million a year. (Jerusalem Post)

NETANYAHU SAYS ABBAS CHOSE TERROR NOT PEACE: In response to the formation of the new Palestinian unity government, the Israeli security Cabinet held an urgent meeting Monday. After a 2 1/2-hour discussion, the Cabinet unanimously agreed "to not negotiate with a Palestinian government that relies on Hamas, a terrorist organization which calls for the destruction of Israel." It also authorize PM Netanyahu to impose additional sanctions on the PA and "to hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for all actions that harm the security of Israel," if they originate in Judea & Samaria or the Gaza Strip. In an official statement, Monday, PM Netanyahu said “Abbas said 'yes' to terror, not peace. It is the direct continuation of Abbas' policy to refuse peace, while Israel has made courageous and painful steps for the political process and remains committed to peace.” (Arutz-7)

NETANYAHU CONDEMNS EUROPE ON STANCE FAVORING FATAH-HAMAS UNITY: PM Netanyahu sharply criticized European countries for their positive position regarding the unity government between the Fatah and the Hamas movements. "Islamic terror is raising its head in Europe, and the latest horrible manifestation of this was the abominable murder in the Jewish museum in Brussels," Netanyahu said. "And I find it strange that governments in Europe that harshly condemn this murder, also speak in friendly tones about a unity government with Hamas, a terror group that carries out and praises such crimes. I think the policy must be against terror, against the partnership of terror groups in the diplomatic process," he stressed, "because this thing does not strengthen peace; it strengthens terror." Mere days ago, even as Israel suspended the peace talks with the Palestinian Authority after it signed a unity agreement with Hamas, the European Union (EU) saw fit to praise the alliance. "The EU has consistently called for intra-Palestinian reconciliation,” said EU spokesperson Michael Mann, warmly welcoming the PA and Hamas unity deal. Additionally, the United Nations said Tuesday it will work with the new Palestinian unity government, joining in the ranks of the US, the EU and China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said internal reconciliation would be conducive to peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. (Israel National News)

HAMAS ARMS PROGRAM SPEEDING AHEAD: The prospect of reunified Palestinian rule in Judea and Samaria puts Israel on edge. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis live in the territory, and its hilly ridges overlook Tel Aviv as well as Israel’s main international airport, which lies just four miles outside areas of Palestinian rule. Meanwhile, Hamas' weapons production program in Gaza is moving ahead at full speed, with local rocket production centers churning out thousands of projectiles, according to Israeli security evaluations. At the same time, foreign trainers, from places like the battlefields of Syria, have arrived in Gaza to share their military expertise with Hamas. Hamas' fighting divisions are made up of some 16,000 gunmen, while Islamic Jihad has built up a fighting force of 5,000 armed men, with the aid of Iranian funds and training. There are also 4,000 members of the smaller Gazan terror groups, each armed with their own mini-arsenals of rockets. (Jerusalem Post)

PALESTINIAN GUNMEN KILLED AFTER OPENING FIRE ON ISRAELI TROOPS: Security forces killed a Palestinian gunman who opened fire on Israeli troops and wounded a Border Policeman late Monday at Tapuah junction, days after Israeli forces at the same site thwarted an attempted terror attack. Border Police troops

returned fire, killing the perpetrator in response to the attack at the military post. (Jerusalem Post) Averted terrorist attacks are answers to prayer. Please continue to intercede that all intended terrorist attacks against Israel will be exposed and prevented. Pray for the alertness and protections of Israel’s security and military personnel.

JNN News Update June 2nd 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

ISLAMIST MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL SERVING AS FRONT FOR HAMAS ACTIVITIES AT TEMPLE MOUNT: The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced Thursday that a senior Hamas operative, who was arrested at the Allenby Bridge last month, revealed during his interrogation that Hamas uses the Islamic Movement in Israel as a front to advance its activities in Jerusalem. The operative, Mahmoud Toama, is a member of Hamas' General Shura Council, headed by Khaled Mashaal, which is the body responsible for making all of the organization's policy decisions in all fields, including military decisions. Toama said Hamas pays Arab youths a permanent salary of $1,150-$1,440 each month to remain constantly on the Temple Mount and throw stones in order to prevent Jewish pilgrimage to the holy site. The Shin Bet stated that in recent months there has been a rise in violent activity at the Temple Mount, in some cases causing police to close entrance to the holy site to Jewish visitors. Toama also told his Shin Bet interrogators about the connections between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. He said eight representatives of the international Muslim Brotherhood sit on Hamas's Shura Council, which sets the group's policy and manages its activities. (Jerusalem Post)

THE WORLD FROM HERE: AFTER BRUSSELS: ASSAULTING THE ANTISEMITISM TERROR NEXUS: Shortly after the recent terror attack at Belgium’s Jewish Museum that killed four people, Belgian officials were quick to brand the terror attack as “antisemitic” and fueled by a “climate of hatred.” ADL’s Abe Foxman noted, “The rise in Europe of openly antisemitic political parties the proliferation of clearly antisemitic expressions on social media platforms and the disturbingly high levels of antisemitic attitudes in many places in Europe contribute to a witches’ brew of hate.” The incessant boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns and related incitement against the existence of the nation state of the Jewish people that are fueled by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, Gaza’s Hamas leadership, Palestinian NGO groups and their supporters across Europe and the US have contributed to an atmosphere of revulsion and rejection of both the Jewish state and Jews in the Diaspora. The nexus of antisemitism and terror must be aggressively confronted. Israel, its allies, Jewish organizations and civil rights groups in Europe and the United States should step up the fight against these antisemitic delegitimization campaigns and confront BDS groups with the same zero-tolerance approach with which they hunt down the terrorists who just murdered four civilians in the Jewish Museum in Brussels. The writer, Dan Diker, is a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya. (Jerusalem Post)

JEWISH CEMETERY IN GREECE DESECRATED: Vandals attacked the Jewish cemetery of the Greek city of Thessaloniki, whose Jewish population was nearly wiped out during World War II, local authorities said on Friday. Marble ornaments were smashed off 12 graves, while vandals also tried to remove the tombs' heavy marble covers. A caretaker discovered the tragic spectacle early Thursday. About 96% of Thessaloniki's 50,000 Jews were murdered in Nazi camps during World War II. Six decades later, antisemitism is still very much alive in Greece, where the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has been steadily gaining ground. Greece's Jewish community expressed alarm following the election of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party to parliament and warned their fellow citizens to oppose the return of fascism. (Arutz-7)

