"The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke
Israel - Light onto Nations is an initiative, not a media watch organization. It is web-based and does not involve fundraising.
Israel - Light onto Nations endorses various Canadian media-watch organizations, such as: CLIC - Canadian Light on Israel Coverage, Honest Reporting (www.honestreporting.ca) and The Media Action Group (info@mediaactiongroup.com).
Did You Know?
Israel engineers are behind the development of the largest communications router in the world, launched by Cisco.
The project is being developed jointly by the Defense Ministry and Ramat Negev Regional Council.
Some NIS 80 million will be invested in a new sewage treatment facility to be constructed north of Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh in the Negev that will serve the Ramat Negev Regional Council and the IDF's new training compound at Hanegev Junction. Agreement on implementation of the joint project was signed between the Ramat Negev Regional Council and the Defense Ministry a few days ago.
The facility will be largely funded by the state. It will take in waste water from other IDF installations in the area and from several nearby settlements. In the first stage, 300 thousand cubic meters of water will be purified and will be used for irrigation of olive plantations and other crops in Ramat Negev.
Ramat Negev Regional Council said today (Tuesday) that tenders will be published in the coming weeks in advance of the start of construction work of the facility. The army intends to house thousands of soldiers in the training compound towards the end of 2013.
In preparation for Passover, Beitar Yerushalayim's soccer team arrived at Sirkin military base to assist soldiers in packaging holiday boxes for the needy.
Along with the players, coach Roni Levy, and chairman Itzik Kornfein, arrived as well as Beitar owner Arcadi Gaydamak.
Gaydamark remarked that he would be staying on with Beitar Yerushalaim despite rumors. He said he was proud to be a part of Beitar Yerushalayim and he felt the team was 'strong".
Captain of the team, Aviram Broachian, blessed Gaydamark on his recent celebration for his 59th birthday.
------
Beitar Jerusalem F.C.
Beitar Jerusalem Football club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל בית"ר ירושלים, Moadon Kaduregel Beitar Yerushalayim) is an Israeli football club from Jerusalem. The club is based at the Teddy Stadium in the Malha neighborhood, and plays in black and yellow. The club has been associated with Right-wing Israeli politics for over 70 years and attracts support from the La Familia Ultras group.
Full name: Beitar Jerusalem Football Club
Nickname(s): The Menorah The Flag of the State Lions from the Capital
Founded: 1936
History
The club was founded in 1936 by David Horn, the head of the local Betar movement. Most of the clubs players in the early years were from the Betar organisation, and the club was forced to stop playing in 1938 following arrests of Betar members by the British authorities, before resuming activity in 1943 under Horn and Shmuel Kirschstein. More players were arrested in the 1940s, and exiled to Eritrea and Kenya, resulting in the formation of a Beitar Eritrea team. During the internment era, Horn refused to suspend operations again, and renamed it Nordia Jerusalem so as to deny links to the Irgun. Most of the Nordia players nevertheless came from Betar's ranks, including Simon Alfasi.
After independence in 1948, Beitar were played in Liga Bet, then the second tier. In 1953–54 the club won the southern division of Liga Bet, and were promoted to the top division, which had just been renamed Liga Leumit. In their first season in the top flight they finished 11th out of 14, and were forced to participate in promotion/relegation play-offs. Although they were the highest-placed club to take part in the play-offs, they finished bottom of the group, Beitar were relegated back to the second division, now renamed Liga Alef.
