The Lekarev Report - March 10, 2008
Category: News and Politics


Dear friends,

I believe that everything happening with Iran and Isreal lately is very important concerning the future of everyone living on this planet. [if you don't live on this planet you're in luck you can go home - LOL]

Anyway, I get The Lekarev Report in my email and I wanted to share todays report because of the importance of the content.

Live Love - but stay informed

==================================

..> ..> The Lekarev Report

..>
..> 3 Adar II 5768
March 10, 2008

..> ..> Shalom

Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercy's sake.

Psalm 44:26

..>

..> Gaza Operations Continue



Defense Minister Ehud Olmert declared today that the military operations in the Gaza Strip will continue.

During a visit to the Tel Hashomer recruitment base, Barak stated that "whoever thinks that this is the end of the story and that there's already a truce is wrong. We haven't finished anything and the important trials are still ahead."

The minister noted that the defense establishment's goal was to stop the rocket fire at Israel and all the terror emanating from Gaza, while dramatically reducing weapon smuggling into the Strip. There will be no consideration of a ceasefire until then, he said.


..> ..> Olmert to Mayors: Imagine Terror in Your City ..

"Imagine what would happen in your city if a terror attack such as [the one in Merkaz Harav Yeshiva on Thursday] would have been carried out," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked hundreds of mayors from across the world during a Twin City conference at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.

"Despite terrorism and despite the pain we are not relinquishing the monumental task of making another dramatic step that can bring us closer to building the foundations for true peace between Israel and the Palestinians," Olmert said.

The prime minister also made mention of his turbulent years as mayor of Jerusalem during the height of the second intifada, which "were years of incessant work against dozens of murderous terror attacks in the streets of the city."

"Last Thursday a terrorist infiltrated Mercaz Harav yeshiva and fired indiscriminately while the students were engaged in final preparations for a party commemorating the beginning of the month of Adar, during which we are to engage in much merriment," Olmert said. "Sadly, he realized his malicious intentions and killed eight young scholars in cold blood."

"Imagine for a moment what would happen in your city if a similar terror attack occurred, God forbid," he told the mayors. "Ask yourselves, if eight boys from your city were brutally murdered, what would you do? What would you tell your residents?"

"Who would not be afraid of a situation where his city was threatened by rockets," Olmert continued. "Who would no want to react when faced with such a threat? We have never stopped struggling for our lives. The intention of terror organizations by shooting Kassams is identical to that of the terrorist last Thursday - to make our lives unbearable."

"They wish to run us off the path to peace, but there is no chance that they'll succeed," he said.




..> ..> Iran Makes Israeli Leaders Targets

The poster pictured here has been hung around Tehran and other parts of Iran and under the caption in English and Arabic which says "Israel must be wiped off the map" are photos of three Israeli leaders targeted for assassination.


In an unprecedented ceremony which took place on Sunday in Tehran, a price was put on the heads of the top ranking Israeli security officials as revenge for the asassination of Hizbollah's no.2 chief and arch terrorist Imad Mugniyah last month.

The Iranian news agency IRNA quoted an announcement from a radical organization called the "Islamic Student Justice Seekers" in which the group made clear its reasoning for the move.

"Following the increase in crimes by the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine and in the Gaza Strip, and in wake of the assassination that this regime carried out abroad of senior members of the resistance front, a ceremony will be held today to set a financial prize for the killing of the organizers of these acts."

According to the organization's announcement, the financial prizes are to be given to those who take out the three most senior members of the Israeli security establishment: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Mossad Chief Meir Dagan and Head of Military Intelligence Amos Yaron.


..> ..> Terrorist's Body Held by Israel

Israeli Police have refused to hand over the body of mass murderer Ala Abu Dheim for burial. Dheim, an Arab Israeli citizen who slaughtered eight yeshiva students last week, was shot and killed during the attack by an armed student and an off-duty IDF officer who was nearby.
His funeral was scheduled for today, but authorities will not return his body until the family commits to holding a small funeral, thereby preventing a pro-Jihad procession which could turn violent. Large numbers of Arabs have turned up at the mourning tent erected by his family, giving cause for concern that a public funeral in east Jerusalem could easily turn into riots and violence.

The Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, under control of Mahmoud Abbas, our so-called "peace partner", ran a front page picture of Abu Dheim calling him a shahid (Holy martyr).