SUDANESE WOMAN SENTENCED TO DIE FOR CHRISTIAN FAITH TO BE FREED: The Sudanese woman sentenced to death earlier this month after refusing to renounce her Christian faith will reportedly be freed in the next few days. A foreign ministry official told media sources that Meriam Ibrahim, 27, is guaranteed religious freedom in the country, despite a judge's earlier ruling that she should be hanged for apostasy. She gave birth to a girl early Tuesday at a prison clinic. Ibrahim married to a Christian man with US citizenship, has been sentenced to hang for apostasy. International outrage against Ibrahim’s sentence has grown significantly in recent weeks, as more than a million people signed online petitions protesting the sentence. Amnesty International officials have characterized the punishment doled out by a judge to be a “flagrant breach” of international human rights law. US Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House congressional panel tha t oversees US policy in Africa, has called on the African nation to reverse Ibrahim’s sentence immediately. “The refusal of the government of Sudan to allow religious freedom was one of the reasons for Sudan’s long civil war,” Smith said in a statement. (Fox News) Continue to intercede for the soon release of Meriam Ibrahim and her children who

are in prison with her. As sources have pointed out, “For every Meriam there are thousands more we do not hear about.” Pray for all those who suffer for their faith in brutal Islamist regimes.

JNN News Update May 31st 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

IDF FORCES PREVENT SUICIDE BOMBING: Border Police forces prevented a terrorist attack Friday morning. Security officials noticed a Palestinian man wearing a suspiciously heavy coat, despite the heat, walking toward the Tapuah Junction in the northern Shomron region. The forces apprehended the man and found 12 pipe bombs strapped to his body. The bomb disposal unit was brought to the scene and neutralized the explosive. (Israel Defense Forces) This is another answer to prayer. Please continue to pray that Israel's military, intelligence and security officials will be alert and aware to prevent terrorist attacks at all times.

THOUSANDS CELEBRATE JERUSALEM DAY IN STREETS OF CAPITAL: Annual Jerusalem Day celebrations, began Tuesday night in Israel's capital through a series of events featuring top Israeli musicians and various performances. This year marks the 47th year since the unification of the 3,000-year-old capital of the Jewish people, which occurred in the 1967 Six Day War. Amid a specter of countless waving Israeli flags, music and uninhibited singing and dancing, a sea of young Jews reveled in the streets of Jerusalem Wednesday night to celebrate the anniversary of the reunification of their city. Indeed, Jaffa Road, one of the capital’s main thoroughfares, was transformed into an elongated street party as far as the eye could see, as thousands of Israelis joyously gathered to celebrate the 47th Jerusalem Day. “I came out especially for today because it is a very special day for the Jewish nation,” said Avital Roth from Beersheba. Her friend Atara Yesharim , who visited the city from Ein Tzurim, near Ashkelon said “Today is important because Jerusalem is sacred and holy and it feels like everyone is united. It is today that we got back Jerusalem, and it’s the center of everything that’s supposed to be in our lives.” (Jerusalem Post)

NETANYAHU PROMISES ‘JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DIVIDED’: PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat spoke at the special Jerusalem Day ceremony Wednesday, honoring 47 years since the reunification of the Holy City. "Jerusalem was unified 47 years ago and it will never again be divided," Netanyahu said. "Since that day, Jerusalem has developed; it is prosperous and flourishing." Netanyahu added that it was vital to keep focused on Jerusalem's future - despite international and leftist pressure to undermine its importance. "We are committed to a rebuilt, greater and developing Jerusalem as a historical mandate of the Jewish People." Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barkat, placed an emphasis on the unique role of the city in Jewish and Israeli identity. "The first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, said that 'if there is a soul to Israel - Jerusalem is the soul of Israel,'" Barkat noted. "Jerusalem has become once again, in recent years, not only Israel's soul - but Israel's beating heart." (Arutz-7)

MUSLIM VIOLENCE MARS JERUSALEM DAY: Muslim Arabs marked Jerusalem Day on Wednesday by violently attacking Jews throughout the capital’s Old City. The violence began atop the Temple Mount, where a mob of Arab youth heckled Jewish visitors and hurled stones at Israeli police, injuring one officer. As more security forces entered the compound, the perpetrators barricaded themselves inside the Al Aqsa Mosque, from where they continued to hurl stones and firecrackers. Police quickly closed the holy site to all Jews and Christians for fear of further Muslim violence. Nearby, another gang of Arab youth attacked Jewish high school students who were visiting from the Golan Heights to celebrate Jerusalem Day. As the group of students passed through the Old City, they were suddenly attacked with stones and tear gas. No serious injuries were reported. (Israel Today)

EGYPT’S SISI WINS PRESIDENCY WITH OVERWHELMING MAJORITY: Egypt’s former army chief, Abdein Fattah Al- Sisi, has won the Egyptian presidential seat in a major election victory this week. Exit polls indicate Sisi won 95.3% of the vote, while opponent Hamdeen Sabahy garnered only 4.7%. Final results of the voting are expected to be announced this weekend. Sisi had been expected to win the election with an overwhelming majority. Sisi gained favor among Egyptians after he ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi last July. (Israel National News)

ISRAEL RESCUES UKRAINIAN JEWS STRANDED BY FIGHTING: Israel's Jewish Agency came to the rescue of two Jewish Ukrainian families after rebels seized control of Donetsk airport as they were waiting to immigrate to Israel, an agency spokesman said Tuesday. The two families, numbering six people, were stranded at the airport when it was shut down on Monday. The agency then launched a fast-paced operation. The families

were driven to the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk then flown to Kiev where they boarded a plane for Tel Aviv. Jewish immigration from Ukraine has more than doubled since the start of the year over 2013 figures. The agency is preparing to help facilitate the departure of more families from Donetsk should the hostilities there continue. An estimated 11,000 Jews live in Donetsk – many of who now are in constant fear according to local rabbis - and about 130,000 in all of Ukraine. An Israeli immigration official said some recent newcomers from Ukraine to Israel had flown in initially as tourists then asked for citizenship. Israeli law offers citizenship to any Jews who apply for it. (Jerusalem Post) Pray for many more Jews to come to Israel from Ukraine. “We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” Ps 66:12

