Shin Bet uncovers Hezbollah attempts to recruit Palestinians on Facebook
(JNS.org) Several Palestinian terror cells in the Judea and Samaria region were recruited through Facebook by the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israelis, Israel’s security agency (Shin Bet) announced on Tuesday.
One of the groups in the Palestinian city, Qalqilya, was specifically instructed to carry out an attack on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Shin Bet discovered in cooperation with the IDF and Israeli police.
The leader of that terror cell, Mustafa Kamel Hindi, was recruited by Hezbollah via Facebook. He recruited four others men from Qalqilya and trained them in shooting and using explosives.
Additionally, other Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were also recruited by Hezbollah through Facebook to carry out suicide attacks. These cell members were arrested in June and indicted at the Military Court in Judea before the planned terror attack could be carried out.
Hezbollah also tried to recruit Arab Israelis through pro-Palestinian Facebook profiles, according to the Shin Bet.
Following Shin Bet’s announcement, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to officially designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization, Arutz Sheva reported.
“Hezbollah terrorists are working as representatives of the Iranian regime, threatening not only Israel, but stability in Syria, Lebanon and the entire region,” Danon said, adding that Hezbollah must know there are “serious repercussion” for any attack against Israelis.
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Israel, Pakistan, UAE join U.S. Air Force military exercises
(JNS.org) Israel, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates starting participated in joint aerial military exercises with the U.S. Air Force in Nevada on Monday.
While Pakistan and the UAE are both U.S. allies, Israel does not have formal relations with either Muslim country. Nevertheless, clandestine contacts between Israel, Pakistan and the UAE as well as other Sunni Muslim countries have surfaced in recent years due to a shared concern over Iran.
During a Red Flag drill, described as a unique high quality exercise by Israeli officials, pilots are divided into teams to simulate dog fights and other advanced aerial combat simulations at the Nellis Air Force base.
The Israeli Air Force trains regularly in Israel and abroad to maintain operational readiness for different operational situations. The Red Flag exercise will continue until Aug. 26.
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Tel Aviv friendliest dog city in the world
(JNS.org) Tel Aviv claims to be the friendliest city in the world for dogs, having the highest number of canines per capita anywhere.
There are roughly 25,000 dogs, which works out to one pet per 17 residents, according to city officials. Pooches have access to 70 public dog parks and special beaches where they can play without a leash.
With a no-kill shelter, a city animal patrol that checks on animal abuse complaints, and 24/7 veterinary services for treating homeless animals, Tel Aviv has prioritized the welfare of dogs.
The city is hosting a first ever day for dogs, The Festival of Dogs of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in the Bnei Dan Park in Ganei Yehoshua on Aug. 26 to include adoption, information on caring for canines and more.
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Israeli universities ranked among world’s top 100 academic institutions
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Two Israeli academic institutions appear on the latest list of the world’s top 100 universities — the prestigious 2016 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), which was issued on Monday.
The ARWU, which ranks the world top 500 universities annually, placed the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology in the 69th spot, up eight spots from last year’s ranking of 77th. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem dropped 20 places to the 87th place, ranking below the Technion, but above the rest of the Israeli institutions.
The Weizmann Institute of Science maintained its position from last year, and was ranked among the leading 101-150 group, and so did Tel Aviv University, which kept its spot in the 151-200 group. Ben-Gurion University ranked in the 401-500 group. Last year, Bar-Ilan University was ranked in the last 100 group, but in 2016 failed to enter the list.
“The Shanghai ranking, the leading ranking in the world, continues to flatter the Technion,” said Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie. “I am particularly pleased at the recognition of the Technion’s place as one of the world’s leading institutions in the fields of engineering and specifically in the field of electrical engineering and electronics.”
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