In 1957–58 they won Liga Alef, but were not promoted, as there was no promotion or relegation that year. They won Liga Alef again in 1966–68 (a two-year season) and were promoted back to Liga Leumit. After finishing thirteenth in 1968–69, Beitar finished fifth in 1969–70, their best performance to date. Two seasons later they finished as runners-up to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In 1974, during a match against Hapoel Petah Tikva, Beitar fans invaded the pitch and attacked Petah Tikva players and fans. This caused the first of several "radius" penalties, in which the club was forced to play matches in other cities behind closed doors. Beitar were also due to be relegated, but were saved by the intervention of Knesset members Ehud Olmert and Yossi Sarid, who forced the suspension of the relegation threat and called for an investigation of Israel Football Association corruption. In 1974–75 the club reached the State Cup final for the first time, but lost 3–1 to Hapoel Kfar Saba.[3] In the same season they finished second bottom of the league, and were due to be relegated to Liga Artzit (the new second division). However, an IFA decision to expand the league from 16 to 18 clubs saw them reprieved. The next season they finished runners-up in the league to Hapoel Be'er Sheva and reached the State Cup final again, this time beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1 to claim their first piece of major silverware.
The club finished as runners-up in both 1977–78 and 1978–79, also reaching the cup final in the latter season, winning 2–1 against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Despite the run of success towards the end of the 1970s, Beitar finished bottom of the division in 1979–80, and were relegated to Liga Artzit. However, they made an immediate return to the top division after finishing as runners-up to Beitar Tel Aviv in their first season back in the second tier.
In 1983–84 Beitar went into the last game of the season needing a win or draw to secure the title. However, they lost 1–0 to Hapoel Tel Aviv, allowing Maccabi Haifa to win the league. In 1985 Dror Kashtan took over as manager and Beitar again finished as runners-up to Maccabi Haifa, but prevented Haifa from completing the double by beating them 1–0 in the cup final. They retained the cup in 1985-86, beating Shimshon Tel Aviv 2–1.
Despite having to play all home matches at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, in 1986–87 Beitar claimed their first title, winning the league by a 15-point margin.[2] Kashtan left the club to manage Maccabi Haifa, but returned in 1988. In 1988–89 they won the State Cup again, beating Maccabi Haifa 4–3 on penalties after a 3–3 draw. Kashtan left the club again during 1989.
In 1990–91 they finished second bottom of Liga Leumit, and were relegated to Liga Artzit. Under Lufa Kadosh the club made an immediate return to the top division. Kashtan returned to the club, winning the title in their first season back in Liga Leumit. Kashtan departed for a fourth time, resulting in the appointment of Eli Cohen. The club won the title again in 1996–97 and in 1997–98, by which time Kashtan had returned to the club again.
In 1998–99 Beitar reached the cup final, but lost 3–1 on penalties to Hapoel Tel Aviv after a 1–1 draw. Kashtan was replaced by former player Eli Ohana, under whom the club reached the cup final again the following season, where they lost on penalties to Hapoel Tel Aviv again. At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Ohana was fired and replaced by Eli Guttman. Despite success on the pitch, at the end of the 1990s the club was in severe financial difficulties; chairman Moshe Dadash had sold the club's training grounds and pocketed the money.
After several mid-table finishes, in 2005 the club was bought by Russian-born billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak. He angered some Beitar fans when he donated $400,000 to Bnei Sakhnin in a diplomatic gesture. However, under Gaydamak, the club soon established itself as having the largest budget in Israeli football. Several new players were signed such as Jérôme Leroy, Fabrice Fernandes, David Aganzo and the club eventually signed manager Luis Fernández. Beitar finished third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005–06. Ossie Ardiles was appointed manager at the start of the 2006–07 season, but was sacked after disappointing results in the UEFA Cup. His replacement, Yossi Mizrahi, led the club to the title. In 2007–08 the club won its first double, winning the title by nine points and beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 5–4 on penalties in the cup final after a 0–0 draw. The following season Beitar won the State Cup again, beating Maccabi Haifa 2–1 in the final. In July 2009 Guma Aguiar invested over US$4 million and it was widely expected that he would take over ownership of the club, and indeed claimed to be so in December 2009. This was denied by the Israel Football Association, stating that Gaydamak remains the owner due to his ongoing legal issues complicating the sale of the club.
A firefighting plane drops fire extinguishing material over a fire in the town of Tirat Hacarmel, northern Israel, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.
Israel purchased the squadron after 2010's devastating Carmel wildfire; One of the planes was put on alert due to expected hot and dry weather this weekend.
