The United Arab Emirates’ top judo official apologized to his Israeli counterpart last weekend after a tournament in Abu Dhabi saw Israeli athletes repeatedly snubbed by their hosts because of their nationality. Mohammad Bin Thaloub Al-Darei, president of the UAE’s Judo Federation, and Aref Al-Awani, another senior Emirates sports official, apologized to Israeli Judo Association head Moshe Ponte over the fact that an athlete from the UAE refused to shake hands with an Israeli judoka after a match during the several-day tournament. They also congratulated the Israel team for their success in the tournaments. IJF president Marius Vizer called the move a "gesture of courage.” On Friday 27 Oct. 2017 the UAE’s Rashad Almashjari refused to shake hands after losing to Israeli Tohar Butbul in the first round of the men’s lightweight (66-73 kg) category. Butbul went on to win bronze, one of several medals won by Israelis at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament. The group reportedly agreed that Israeli symbols would be permitted at the event next year, but there was no confirmation. Vizer only expressed hopes that "in the near future we can achieve the best condition of participation for the Israel teams.” (Koenig) [Comment]

A Jewish schoolgirl from the north London neighborhood of Stamford Hill neighborhood went to receive her package from a store providing internet mail services but was shocked by the racist slur she received from the salesperson. The girl reported that the salesperson stopped providing service for her while dealing with her order and started to address another customer. When she asked to receive her package, she was told: "Be patient, Jews come last." The girl, who was extremely insulted, informed the Hashomrim organization who reported the matter to local police. Police referred the incident to organizations working in England against anti-Semitism. (Arutz-7) "Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause….” Ps. 69:4 [Comment]

Governor Scott Walker issued an executive order on Friday 27 Oct. 2017 barring state agencies from engaging in business with entities that discriminate against the Jewish state. The Wisconsin governor's executive order came ahead of his departure for Israel on that same day with a 15-member trade group, running until 2 November 2017. "We stand firmly against discrimination in any form and we wholly support our friends in Israel,” said Walker, adding "I look forward to leading a trade delegation to Israel to foster new trade partnerships between Wisconsin and Israeli businesses.” Wisconsin becomes the 24th USA state to pass either an executive order or state law outlawing BDS activity targeting Israel. According to Walker's statement, Israel-Wisconsin trade relations are flourishing, with "Wisconsin exporting over $80 million annually to Israel and importing over $200 million annually from Israel." (J.Post) [Comment]

A visit from tens of thousands of migrating pelicans may be a gift for bird-watchers, but for Israeli fish farmers it can be costly. In response, Israeli authorities have taken to feeding the birds to help preserve the farms’ stocks. Members of staff at the reservoir in Mishmar Hasharon feed the pelicans with six tons of fish three to four times a week, during the three months that the pelicans are flying over Israel, in a project funded by the Israeli Agriculture Ministry. Estimates of the number of birds that pass over Israel each year range from 75,000 to over 100,000. They migrate from southern Europe to spend the winters in central Africa. "They eat here and in the north, and then they have enough food to continue to the south of Sudan.” (Reuters) "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”Mt. 6:26 [Comment]

Tel Aviv's Beaches

Carmel Market

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art

The Neve Tzedek Quarter

Namal, the old port

Adverts highlighting Palestinian objections to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, when Britain promised to establish a Jewish national home in Palestine, have been blocked by Transport for London. Theresa May and her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, are expected to be the guests of honor at a London dinner celebrating the centenary of the declaration, the most high-profile of several events. Israeli officials say it is right to celebrate the centenary and have accused those demanding that Britain apologize for the declaration of being anti-Semitic and ignoring Palestinian hostility and intransigence. (Arutz-7/UK Guardian)
[Comment]

"Despite the nuclear agreement reached with world powers in July 2015, Iran has not given up its illegal activities in Germany. The mullah regime also made efforts this year to obtain material from German firms for its nuclear program and the construction of missiles, said security sources.” They added, "Iran has according to the security sources clearly not given up its long-term goal to become a nuclear power that can mount nuclear weapons on rockets.” Frank Jansen, who is a one of Germany’s most prominent journalists covering counterterrorism, radical Islamism and neo-Nazism, wrote in his Tagesspiegel article: "Security experts say Iran is very interested in equipment to extend the range of missiles. Iran made more than 30 attempts to obtain equipment for its nuclear and missile programs in 2016."