JNN News Update May 28th 2014, P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

POPE TAKES OFF AFTER WHIRLWIND MIDEAST TOUR: Pope Francis wrapped up his trip to the Middle East on Monday with a departure ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport. The pontiff visited Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories during his three-day tour. Francis visited the Kotel and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Tuesday, making an unscheduled stop at a memorial for the victims of terror at the request of Netanyahu. The impromptu visit to the monument appeared to be an attempt to appease his Israeli hosts following the surprise stop at the concrete barrier, daubed with anti-Israeli graffiti, which separates Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Earlier in the day, the Roman Catholic leader met with PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. Francis praised Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for his efforts to solve the conflict. Urging both sides to work together to find a resolution, the pope expressed his hope that "the pain of those afflicted by conflict in Mideast will soon be eased." Israel said goodbye to the pontiff with a ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport. "We pray for you, you pray for us," Netanyahu told the pontiff moments before he boarded an El Al flight back to the Vatican. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet)

WHAT THE POPE SAID AND DIDN’T SAY: Upon arrival to Israel on Sunday, Pope Francis gave a short speech, as did his Israeli hosts, President Shimon Peres and PM Netanyahu. There was genuine warmth but their concise speeches also revealed the ongoing profound differences between Israel and the Vatican. Netanyahu opened up with the words: "Welcome to our land, the Land of Israel, the Holy Land." Pope Francis opened up with: "Thank you most heartily for your welcome to the State of Israel." Netanyahu's speech continued: "I welcome the good relations between the Holy See and the Jewish people and Jewish state." The Pope's next line went: "I greet all the people of Israel with prayerful good wishes." The Pope announced that "in the footsteps of my predecessors, I have come as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, rich in history and home to the principal events in the origin and growth of the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam." Netanyahu said of the land in question: "We regained our independence in our ancestral homeland, to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem." Those who listened carefully to the Pope couldn't miss the point that his holiness didn't once refer to Israel as a Jewish state; and by continuously calling Israel "the Holy Land" he reinforced the Vatican's traditional position that refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This is even more disturbing in light of the Pope's speech in Bethlehem earlier in the day, in which he framed his presence not as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but as an official visit to "the State of Palestine." The Pope chose to emphasize that the Holy Land is the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In doing so he erred on two accounts: As of yet there is not a Palestinian state, and Islam did not originate in the Holy Land. The truth is the only place in the Bible where the Land of Israel is referred to as the "holy land" is found in Zechariah 2, where God fulfills His promise to the people of Israel, through which all those faithful to God will be blessed as well. In other words, if there is to be peace, Israel as a Jewish state must exist. Peace will come when the people of the world, including the Jewish people, will submit themselves to the God of Israel, who is never once biblically referred to as the God of the Holy Land. (Israel Today/Tsvi Sadan)

NETANYAHU: SECURITY BARRIER SAVES LIVES, ANTI-ISRAEL INCITEMENT MAKES IT NECESSARY: Pope Francis' reference to "the State of Palestine" in his speech Sunday morning in Bethlehem, and his unscripted pause at Israel’s security barrier, left official Israel cold, and was seized upon by Palestinian leaders as deeply symbolic in recognizing their national demands. “Israel wouldn’t need the security barrier, if acts of incitement and terrorism against it stopped,” PM Netanyahu told Pope Francis on Monday in Jerusalem. “The security barrier has saved thousands of lives,” Netanyahu said, as he spoke of the structure that Israel began to build a decade ago in response to suicide bombings. To help Pope Francis understand why Israel built the barrier, Netanyahu brought the pontiff to the memorial for terror victims at the Mt. Herzl Military cemetery in Jerusalem. Here, the pontiff struck almost the same pose that he had at the security barrier in Bethlehem - his head bowed, his hand on the memorial. Netanyahu also brought the matter up in their brief public conversation. “If

incitement and terrorism against Israel would stop, Israel would not need the measures it has taken, such as building the security barrier,” Netanyahu said. “I long for the day when the state of Israel and the right of Jews to a state of their own, so they can live in peace and security, will be accepted by our neighbors,” Netanyahu said. “If this doesn’t bring peace on earth, it will at least bring peace to a portion of it.” (Arutz-7) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be secure.” Ps 122:6

SPANISH VILLAGE OF ‘KILL JEWS FORT’ VOTE IN FAVOR OF NAME CHANGE: The tiny Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios, or "Kill Jews Fort" in English, on Sunday voted in favor of changing its name, Spanish media reported, as it cast off a vestige of Roman Catholic religious persecution from over 400 years ago. The campaign to re-baptize the village, led by Mayor Lorenzo Rodriguez, had thrust its 56 mostly elderly inhabitants into the media spotlight in recent weeks, as its controversial name sparked headlines worldwide. The motion to change the village's name had received 29 votes in favor, while 19 people had gone against it. Others did not participate in the referendum. A majority backed the new name of Castrillo Mota de Judios, or Hill of Jews according to media sources. That is similar to the village's original name from before the Spanish Inquisition, based on historical documents. (Jerusalem Post)

NEO-NAZI VICTORIES IN EU ELECTIONS CAUSE CONCERN IN GLOBAL JEWISH COMMUNITIES: Results of European parliamentary elections, whose final tallies were announced Monday night, showed significant growth for far-right political parties in countries like France, Britain, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Greece, inspiring out-spoken concern among Jewish communities world-wide. Dieter Graumann, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the extremist parties performed "shockingly well" in Sunday's European parliamentary vote. He pointed to France, Hungary and Greece, saying in a statement: "Right-wing MPs are now coming into the European Parliament from all over Europe in order to implement their anti-European and extremist course." Graumann also described as "intolerable" the winning of one seat in the European Parliament by the extremist National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), which faces a bid to ban it. A few of the extremist winners such as the NPD are self-proclaimed neo-Nazis and have gained significant reputations for antisemitic rhetoric. Another such party is Greece's Golden Dawn which gained three seats in the EU's parliament for the first time in history. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a statement stating concern over the elections in which Golden Dawn won 10% of the vote in Greece and the National Front in France, won almost 25%. "There is no doubt that political extremism is on the rise in Europe, and along with it antisemitism is rising as well," said Abraham Foxman, the ADL's National Director. "The success of extremist political parties, both on the far-right and far-left, has never been good for democracy or for Jews and other minorities. The continuing trend in Europe toward support for these parties is cause for heightened concern." (Ynet)