A new squadron of fire-fighting planes purchased after a massive wildfire ravaged Israel's Carmel region last year successfully completed its first training exercise and is thus now able to be used.
One of the planes was put on alert on Tuesday due to expected hot and dry weather, which will continue throughout the weekend.
The new squadron is named after Elad Riven, the teenage volunteer firefighter who was killed in the Carmel wildfire. The squadron contains seven Air Tractor 802 planes, which cost around 70 million shekels.
Although the squadron is now ready to be used, it will only officially be launched on May 4, following a ceremony which the prime minister is set to attend.
The Carmel wildfire, which occurred at the end of 2010, was recently in the news with fire victims announcing plans to sue the state over lack of compensation which was promised by the government.
According to reports from various websites, four actors from the hit sitcom "House" are expected to visit Israel in early May, as part of an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism. It is unclear if the star of the series, British actor Hugh Laurie, who plays the lead character on the show, will be a part of the contingent.
Sixty-three percent of Israelis consider themselves to be "thriving" versus only 14% of those in the Palestinian territories; Denmark tops list.
Israel is the world's seventh-most "thriving" country, according to a Gallup poll of 1,000 adults in each of 124 countries whose results were released last week.
Gallup classifies respondents' well-being as "thriving," "struggling," or "suffering," according to how they rated their current and future lives on a ladder scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10.
Majorities of residents in only 19 countries rated their lives well enough to be classified as thriving. Denmark, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Venezuela, Finland, Israel and New Zealand led the list.
The countries the worst off were the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Chad. The US finished twelfth, four percentage points behind Israel.
Among Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar ranked highest with 55% and 53% of respondents considering themselves thriving.
The Palestinian territories had a rate of only 14% thriving versus Israel's 63%.
The American shoe chain, Payless Shoes, will soon be coming to Israel. The Sakal Group recently received the franchise license and plans to have 15 stores operating by the end of this year, with the first stores opening in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba and Nazereth. Solly Sakal, the owner of the Sakal Group, said the company plans to open a total of 60 stores within five years. Shoe prices are expected to range anywhere from 19 shekels to 199 shekels.
Painting, titled "Marseille Port", a large (100 x 133 cm) oil from 1933, is estimated to sell for £120,000-180,000 at Bonhams.
A work by Romanianborn artist Marcel Janco, one of the founders of Dadaism who later in life moved here and established the Ein Hod artist village, is the top lot in Bonhams Israeli Art & Judaica auction in London, on May 24th.
The painting, titled ‘Marseille Port’, a large (100 x 133 cm) oil from 1933, is estimated to sell for £120,000-180,000.
Born in 1895, Janco was among the principal founders of the Dada Movement which was opposed to war, aggression and the changing world culture.
Dadaist events included poetry, avant-garde music, and mask wearing dancers in elaborate shows, but the movement also tested cultural conventions about the role of art in society and its apparent irreverence enraged audiences. Dada came as a direct result of artists’ shock in view of the carnage of World War I but the movement was not all nihilistic; Dadaist ideas evolved in the 1920s into Surrealism, arguably one of the most influential streams in 20th century art.
Janco had an eclectic style which brilliantly combines abstract and figurative elements, expressionist in nature. In 1941 he moved to Eretz Israel, seven years before the establishment of the state. Here he painted idyllic watercolor and oil images and was captivated by the exotic sights of his new surroundings.
Ein Hod was established in 1953 and the northern village now boasts the Janco Dada Museum, dedicated to the artist’s work.
In 1967 he was awarded the Israel Prize for Painting.
In the last years of his life he worked together with friends to erect the museum, dying just ten months after its inauguration in 1984.
Also featured in the sale at Bonham’s is Israeli realist painter and founder of the Jerusalem Studio School Israel Hershberg.
Hershberg was born in 1948 in a displaced persons camp in Linz, Austria. In 1949 he was brought to Israel but at the age of nine he emigrated to the United States.
