Saudis: Israel visit doesn’t reflect government stance
(JNS.org) The Saudi government distanced itself on Wednesday from a recent visit to Israel by a delegation of Saudi citizens, which included a former military general.
An unnamed Saudi Foreign Ministry official told the state-owned al-Hayat newspaper that the visit “does not reflect the views of the Saudi government,” the Associated Press reported.
Last week, a rare delegation of Saudis, headed by outspoken retired Saudi general Anwar Eshki, visited Israel. The delegation met with Israeli Foreign Ministry officials including Director-General Dore Gold at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. The group also met with opposition Knesset members and Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, head of the COGAT, the military body that coordinates Israeli activities in the West Bank and Gaza.
Eshki reportedly lead the delegation of “businessmen and academics” to promote the stalled Saudi-led 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, AFP reported.
Eshki and Gold had previously met last year at a Council on Foreign Relations conference in the United States.
*
Joint IDF, US Marines exercise focuses on war against Islamic State
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. Marine Corps recently completed a joint exercise in southern Israel, Channel 2 reported Thursday.
Noble Shirley 2016 was the latest in a series of routine bilateral training exercises seeking to improve collaboration and interoperability between the Israeli and American forces.
The live-fire training drill held last week involved the Marines’ Battalion Landing Team, 6th Marine Regiment and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which coordinated with Israeli ground, air and naval forces.
Special emphasis was placed on urban warfare and counterterrorism, Channel 2 said, adding that U.S. troops were utilizing IDF counterterrorism expertise in the war on Islamic State in the Middle East.
As part of the exercise, troops performed urban and tunnel warfare tasks, drilled helicopter landings behind enemy lines and simulated extractions under fire. Various tactical formations, including by military medical personnel, were also among the scenarios included in the exercise.
According to Channel 2, the drill also included a scenario in which Israel is subjected to Hezbollah and Iranian missile salvos, which sought to test real-time integration of Israeli and American missile defense systems. Israeli defense officials used American radar systems deployed across the Middle East, as well as a satellite system capable of alerting of missile launches across the globe.
Israel’s David’s Sling medium- to long-range missile defense system was also deployed as part of the exercise.
*
Israel authorizes transfer of aid into Syria
(JNS.org) The Israeli government has authorized the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syria for the first time since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.
“Israel finally agreed to allow in three types of aid: medical, educational, and food,”said Moti Kahana, an American-Israeli businessman and philanthropist who is leading the delivery project using his own money.
The aid is being transferred into Syria by having the supplies placed inside a “safe zone”in the Syrian town of town of Quneitra on the Israel border, Kahana said. The supplies include medical equipment so that Syrians can construct a field hospital and treat their wounded inside the country. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is securing the transfer of the supplies.
“Civilians are in a difficult situation and we want to help them and not wait for others,”said Druze Deputy Regional Cooperation Minister Ayoub Kara (Likud), according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Israeli decision comes as the Iranian news agency Fars reported that an an Iranian general has visited Quneitra. While his motives for visiting the town are not known, Arab media outlets are reporting his visit is the first time Iran has officially acknowledged that one of its chief officials has been near the Israeli-Syrian border, Yedioth Achronoth reported.
*
Pro-Israel African Christian delegation expresses solidarity in Jerusalem
(JNS.org) A delegation of African Christian leaders on Wednesday presented an award to Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, in Jerusalem on behalf of millions of Christian Africans who support Israel.
“As Prime Minister Netanyahu recently said, Israel is returning to Africa and Africa is returning to Israel . . . We want you to know that there are millions of people in Africa who love, support, and pray for Israel,” said South African Pastor Linda Gobodo, founder of the Vuka Africa Foundation.
Gobodo said they held the largest pro-Israel rally ever in Africa during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014.
Nigerian Pastor Olusegun Olanipekun, who is also the founder of the Institute for Christian Leadership Development, said he believes Africa’s future depends on their ties to Israel.
“We have a great deal to learn from the Israeli people and we believe that he have a great deal to offer in return. We look forward to returning to Israel with dozens of leaders from across Africa for the third Africa Leadership Summit in Jerusalem in 2017,” said Olanipekun.
Sharansky spoke to the delegation about his historic meeting with fellow political dissident, Nelson Mandela in 1990. He also mentioned the work The Jewish Agency does in Africa including Project TEN that sends young Jewish volunteers to serve in developing areas.
“That you, as spiritual leaders in Africa, have come to Jerusalem with an offering of peace is deeply moving. We need to pay more attention to the inspiring voices coming from Africa,” said Sharansky.
*
Articles from JNS.org appear on San Diego Jewish World through the generosity of Dr. Bob and Mao Shillman. Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)