REV. GRAHAM: ‘CHRISTIANS ARE UNDER ATTACK BY ISLAM’: Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham and head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has strongly warned that "Christians are under attack by Islam." Speaking in Washington, DC days ago, Rev. Graham said, “The church around the world is under attack. Christians are under attack by Islam. They keep using this word ‘radical.’ It’s not radical, it’s just what it is. Let’s stand up for our brothers and sisters in faith around the world who are being persecuted for their faith,” he said. “Because if we don’t stand up for them, there’s no other voice for them. There’s no other voice.” (CNS)“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Heb 13:3

FIRST GROUP OF 250 MEMBERS OF ‘LOST TRIBE’ ARRIVE IN ISRAEL: A group of 40 Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh) made Aliyah days ago from India, the first batch out of a total of 250 immigrants from the Lost Tribe that are slated to arrive over the coming months. The immigrants, who hail from the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, were brought to Israel by Shavei Israel, which received permission from the Israeli government last October to bring 900 Bnei Menashe to the Jewish state by 2015. The Bnei Menashe are descendants of the tribe of or Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel which were exiled by the Assyrian empire after the death of King Solomon more than 2,700 years ago. (Arutz-7) “The Lord has established Zion, and in her His afflicted people will find refuge.” Isa 14:32

JNN News Update May 26th 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

FOUR DEAD IN SHOOTING AT JEWISH MUSEUM IN BRUSSELS – ISRAELI COUPLE AMONG THOSE KILLED: Four people died in a shooting incident Saturday at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels.

Two of the four fatalities were an Israeli couple in their 50's from Tel Aviv, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Sunday. Police have no suspects in custody. The gunman arrived at the museum at around 15:50 carrying a backpack, entered the building then opened fire before fleeing in a car. The shooter aimed for the victims’ throats and heads, according to witnesses. Belgian authorities believe the attack was motivated by antisemitism. Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said the four victims had been caught up in a terrorist act. "It's clearly extremely serious," he was quoted as saying, "and on the Jewish Museum too, which isn't a coincidence. The museum is located in a bustling area of the Belgian capital. About half of Belgium's 42,000-strong Jewish community lives in Brussels. Security around all Jewish institutions in the country has been raised to the highest level, and PM Elio Di Rupo was meeting with police and senior officials to discuss the situation. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet) Pray for the comforting of families who lost loved ones in this brutal attack. Pray also for the protection of Brussels’ Jewish community against further antisemitic violence - and for the terrorist murderers still at large to be apprehended and brought to justice.

NETANYAHU SLAMS BRUSSELS SHOOTING AS RESULT OF HATEFUL INCITEMENT: PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the shooting at the Brussels Jewish Museum Saturday which left four people dead, saying it was the result of "of endless incitement against Jews and their state." Similar claims were made by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu said "slander and lies against the State of Israel continue to be heard on European soil even as the crimes against humanity and acts of murder being perpetrated in our region are systematically ignored. Our response to this hypocrisy is to constantly state the truth, continue a relentless fight against terrorism and build our strength." Several hundred people, including representatives of France’s Jewish community and politicians, gathered Sunday evening in Paris to honor the victims of the shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, and express their anger at growing violence towards Jews in Europe (Ynet)

PARIS: JEWS STABBED HOURS AFTER BRUSSELS ATTACK: Two Jewish men were attacked outside Paris Saturday night, the French Interior Ministry announced Sunday, as they were leaving a Creteil synagogue. According to the Ministry, the incident occurred around 8:30 at night. The two brothers, aged 21 and 18, both wearing kippot, were severely beaten with brass knuckles by two unknown men, who then fled, one on foot and the second on a bicycle. Both victims were hospitalized with severe injuries, but are expected to recover. Police throughout France were ordered to increase security at Jewish houses of worship and other Jewish establishments. The Ministry condemned the attack with "utmost severity." The men were attacked just hours after a gunman entered Brussels' Jewish Museum Saturday and began shooting, killing four people - including two Israelis. (Jerusalem Post/INN) Pray for the quick recovery of these two young men. Continue to pray for the safety of the French Jewish community that is suffering spiraling antisemitic violence and abuse. With 500,000 Jews, France is home to the third largest Jewish community in the world.

SHARANSKY: WE WILL HELP EUROPEAN JEWS DEFEND THEMSELVES: Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky on Sunday expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels. “I am deeply distressed by yesterday's horrifying attacks against Jewish targets in Brussels and Paris,” said Sharansky. “We at The Jewish Agency for Israel are investing considerable sums in helping Jewish communities across Europe—including in Belgium and France—provide for their physical security. However, despite the assistance the Jewish Agency is prepared to render, “nothing will help so long as Europe's political and intellectual leadership refrains from declaring all-out war against the demonization of the Jewish state,” Sharansky said. “When Israel is continually singled out for condemnation and scorn the message to those seeking a pretext to harm Jews is clear.” (Israel National News)

POLL: ARCH TERRORIST BARGHOUTI WOULD BE FAVORITE CANDIDATE FOR PA: A public opinion poll released Thursday showed that jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti would be the favorite candidate for Palestinian Authority president. The poll was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion [PCPO] and covered 1015 Palestinians. PCPO president Nabil Kukali said the overwhelming majority of the Palestinian public believes Barghouti, who is serving five life terms in prison, would be the most favourite runner for the next presidential elections. 'It's time that Mr. Barghouti should be released from prison to give him the opportunity to contest the elections," he said. According to the poll, 33% of respondents said they would vote for Barghouti as opposed to 29% for PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The poll also showed that Barghouti is more popular than Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh. Nearly 50% of respondents said they would cast their ballots for Barghouti, while Haniyeh got only 16%. The poll showed that a majority of Palestinians would also vote for Barghouti's Fatah faction 39%. Hamas would get only 15% of the votes. (Jerusalem Post) A Tel Aviv judge convicted former Fatah terrorist commander Marwan Barghouti, on May 20, 2004, of murder for his involvement in three terrorist attacks in Israel that killed five people. He was acquitted for 33 other murders due to lack of

evidence of his direct involvement in those crimes. When arrested in 2002, he headed Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. After he was imprisoned, he was re-elected member of the PA parliament. Such are the men Palestinians glorify as their heroes.