Following an extensive program of studies in the US Hershberg moved back to Israel with his wife and family in 1984. In 1991, he was awarded the Sandberg Prize for Israeli Art and in 1998 the Tel Aviv Museum of Art Prize for Israeli Art.
Hershberg’s piece at the auction is called ‘Jerusalem, City Center,’ painted in 1989-90. It is estimated to sell for £100,000-150,000.
Other Israeli and Jewish artists who will be featured in the sale include Ori Reisman, Jakob Steinhardt and Ludwig Blum.
Marcel Janco (born Marcel Iancu; Hebrew: מרסל ינקו; May 24, 1895 - April 21, 1984) was a Romanian-born Israeli painter and architect, and one of the founders of the Dada movement.
Biography Janco was born to a Jewish family in Bucharest.
A friend and compatriot of Tristan Tzara, he was among the founders of the Dadaist movement, established in 1916 at Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland, by a group of exiled poets, painters and philosophers who were opposed to war, aggression and the changing world culture. In 1922, Janco returned to Romania, where he gained fame as a painter and architect. In 1941, fleeing the Nazis, he moved to Palestine, and was one of the founders of the New Horizons Group (1948). The Janco-Dada Museum, which opened in 1983, features Janco's work and explores the history of the Dada movement.
In 1953, Janco established the Ein Hod artists' village near Haifa, Israel. Towards the end of his life he helped found the Dada museum in Ein Hod which bears his name. The museum houses Janco's art, explores the history of Dadaism and mounts changing exhibitions.
Janco died on 21 April 1984 at the age of 88.
Awards - In 1946 and again in 1951, Janco was awarded the Dizengoff Prize for Painting. - In 1967, he was awarded the Israel Prize, in painting.
Bibliography Janco, Marcel (2005). Marcel Janco: Interdisciplinary Artist. Tel Aviv: Bauhaus Center. ISBN 9789659060610
Two episodes of the popular Israeli TV series "Yellow Peppers" were screened at the United Nations in New York as part of the UN sponsored, World autism Awareness day. The show depicts a family from a rural community in Southern Israel with a young child diagnosed with Autism.
The Israeli Mission to the United Nations with the participation of its Permanent Representative and other dignitaries sponsored this event. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with the creator and director of the series.
A new column; Dr. Wayne Stiles explores the biblical sites of Israel, the significance behind them and how to make the most of a visit.
Wayne Stiles is an author who has never recovered from his travels in Israel—and loves to write about them from his desk in Texas.
Nazareth offers historical glimpses of its most famous resident as well as remarkable views of battlefields of the Bible.
Few went to Nazareth unless they had to go there. The town of Jesus’ childhood sat off the beaten path and high on a ridge overlooking the International Highway.
The city’s name likely comes from the Hebrew term netzer, meaning “branch” or “shoot.” Some scholars believe this represents the faith of those Jews who returned from exile. Their hope focused on the coming Messiah, the “righteous Branch” of David promised by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15).
Today, the residents of Nazareth represent very distinct people groups. The older part the city includes communities of Christian and Muslim Palestinians. The newer section, called Nazareth Illit (meaning “Upper Nazareth,” as in elevation), serves as the Jewish district.
The modern Church of the Annunciation, completed in 1969, replaced the earlier Franciscan church of 1730. The Franciscans had built over the ruins of a 12th-century Crusader church and a 5th-century Byzantine church. The modern structure represents the largest church building in the Middle East and remains the focal point of Nazareth’s tourism. Why so significant? Inside, the Cave of the Annunciation marks the traditional location where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).
Wayne StilesA new tourist attraction called “Nazareth Village” offers visitors a glimpse into what first-century Nazareth may have looked like. Dressed in period costume, staff members tend their flocks, harvest their wheat, spin their fabric on looms, and tool their wood in the carpenter’s shop (my favorite spot). It’s a great place to take pictures. The replica of Nazareth’s first-century synagogue reveals how the innovative design of the building offered cool temperatures on hot days.
