Saudi Arabia reportedly has missiles trained on Iran, Israel
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Based on new satellite images, Saudi Arabia has apparently deployed ballistic missile batteries that have both Israel and Iran in their crosshairs, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported Thursday.
The images, which were analyzed by military experts at IHS Jane’s, a business intelligence company specializing in military and national security, “show a previously undetected surface-to-surface missile base in the Saudi desert, 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of the capital, Riyadh.”
Thursday’s report by the London-based firm could escalate concerns about a growing arms race in the Middle East linked to Iran’s military expansions and nuclear program.
According to The Telegraph, Saudi Arabia currently has one launch pad pointing northwest, toward Tel Aviv, and another pointing northeast, toward Tehran.
The IHS Jane’s review noted that the weapons were most likely designed for Saudi Arabia’s DF3 missiles, truck-launched missiles with a range of 2,400-4,200 kilometers (1,500-2,500 miles).
ElBaradei has controversial record on Iran and Israel
(JNS.org) Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, on Tuesday appointed Mohamed ElBaradei as the country’s interim vice president. ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been accused of exhibiting an overly lenient attitude about Iran’s nuclear program as well as anti-Israel bias.
“For many years he was very comfortable for the Iranians, and without this softness I don’t think the Iranians would be where they are today [regarding their nuclear program],” former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Itamar Rabinovich told Israel Radio, according to the Jerusalem Post .
After Syria’s nuclear plant was attacked in 2007, ElBaradei insisted on publicly censuring Israel as the orchestrator of the attack and accused the Jewish state of taking “the law into their own hands.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement calling on ElBaradei, then the IAEA director-general, “to prevent political bias in the investigation into Syria’s covert nuclear activities.”
In 2011, when ElBaradei announced intentions to run for the Egyptian presidency, he said Egypt “would declare war against the Zionist regime” if the IDF attacked Gaza, according to Yedioth Achronoth.
First Jewish ‘hackathon’ set for Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv
(JNS.org) Tel Aviv and California’s Silicon Valley will simultaneously hold the first Jewish-themed “hackathon,” called Friday Night Hack, from July 19-20. More than 120 hackers will participate in the 24-hour event, meant to show how open data can be used collaboratively and transparently.
In the event—supported by the Schusterman Philanthropic Network and Israel-based Hasadna – The Public Knowledge Workshop, and hosted in California in partnership with the innovation committee of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation—developers, designers, programmers, coders, and other software-development experts will work together to build applications for public use intended to strengthen Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.
“It is an amazing opportunity to bring together the innovation capitals of Tel Aviv and the greater Silicon Valley to hack for a good cause and to open up a flow of ideas between the innovation sector and the power, drive and creativity surfacing in the Jewish world,” said Seth Cohen, director of network initiatives for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, which is part of the Schusterman Philanthropic Network.
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Arab diplomats to pressure Israel over alleged nuclear program at upcoming IAEA gathering
(JNS.org) While Iran’s nuclear program forges ahead, Arab diplomats from 18 nations plan to pressure Israel over its alleged nuclear program at September’s International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) annual meeting at the United Nations.
A letter the Arab diplomats addressed to IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano asked for “Israeli nuclear capabilities” to be included on the agenda for the September gathering, according to the website of the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
Israel’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ehud Azoulay, called the Arab initiative “counterproductive” and said it was aimed at “bashing Israel,” Reuters reported. Israel maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity over its program—believed to have been developed during the 1960s—and is also the only country in the region that is not a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
But attempts by Arab states to pressure Israel over the nuclear issue have failed in the past due to the efforts of the U.S. and other Western allies, who see greater nuclear-related dangers in the region—namely, Iran’s nuclear program.
Last month, the IAEA’s Amano said that Iran is continuing to make “steady progress” on its nuclear program, despite economic sanctions by the West.
“There is a steady increase of capacity and production [in Iran’s nuclear program],” Amano said. When asked about the impact of sanctions, he said, “I don’t think so… I don’t see any impact.”
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Christian ‘Embassy’ funds study program for Ethiopian Jews
(JNS.org) The International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ), a Christian Zionist organization based in Jerusalem, is sponsoring a special studies program for Ethiopian Jewish students who are enrolled at the Ruppin Academic Center near Netanya.
“The community leadership program teaches about your identity and the history of Ethiopian aliyah,” program coordinator Takele Mekonen told a group of Israel Defense Forces soldiers of Ethiopian descent during a speech in May.
Mekonen, who was born in Ethiopia and moved to Israel when he was 16, added, “You will learn how to read and write Amharic and you will volunteer in your community. You will spend time in boarding schools and serve as mentors for kids on the verge of dropping out of school. You are the ones who can help your brothers and sisters.”
Despite many arriving in Israel more than two decades ago, a good portion of Israel’s Ethiopian community is still struggling to integrate into society. According to the ICEJ, nearly 60 percent of Ethiopian families live below the poverty line. On the other hand, Ethiopian immigration to Israel has produced a number of notable success stories, namely Yitayish Ayenew, who this year became the first black woman to win the Miss Israel crown, and Shlomo Molla, former deputy speaker of the Knesset.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org