RUSSIA MULLING DEAL TO BUILD 8 NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR IRAN: Russia plans to sign a contract with Iran this year to build two more nuclear reactors at its Bushehr power plant as part of a broader deal for up to eight reactors in the Islamic state, a source close to the negotiations said Thursday. It was not clear how this might affect six global powers' talks with Iran addressing disputed aspects of its nuclear program. Iran has resisted demands for cuts in its uranium enrichment capacity, pointing to plans for a future network of nuclear power stations. Western powers want any lasting agreement with Iran to put to rest suspicions that it could develop nuclear weapons-making ability through enrichment. The talks ended last week with little progress; they are to resume in Vienna in June. (Jerusalem Post)

IRAN: PASTOR BEATEN, SENT BACK TO PRISON: Saeed Abedini, a US pastor who has been imprisoned for his faith, was severely beaten at an Iranian hospital, forcibly removed, and returned to the brutal Rajai Shahr prison. His family claims the transfer was unexpected and the reason unclear. But one of the guards involved in the transfer suggested recent Iranian nuclear talks could be a motive, the family said. "This is an extremely disappointing development - one that breaks my heart," Naghmeh Abedini, Pastor Saeed's wife, said. "Our family is deeply saddened and we continue to pray for Saeed - for his safety and his release. We are very grateful so many people around the world continue to pray for Saeed," she added. In March, Pastor Saeed experienced similar treatment. He was transferred to the same hospital in shackles and beaten by guards. Abedini was then denied medical treatment and visits from relatives. His forcible return to prison comes as efforts continue around the world to secure his release. (Foreign Affairs Committee) Intercede for the safety and release of Pastor Saeed. May he be comforted and encouraged along with his family.

JNN News Update May 23rd 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

SYRIAN AL-QAEDA REACH FOOTHILLS OF ISRAELI GOLAN: Last month, Syrian Islamist fighters of the Nusra Front captured the hill of Tel Ahmar, just a few kilometers from Israeli forces on the Golan Heights. There, they hoisted the al-Qaeda flag and praised their mentor Osama bin Laden. Nearly 2,000 Nusra Front fighters operate in the area, manning dozens of checkpoints across the Hauran Plain, from the Golan Heights frontier in the west to Deraa in the east. "These Islamist groups have become the main actors on the ground. The Free Syrian Army has disintegrated," said former Jordanian army general and military analyst Fayez Dwairi. Moderate rebels say they are losing ground because of Western reluctance to provide anti-aircraft weapons that could curb Assad's devastating air strikes. In contrast, financial support from private funders mainly in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar has enabled Nusra and hardline Islamist brigades to recruit more young men and tap into anger at perceived betrayal by the West and regional powers. The leader of a Syrian rebel group said in an interview published days ago that he is seeking "the return of all Syrian land occupied by Israel," referring to the Golan Heights. (Reuters) Bashar Assad’s regime and all rebel groups fighting against it hate the Jewish state and aspire to its destruction. Pray for wisdom and alertness for all those involved in making Israel’s military decisions and protection for all communities on the northern borders.

ISLAMIC EXTREMISM ON THE RISE IN JORDON: So many weapons are coming into Jordan through the Syrian border that the price of a Kalashnikov rifle has fallen to less than $500. Two years ago, a Kalashnikov cost $2,000. Convoys cross the border to Jordan from near Daraa in Syria loaded with large quantities of weapons of all types. Sunni Islamist fundamentalists are behind these operations. Since April 23, Jordanian Maan province has seen a complete security breakdown and serious armed unrest. The events began with the killing of a fundamentalist by the state's security forces as they were trying to arrest him. Local people closed roads and attacked government buildings and centers, both civilian and military. (Al-Monitor) Israel borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt on the southwest. Pray against advancing Islamist extremism in Jordan and for the safety of Israel’s borders – all of which are shared by hostile Islamic nations or terrorist entities.

MACCABI TEL AVIV ‘SHOCKED’ AT ANTISEMETIC TWEETSTORM: Maccabi Tel Aviv released an official response Wednesday to the torrent of antisemitic tweets aimed at their Sunday Euroleague victory, saying the team is "shocked" and "disappointed" at the stream of hate expressed in its aftermath. Maccabi Tel Aviv Manager Danny Federman noted the sick irony of the antisemitism which has emerged following the victory, as

the team's colors were chosen to reflect solidarity with Jews persecuted during the Holocaust. “Our trademark yellow was adopted by the club in the 1940’s as a sign of solidarity with the Jews of Europe who were persecuted by the Nazis and forced to wear a yellow star," Federman stated. Many spiteful messages on the micro-blogging platform referred to Hitler and the Nazi treatment of the Jews during the Holocaust: “Now I understand Hitler and his hate for the Jews,” wrote one angry Twitter user. “They should all be killed in an oven,” read another post. The Euroleague was quick to release a statement decrying the antisemitic comments. Jewish associations in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia plan to file a legal complaint after recording nearly 18,000 offensive messages posted after the game on the social networking site by supporters of the Spanish side. Maccabi Tel Aviv President Shimon Mizrahi said, “Maccabi Tel Aviv takes great pride in its role as global ambassadors for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. The hateful remarks we have seen this week, and the subsequent global condemnation of them, serve both as a reminder of how far we have come in the fight against ignorance and racism, and how far we still must go.” (Jerusalem Post/Arutz-7)