According to thecity state of Hamburg’s intelligence agency: "There is no evidence of a complete about-face in Iran’s atomic polices in 2016” after it signed the nuclear accord the previous year. Iran sought missile delivery technology necessary for its rocket program.” Meanwhile, USA Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the UN to crack down on Iran's behavior, telling the body that Iran "has repeatedly thumbed its nose" at Security Council resolutions. "Iran hides behind its assertion of technical compliance with the nuclear deal while it brazenly violates the other limits of its behavior, and we have allowed them to get away with it. This must stop,” said Haley. (INN/ (J.Post) [Comment]

 Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely sees the cabinet's decision to freeze diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians as long as Hamas does not reform, as an important breakthrough. She said: "It is clear that over the years of discussion on Palestinian Authority union with Hamas, part of the thought of future negotiations has dealt with the idea that the PA represents only some of the Palestinians and that they are separate from Hamas. This has changed, and therefore the government made a decision that we will not allow the Palestinians to continue telling the world on the one hand that they want peace, and on the other hand to conduct a political campaign against Israel while embracing a terrorist organization. We're not willing to play this game anymore. The Israeli government has made a value-based statement here that has wide implications - even when we sit with the Americans and talk about the future of the region and what we expect. It is no secret that the Americans hoped that a regional agreement could be reached and there is no doubt that this undermines the ability of the Americans to force the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table - because of this situation in which they bound themselves with Hamas terrorists.

"Throughout the years, we have demanded that the Palestinians stop the incitement to terrorism and that the Palestinian Authority stop financing the families of terrorists. We have engaged in this campaign, and some European countries responded to our request to reduce the amount of funds they transfer to the PA, which receives more foreign aid per capita than anywhere else in the world. Also on the issue of recognition of the State of Israel; we have demanded this in all our dialogue and negotiations with the Palestinians. Our basic expectation is that they recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, that we have a historical right here and not only that there happens to be an entity with that name on a map. Our demands are on the PA as well, not just on Hamas." Hotovely said that the signals coming from the White House indicate that the Trump Administration understands the Israeli position, even if this is not explicitly stated. "There are red lines for every country when it wants to negotiate, and in any normalization negotiations, red lines must be drawn. This embrace and partnership with Hamas, which is more than just a political partnership, is such a red line that Israel cannot remain silent about it, and the Americans understand this. Instead we see support from the USA, and the most important issue that concerns us at this time is the Iranian issue," said Hotovely. (Arutz-7)

 In the first detailed USA response to this month’s Palestinian unity deal, Jason Greenblatt, President Trump's special representative for international negotiations, said Thurs. 19 Oct. 2017: "Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognize the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties - including to disarm terrorists - and commit to peaceful negotiations. If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements." Hamas has thus far rejected calls for it to disarm its estimated 25,000 troops in Gaza, even as talks on the unity deal move forward. (Times of Israel/AFP) How tragic that Hamas has used billions of dollars of foreign aid money to build terrorist attack tunnels into Israel to buy and use weapons against the Jewish state, and to pad their own pockets. So much could have been done to build up the suffering Gaza Strip society, to provide jobs, homes, schools, and so much more. Instead, Hamas continues to feed its men, women and children on hate and jihad. An entire population is starving on such a diet. Pray that Hamas will in factbe overthrown and that others with a positive eye towards rebuilding the Gaza Strip and co-operating with Israel will be put in place. [Comment]