Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Netanyahu: World must stop wanting to destroy the Jewish people
Speaking at Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Jerusalem's Yad Vashem memorial, Prime Minister says Israel must be prepared to defend itself modern enemies, such as Iran and its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Benjamin Netanyahu Holocaust Iran HamasThe threats Israel faces to its existence are real, not theoretical ones, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the ceremony opening Holocaust Remembrance Day in Jerusalem on Sunday, urging the world not to ignore the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Speaking of the three main lessons Israel must learn in the Holocaust's wake, Netanyahu spoke first of the danger which lies in ignoring the threats of those "wishing to annihilate us," saying Israelis "mustn't bury our heads in the sand."
"Has the world learned this lesson? I doubt it. Have we learned it? I believe we have," Netanyahu said, adding, however, that "we must admit that "in the history of the Jewish people we have not always excelled in anticipating the future, sometimes repressing the bleak reality before us."
Referring further on the ability to anticipate coming catastrophes, Netanyahu said that while "many in the world, at least in the enlightened world, treat the memory of the Holocaust respectfully and seriously," that attitude, however, "recalls generals preparing for the previous war."
"It seems easier for the world to discuss the lessons of the past than implement those to the present and the future," the premier said, adding that "the Jewish people mustn't ignore the Holocaust's lessons today."
"Because today, new enemies are rising, and as they deny the Holocaust, call for the destruction of our people," the PM said, adding that "Iran, and its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas are openly working to destroy the Jewish state."
Speaking of the world's response to such an effort, Netanyahu said that all "cultured citizens of the world, those who say they are implementing the lessons of the Holocaust, should denounce in no uncertain terms those wishing to destroy the Jewish state, and even arming themselves with nuclear weapons in order to realize those ambitions."
"The threat to our existence isn't a theoretical one, it cannot be minimized, it stands before us, before all of humanity, and it must be stopped," he said.
The second lesson, according to the premier, "stems from the fact that attacks on our people were always preceded by waves of hatred which prepared the ground for those attacks," insisting on the need "to expose the true face of the hate against our people."
"Today too there are people who charge the Jewish state with responsibility for all of the world's ills, from rising gas prices to regional instability," Netanyahu said.
NOAA: Record 312 tornadoes in 24 hours last week
AP WASHINGTON – Preliminary government estimates say there were more tornadoes in a single day last week than any other day in U.S. history.
Government analysts said Monday there were 362 tornadoes during last week's outbreak, including a record-setting 312 in one 24-hour period.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the largest previous number on record in one event occurred from April 3-4, 1974, with 148 tornadoes.
NOAA says 340 people were killed during the 24-hour-period from 8:00 a.m. Wednesday to Thursday.
It was the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that had 747 fatalities across 7 states.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad Pledges 'PEACE" with Israel under unity government
Palestinian rival factions to sign reconciliation agreement on Wednesday; relations with Israel expected to take center stage.
By The Associated Press Tags: Israel news FatahHamas officials said Monday that the Islamist militant group would honor an unofficial truce with Israel after forming a new unity government with Palestinian rivals from the West Bank.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, is set to sign a reconciliation agreement with Fatah on Wednesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction to end the rivals' four-year rift. A joint caretaker government is planned ahead of elections next year.
Officials also said that Islamic Jihad, which has firedr barrages of rockets and mortar shells at Israel in recent years, had agreed to honor the truce as well.
Relations with Israel will be a key issue for the interim government, as the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority has been engaged in the peace process while Hamas refuses to recognize the Israel's right to exist.
Although Hamas has insisted it will not change its stance on recognizing Israel, security officials from the organization said on Tuesday that militants have agreed to hold their fire after the new government is formed.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the cease-fire is not officially part of the deal.
National Day of Prayer Marks 60th Year Thursday
Thursday, May 5 marks the 60th annual National Day of Prayer.
The day was first set aside in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and the bill was signed by President Harry Truman.
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday of May as the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer.
As they do each year, Americans across the country will gather for local events to pray for the nation.
This year's theme is, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," which is taken from Psalm 91 in the Bible's Old Testament.
Salvation Army responds to US tornadoes
Salvation Army offering food, drink and spiritual support to storm-ravaged communities in US
Posted: Saturday, April 30, 2011, 14:14 (BST)
The Salvation Army has dispatched emergency disaster personnel to southeastern USA where tornadoes have left at least 350 people dead.
More than 200 tornadoes were reported across six southern states on Tuesday and Wednesday, making it one of the worst ever tornado outbreaks in US history.
The worst hit state was Alabama, where more than 250 people were killed. The town of Tuscaloosa suffered extensive damage when it was struck by a mile-wide tornado on Wednesday.
Other states to be hit were Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia and Virginia.
90-hour Bible reading marathon
NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
(KTRE) - The annual bible reading marathon, kicked off Sunday afternoon in downtown Nacogdoches. The 90-hour total marathon started at 1 p.m. with the Book of Genesis.
It continues until Thursday which is the National Day of Prayer.
Hackers Breach Second Sony Service
Sony Corp. said computer hackers breached security for a second online service, gaining access to personal information for 24.6 million customer accounts as part of a broader attack on the company that has compromised data for more than 100 million accounts.
Sony reports another videogame data breach, this time affecting Sony Online Entertainment after hackers targeted its PlayStation system last month. WSJ's Andrew LaVallee and Jake Lee discuss the implications for the electronics giant.
Sony Online Entertainment, a San Diego-based subsidiary that makes multiplayer games for personal computers, said it shut down its services Monday amid concerns a hacker may have accessed names, birth dates and addresses for its users.
The company said it doesn't believe credit-card information on those accounts was accessed, but said hackers may have stolen credit-card data for about 12,700 non-U.S. accounts and 10,700 bank-account numbers from an "outdated database from 2007."
US Debt Rating Should Be 'C': Independent Agency
There have been increasing concerns about the fate of United States' prized triple-A sovereign debt rating. While Standard and Poor's recently downgraded its U.S. debt outlook to negative from stable, implying that a ratings cut could happen in two years, one independent ratings agency has given the U.S. sovereign rating a "C".
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