TURKISH PAPER ATTACKS JEWS OVER MINING DISASTER: A major Turkish newspaper has come under fire for an antisemitic front-page story which implied that "Jews" were to blame for March 13's fatal Soma mining disaster. Yenit Akit published a bizarre story attacking the head of the Soma Coal Mine Company for having a Jewish son-in-law. The paper, which is aligned with Erdogan's Islamist AKP party, explicitly targeted Alp Gürkan for "giving his daughter to a Jew," and claimed that was the main reason why foreign media outlets were "attacking Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan." The story provoked a backlash on social media, with users calling on Erdogan's government to condemn the blatant display of antisemitism. At least 301 people were killed in the disaster, the worse industrial accident in Turkey's history. Several arrests have been made over negligence at the site, but angry protests have also broken out blaming the government for neglecting to enforce safety regulations nationwide. The demonstrations have clearly rattled Erdogan's administration; the PM physically assaulted a protester whilst shouting an anti-Israel slur as he was confronted at a recent rally. That, despite the Jewish state's immediate offer of assistance to help in search and rescue efforts. Just one day earlier, one of Erdogan's close aids provoked uproar after a photo showed him kicking a demonstrator who was being restrained by police. (Arutz-7)

WHAT IS FATAH? Fatah, a secularist group, was founded by Yasser Arafat and a handful of close comrades in the late 1950s to promote the armed struggle to liberate all Palestine from Israeli control. Arafat took over as chairman of the executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1969, a year that Fatah is reported to have carried out 2,432 terrorist attacks on Israel. Upon joining the PLO – a confederation of secular Palestinian parties – Fatah went from being a resistance group to a legitimate political party and the largest faction within the PLO.  As a result, Fatah is no longer considered a terrorist organization by the US, although it is associated with terrorist wings and responsible - along with them - for inciting violence against Israel. As stated by leading news commentator, Robert Spencer, there is little if any difference between the two Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas. Both share the same Islamic outlook towards Israel that makes peaceful coexistence with the Jewish State impossible. Both believe that no state ruled by non-Muslims on what they consider Muslim land has any legitimacy; there are no theological differences between them, but only relatively minor differences of strategy and of strictness in their observance of Islamic law that mainly arise from Fatah’s origins in Sixties-era socialism as opposed to Hamas’ birth as an explicitly Islamic movement. Fatah is also more inclined to be patient, while Hamas is significantly less so. Fatah is willing to make deals with the “Infidels” (Israel) as stepping stones to greater progress toward the ultimate goal of destroying the Jewish state. Hamas tends to see such deals as trimming, and prefers not to compromise even temporarily. (Compiled by JNN editors)

CHINA BUYS ISRAELI FOOD CONGLOMERATE TNUVA: The Chinese government's Bright Food Group, China's second-largest food company, bought a controlling stake in Israeli dairy conglomerate Tnuva on Wednesday for $2.5 billion. Tnuva, which controls more than 70% of the dairy market in Israel, started out 80 years ago as a cooperative owned by kibbutz dairy farmers. (Times of Israel)

JNN News Update May 21st 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

DEATH TOLL IN SYRIA’S WAR TOPS 160,000: The number of people who have died in the Syrian conflict so far has exceeded 160,000, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday. The group has documented 162,402 deaths since the fighting started in 2011. The figure includes civilians, rebels and members of the Syrian military. It also includes militiamen fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces, as well as foreign fighters battling with the rebels for Assad's ouster. The grim tally, however, only presents one

facet of the tremendous suffering Syrians have endured since the revolt against Assad erupted in March 2011. The crisis has also uprooted some 6.5 million people from their homes, forced 2.7 million to flee the country, laid waste to cities and towns alike, and unleashed sectarian hatreds that have rippled across the region. (Ha’aretz)

ASSAD REGIME WITHHOLDING SARIN PRECURSOR CHEMICALS, PROTECTING 12 CHEMICAL WEAPONS FACILITIES: The Assad regime is withholding 27 tons of sarin precursor chemicals as "leverage," in an ongoing argument with the West about the fate of its chemical manufacturing and storage plants.  According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), "12 chemical weapons production facilities declared by Syria remain structurally intact" and "the Assad regime has delayed the operation to eliminate these facilities at every opportunity." Nor are these facilities in rebel-held hot zones: they're fully under the control of Damascus in the network of tunnels and buildings which the regime built to conceal its chemical weapons program in the first place. (Washington Post) 

EGYPT JAILS MORE THAN 160 BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS: Egypt is continuing its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, and on Sunday a local court jailed more than 160 supporters of the Islamist movement to up to 15 years in prison. The security forces have detained thousands of Brotherhood supporters since the military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi last July following mass protests against his rule. Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters have been sentenced in mass trials since Morsi was ousted, including 79 who last week were given jail terms of between five and 10 years over their involvement in deadly clashes. Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie was among 683 people sentenced to death last month. (Israel National News)

BOKO HARAM TERRORIST: ‘IT’S ACCEPTABLE TO FIRE ON CHILDREN’: A member of Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, responsible for the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls, tried to justify the targeting of children and warned of more kidnappings in an interview with CBS News. "You see the enemies among the children, it's acceptable to fire on all of them. You cannot differentiate the children," Saleh Abubakar told media sources. Abubakar was brazen enough to walk through heavy security and police cordons to speak to CBS News. Boko Haram reportedly moves freely around the country and is integrated into many levels of society. He claimed to have seen the abducted girls three weeks ago and said they are fine. When asked about reports of the girls being sick and requiring medical attention, Abubakar denied them. He said nothing will happen to the girls as long as the government releases Boko Haram fighters being held in Nigerian jails. The Nigerian Government said Boko Haram is linked to al Qaeda, but Abubakar would not confirm if al Qaeda funds their terrorist group. "No, no, I am not going to tell you anything about this, but they are my brothers in Islam. Even in America, we have brothers," Abubakar said. Sources say the government and Boko Haram are still trying to hash out a deal, but for the parents of the girls this will be of little comfort, as their children have been missing for five weeks now. (CBS) Intercede diligently for the safety and release of these young girls.  Pray for the comforting of their families, and for the dismantling of this brutal terrorist group. Pray against more kidnappings.