I hope Secretary Rice sees that front page, as well as many Congressmen. The US Congress made it illegal to give money to terrorist organizations:

"[The Secretary of State] shall terminate assistance to any individual, entity which she has determined to be involved in or advocating terrorist activity." Congress further legislated that "none of the [U.S.] assistance under the West Bank and Gaza Program may be made available for the purpose of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit, or have committed acts of terrorism" (2008 Foreign Operations Bill).


..> ..> Palestinian "Human Shields"

The Foreign Ministry released today a series of photographs that show how Hamas and other Palestinian Authority terrorists use civilians as human shields during their attacks on Israel.
The ministry launched a campaign several months ago to counter the general anti-Israel tone of international media coverage and the resulting negative image of the Jewish State around the world.

"The purpose of the [Hamas terrorists conducting their activities among a] civilian presence was to have them serve as human shields, exploiting the fact that the IDF avoids harming Palestinian [Arab] civilians," explains the ministry on its website.

The photographs clearly show terrorists launching rockets from civilian areas, using private family homes to hide weapons and putting explosive 'factories' in residential homes, thus deliberately making Gaza civilians human shields for terrorism.

In several instances, Hamas media recruited children to form a human shield on the roofs of terrorists' homes and apartment buildings in order to protect the structures from an anticipated IDF air strike right after Hamas attacked Jewish civilians in southern Israel.

In the photo above, a crowd of Palestinian civilians stands on the roof of a home in which explosives are manufactured in order to prevent the IDF from striking the house. Below is the link to others:

Use of Human Shields in Gaza







..>
..> Northern Borders on High Alert

The intelligence report submitted to the Israeli cabinet yesterday, Sunday, March 9, predicted grave dangers to Israeli security in the coming year. More troubling, however, is the deep concern of increased terrorism during the rest of this month. What has prompted this deeper concern at the moment?


1. At the Arab League summit in Damascus February 29th, Syria made known that the situation in Lebanon is to be on the proverbial "back burner" for now and all attention should be focused on Gaza.


Israeli intelligence has warned that in the interim Hamas and Jihad Islami would make every effort to ignite the Gaza front in order to unite the Arab rulers behind a dramatic Arab resolution in support of the Palestinian Islamists. This tactic would transfer the Gaza issue's center of gravity from Cairo, which is brokering a Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal, to the more radical Damascus regime.

Hamas keeps on stalling talks in Cairo and raising its demands. Amos Gilead, security adviser in Israel's defense ministry, who traveled to Cairo Sunday to try and break the deadlock, came back empty-handed. Gilead's assessment included a warning that Hamas is poised to generate a flare-up of rocket attacks the moment it suits Syria and Iran.


2. The second issue of deep concern is that the coming Arab League summit will for the first time host an Iranian head of state. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be seated beside Syrian president Bashar Assad as guest of honor to parade the Tehran-Damascus axis' pre-eminent role in Arab Middle East affairs, with Iran setting the pace.

This prospect has raised military "blood pressures" across the entire Middle East.

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak suddenly declared this morning, that Israel continues to be responsible for the Gaza Strip after its pull-out and its status in both Gaza and the West Bank is that of an occupation force. In an interview, he endorsed the Hamas line which called on Israel to halt military operations not only in Gaza but also on the West Bank. This, despite the fact that just weeks ago, Mubarak was furious with Hamas when they breached the border fence with his country.


Over the weekend, the US navy built up its deployment opposite the Lebanese coast with the USS Ross guided missile destroer and the USS Philippine Sea cruiser.

Syria responded by placing its air and naval bases, where too Russian warships are docked, on a state of preparedness.

Israel's new national intelligence report affirms that the United States' declining role in the region has left a vacuum for radical elements to fill. Its authors, the chiefs of military intelligence, the Mossad, Shin Bet and the foreign ministry's intelligence unit, warned of the heightened threat from missiles in the arsenals of a future nuclear-armed Iran (within two years) and Syrian. A Hizballah attack and a stronger Hamas were also in prospect.

In the coming two weeks, Syria, Iran, Hizballah and Hamas will be further tightening the military and terrorist loop around Israel - to the north, the south, and among Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, at the expense of Israel's deterrent strength.

According to military sources, including but not limited to Debkafile, Hizballah is completing its preparations for revenge on Israel, whom it accuses of killing its military commander Imad Mughniyeh last month. The latest estimate is that the Shiite terrorists will strike on the border and/or inside Israel, rather than hit overseas targets.

The Israeli government has some very serious issues on the table at the moment. Will they face the reality or continue down the unrealistic path of recent weeks and months?

Pray for the peace - and protection - of Jerusalem - and all of Israel,

Blessings and shalom to all of you,

Leah