When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, he found a warm welcome at the synagogue—that is, until he preached. The young carpenter claimed to have fulfilled the messianic prophecy he had just read from Isaiah 61:1–2 (Luke 4:16-30). The hearers took offense that the local-yokel Jesus would dare to be remarkable. After all, wasn’t Jesus the guy who built their dining tables?
The townspeople were so enraged that they took Jesus to the edge of the Nazareth Ridge and wanted to fling him off into the Jezreel Valley. But he passed through their midst and departed. You think that made for awkward subsequent holiday gatherings?
In their attempts to discredit Jesus, the Pharisees claimed, “no prophet arises out of Galilee” (John 7:52). But the prophet Jonah came from Gath-hepher, located right beside Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth.
The Nazareth Ridge, near what is called Mount Precipice, is always my favorite part of visiting the city. A beautiful overlook has been constructed on the ridge that encircles Nazareth, and it provides a view for many miles in three directions.
Wayne StilesWith the city behind me, I like to gaze across the vast Jezreel Valley and imagine that Jesus, like any boy growing up in Nazareth, would have known the ins and outs of the hills that surrounded his village. Of course, he would have seen the view from this ridge many times.
On the valley floor below, caravans of travelers and the war machines of history have passed. From this one location, many battles have marked the pages of Scripture.
To the east, Mount Tabor echoes of the armies of Deborah and Barak as they defeated Sisera. In the distant south, between the Hill of Moreh and Mount Gilboa, Gideon faced off against the Midianites. On Gilboa itself, the tragic life of King Saul came to an end. Squinting southwest through the haze, I try to find the hill of Megiddo in the distance, the site of the future battle of Armageddon in the book of Revelation.
As I stand there, I contemplate that Jesus would have thought about all the history that stretched out before him.
How to Get There: From Afula in the Jezreel Valley take Route 60 north. From Tiberias take Route 77 west and head south at Route 754.
What to Do There: Visit the Church of the Annunciation, take your camera on a walk through “Nazareth Village,” and take your Bible as you stand on the Nazareth Ridge overlook. While there, read the stories that occurred (and will occur) within your view: Deborah and Barak (Judges 4-5), Gideon (Judges 6-8), King Saul (1 Samuel 31), Elisha (2 Kings 4), and Jesus (Luke 4:16-30; 7:11-17; Revelation 16:16).
Read Wayne’s blog and subscribe to his weekly Podcast at www.waynestiles.com
Israeli artists have developed new bus stop libraries available free of charge to commuters and travelers across the country.
Contact Us:
Please contribute to Israel - Light Onto Nations
Email us: Light.onto.Nations@gmail.com
Did You Know?
Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.
Children injured in the school siege in Beslan, Russia in 2004 were able to convalesce at an Israeli coastal resort in Ashkelon – at the invitation of that city’s mayor.
LUSH Cosmetics has quietly closed its Beverly Hills, California location several months after a group known as “Join the Boycott LA” (www.JTBLA.com) organized a protest outside the store to expose the company’s support of PLO extremism. LUSH, with headquarters in the UK and stores in over 40 countries around the world, is using its customers’ money to support the PLO’s extremist “One World Campaign”. This virulently anti-Israel organization portrays Israel as an “illegal” occupier committing crimes against “Palestine” and grossly exaggerates the suffering in Gaza, placing responsibility solely on the Israelis.
There is much more work to be done. We urge you to ACT NOW FOR ISRAEL by sending an email to customercare@lush.co.uk to protest their anti-Israel extremism.
It has come to our attention that LUSH, a leading luxury handmade cosmetics company, gives a percentage of its profits to an anti-Israel organization called “OneWorld”. Upon visiting the OneWorld website (http://freedomoneworld.org/), it is very clear that they are supported by extreme anti-Israel groups that are sympathetic to terrorist activity against the State of Israel. For example, one of the supporting groups is called “Friends of al-Aqsa”. Visiting their website speaks for itself: http://www.foa.org.uk/.
Did You Know?
Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.
Did You Know?
An Israeli-initiated project is drastically lowering the mortality rate of Ethiopian children infected with the AIDS/HIV virus.