SURVEY: 74% OF FRENCH JEWS MULLING EMIGRATION: Nearly 75 percent of French Jews are considering emigrating. The survey, whose results were released by the Siona organization of Sephardic French Jews, encompassed 3,833 respondents from the Jewish community of France. Of the 74.2% of respondents who said they are considering leaving, 29.9 percent cited antisemitism. Another 24.4% said they desired to “preserve their Judaism,” while 12.4% said they were attracted by other countries. “Economic considerations” was cited by 7.5% of the respondents. In total, 95.2% of all respondents said they viewed antisemitism as “very worrisome” or “worrisome.” Asked whether they had personally experienced antisemitic incidents in the past two years, 14.5% replied in the affirmative. Ninety-three percent said the French state had no efficient means for countering “I slamic exclusionist and pro-Palestinian propaganda,” whereas 93.4% said French mass media are partially responsible for France’s antisemitism problem. (JTA)

MACCABI TEL AVIV WINS EUROLEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: The Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team on Sunday evening won the Euroleague championship game in Milan after defeating Real Madrid by a score of 98-86. Following the win, thousands came out to celebrate both on the streets of Tel Aviv and Milan. President Shimon Peres called Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt to congratulate him. “You demonstrated what determination is, as the entire team fought like tigers and lions.” Culture and Sport Minister Limor Livnat also congratulated Maccabi Tel Aviv over the victory. "Against all odds, but with endless faith, Maccabi Tel Aviv today made another big step in its illustrious history and has brought great honor to Israeli sports. Thank you for a magical and memorable evening,” she said. (Arutz-7)

JNN News Update May 19th 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

PA INCITEMENT BEHIND SOARING ANTISEMITISM, NETANYAHU SAYS: Official “incitement” by the Palestinian Authority stands behind a sky-high rate of antisemitism in PA controlled areas and Hamas controlled Gaza, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. His comments came several days after a survey by the Anti-Defamation League found 93 percent of people in the Palestinian territories harbor antisemitic attitudes, the highest rate in the world. “This is the result of the Palestinian Authority’s unceasing incitement, which distorts the image of the State of Israel and the Jewish People, as we have known in other places in our past,” Netanyahu said. The ADL’s global survey, released May 13, found that 26% of those polled - representing approximately 1.1 billion adults worldwide - harbor deeply antisemitic views. More than 53,000 people were surveyed in 102 countries and territories covering approximately 86% of the world’s population. (Times of Israel)

METHODS OF PA PROVOCATION AGAINST ISRAEL: A recent study of 150 new Palestinian Authority school textbooks released last month, revealed widespread delegitimization of Israel and continued calls to use violence against Jews. The investigation, conducted by the Near East Policy Research Center, found widespread demonization of Israel and calls for a violent struggle instead of peace. According to the textbooks, the Jews have no rights to Israel, including to Jewish holy sites. The name "Israel" appears less than a handful of times on maps and is usually replaced with Palestine, and areas inside pre-1967 Israel are described exclusively as Palestinian. In addition to the hatred of Israel rampant in PA school textbooks, are the issues of ongoing PA television broadcasts calling for destruction of the Jews in both children and adult programs, Holocaust Denial and the glorification of terrorist murderers as heroes. Taking a realistic view at what is at the heart of the Palestinian people and their leaders in terms of future peaceful co-existence with the Jewish state, one must examine what is being taught to the next generation. (Israel Today/JNN)

RISE IN TERROR ATTACKS AGAINST JEWS IN JERUSALEM: Jewish residents of Jerusalem suffered from 157 separate terror-related incidents in March, IDF Radio revealed Sunday, in a record upswing in attacks from Palestinian Arab terrorists. Terror attacks against Jewish Israelis have been on the rise in Jerusalem, which saw 150 incidents in February and 140 in January. On average, Palestinian Arabs attack a Jewish Israeli 2.5 times per day each month; the number of attacks per month has not dipped below 80 since November 2012. A Shin Bet study revealed in December that the rise in terror attacks across Israel is also linked with peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (Israel National News)

UN CONCERNED OVER VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE PA: The UN organization for women on Friday decried the rising rates of violence against women in the Palestinian Authority, after a woman was slain this week, raising the year's total so far to 14. UN Women in the PA controlled area said the organization is "seriously concerned" about the killing, highlighting that the "worrying increase in the rate of femicide, from 13 in 2012 to 28 in 2013, demonstrates a widespread sense of impunity in killing women." Much of the femicide in the PA, and elsewhere in the Arab world, is in the form of “honor killing,” when a woman is murdered by family members who believe she has brought shame or dishonor upon her family. Palestinian media occasionally reports the discoveries of women’s bodies in what are called “hazy circumstances” – a euphemism for “honor” killings. Names are concealed and the news is rarely followed up. Often, honor killings are carried out in secret - with only close family members knowing her fate. (Jerusalem Post)

PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS FLEE IRAN, FIND HOPE AND HOMES IN GERMANY: Iranian-born Muslims who converted to Christianity are breathing new spiritual life into communities across Germany, where they are fleeing to in increasing numbers to escape persecution back home. Men and women, who have been sentenced to the lash or worse for apostasy - converting from Islam - are forming a thriving community of Christian ex-pats in German cities and towns. “The growing number of Iranian Christians fleeing their homeland to come to Germany should alarm us that Iran's regime is getting more and more radicalized and repressive - on a daily basis,” said Saba Farzan, a German-Iranian expert on human rights. The number of Iranian Christians fleeing to Germany has grown to nearly 4,500 in 2012 from less than 1,000 four years earlier. Although Germany is not the only destination for Iranian Christians fleeing from persecution, its strong economy make it more desirable than other choices, such as The Netherlands, Sweden and Austria. (Fox News)

ISRAELI MEN HAVE WORLD’S FOURTH-HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY: Israeli males born in 2012 can expect, on average, to live slightly longer than 80 years, according to the WHO’s World Health Statistics 2014. That figure ranks behind only Iceland, Switzerland and Australia. Israeli women did not make the World

Health Statistics top 10 list, but a separate WHO data set shows Israeli women born in 2012 with a life expectancy of 84, equal to Portugal, which placed 10th on the list. Japanese women placed first, with an average life expectancy of 87. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country on either top 10 list. Most of the countries on both lists were European. The United States did not make either list. (Jerusalem Post)

JNN News Update May 17th 2014 P.O. Box 7411, Jerusalem 91073, Israel

UN: IRAN ADVANCING BALLISTIC MISSILE WORK: A new report by the UN Panel of Experts, which monitors compliance with the UN sanctions regime against Iran, said apart from holding off on test-firing one type of rocket, Iran shows no sign of putting the brakes on the expansion of its missile program. "Iran is continuing development of its ballistic missile and space programs," the experts said. "Analysis of Iran's ballistic missile program remains a challenge. With the exception of several launches, periodic displays of hardware and one recent revelation of a new ballistic launch facility, the program is opaque and not subject to the same level of transparency that Iran's nuclear activities are under IAEA safeguards." (Reuters)

MUSLIMS STONE, ATTACK CHRISTIANS AT CHURCH NEAR BETHLEHEM: Christian Arab residents of the village of El-Khader in the Bethlehem area were savagely attacked by local Muslims as they celebrated a Christian holiday last week. Christians attempting to participate in services at Saint George’s Monastery in the village were intimidated and attacked with rocks and stones. Author Lela Gilbert, author of Saturday People, Sunday People, reported the incident: “Some local Muslims tried to enter the church during a service honoring St. George - the initial instigation isn’t clear,” she wrote. “But when the intruders were asked to leave, one of them stabbed a Christian man who was outside the church serving as a guard. He was hospitalized. Several then started throwing stones at the church. Seven or eight Christians were injured and property damage was done - broken windows etc. The police didn’t show up for an hour.” Police did not comment, but according to Christian media analyst, Dexter Van Zile, “whatever police presence there was, it was insufficient to prevent an outbreak of violence, which resulted in several injuries including one broken nose. No matter how you look at it, the episode represents a failure on the part of the Palestinian Authority.” Van Zile added. (Camera/Israel National News)

ISLAMISTS’ DECADES-LONG GOAL: ‘FIRST THE SATURDAY PEOPLE, THEN THE SUNDAY PEOPLE’: Islamic terror groups have had a favourite taunt for several decades which says, first the Saturday people, then the Sunday people. This means of course, first the Jews then the Christians will be targets for terrorist persecution, subjection and elimination. Persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching epidemic proportions. In a recent Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, former Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, wrote that “As 800,000 Jews were once expelled from Arab countries, so are Christians being forced from lands they've inhabited for centuries” throughout the Middle East. Citing statistics, Oren wrote that Ramallah was 90% Christian before the 1948 War of Independence and Bethlehem was 80% Christian. Today Ramallah is a large Islamic city and Bethlehem’s Christians are near extinction. El Khader, which was the location of an attack against Christians participating in a church celebration days ago, and which is in the Gush Etzion region - is also a center of Muslim attacks on Jews. Cars traveling in the area are frequently attacked by Muslim youths throwing rocks and even firebombs. Rock attacks perpetrated by Arab terrorists have killed and maimed many people, including babies. (Arutz-7)

PREGNANT SUDANESE CHRISTIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR APOSTASY: A Muslim-by-birth Sudanese woman who married a Christian man was sentenced to death Thursday after she refused to recant her Christian faith, her lawyer said. Meriam Ibrahim, whose father was Muslim but her mother an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia, was convicted of "apostasy" on Sunday and given four days to repent and escape death. Ibrahim who has a 20-month-old son, Martin, who is being held in jail with her and is also eight months pregnant, was sentenced after that grace period expired. The sentence drew immediate condemnation from Amnesty International, which called it abhorrent. “The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of a different religion, is abhorrent and should never be even considered," Amnesty said. International Christian Concern regional manager William Stark said, “ICC f ears Meriam could be the first of many more Christians to suffer under an increasingly radicalized Sudanese government intent on enforcing Sharia [Islamic] law throughout the land.” (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post) Pray for a repealed sentence and immediate release of this brave young woman ready to die for her faith.

WOMAN ASSAULTED A JEWISH MOTHER AND HER BABY IN PARIS: In Tuesday’s incident, an assailant shook the stroller belonging to a 27-year-old mother while her six-month-old baby was inside, according to the National Bureau for Vigilance against Antisemitism, or BNVCA. The mother said the female attacker who looked to be around 50, shouted, “Dirty Jewess, enough with your children already, you Jews have too many children, screw you.” The woman continued to hurl insults at her in front of onlookers at the Faubourg bus stop in central Paris. BNVCA founder Sammy Ghozlan said the mother has filed a complaint and can identify her attacker. “We ask police to make all the efforts necessary to identify and arrest the attacker,” Ghozlan said. He added, “The antisemitism which persists despite all the measures taken is causing great distress to many Jewish citizens, who are contemplating their future in our country.” Meanwhile, new figures released by the Jewish Agency for Israel this week show French immigration to Israel has quadrupled in the first quarter of 2014. Ariel Kandel, head of the Jewish Agency’s French chapter, said the spiraling antisemitism in France is a major factor driving the increase in Jewish emigration there. (Ha’aretz)

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER YELLS ANTI-ISRAEL SLUR, ASSAULTS PROTESTER: Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan made media headlines Thursday, after he screamed an anti-Israel slur before sending his security forces to beat a protester. A Turkish citizen approached Erdogan and his security team as they visited Soma Thursday, in the wake of a catastrophic mining accident that killed nearly 300 people. Erdogan responded with antisemitic violence. "Why are you running away from me - Israeli sperm!" he shrieked, slapping the protester. The word "sperm" is seen as a particularly offensive insult in Turkish. Video footage also shows security forces beating the man. The incident came the same day one of Erdogan's advisers, was caught on camera kicking a protester in Soma. Erdogan's anti-Israel comments come despite the fact that Israel both offered condolences to Istanbul over the mining accident and offered to send a fully equipped Magen David Adom team to the disaster site - the only country to do so thus far. Concerns have been raised over growing antisemitism in Turkey, which locals blame on the power and influence of Islamist parties. (Arutz-7)