“Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.” Isa 26:10
IRAN MOVES NAVY FLEET INTO ATLANTIC IN ‘MESSAGE’ TO US: A senior Iranian naval commander says his country has sent several warships to the Atlantic Ocean, close to US maritime borders for the first time. The announcement came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader said the United States would overthrow the Iranian government if it could, adding Washington had a "controlling and meddlesome" attitude towards the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported. The commander of Iran's Northern Navy Fleet, Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad, said Saturday the vessels have already begun the journey to the Atlantic Ocean via waters near South Africa and that “this move has a message.” The Islamic Republic considers the move as a response to US naval deployments near its own coastlines. The US Navy's 5th fleet is based in nearby Bahrain. Meanwhile, a new report from the Pentagon last week admitted the US would have no clue if Iran obtained nuclear weapons. Iran has been steadily boosting its military capabilities, even as the US has lifted sanctions in the last 2 weeks. (Ynet)
IRAN DENIES NUCLEAR INSPECTORS ENTRY TO PARCHIN MILITARY BASE: Iran has made it quite clear the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will not be visiting the Parchin military base as part of the interim agreement reached over the Islamic regime's nuclear program. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of Iran's atomic energy organization, announced Sunday that "visiting Parchin is not included in the seven steps" of an agreement with the IAEA. The reason given is that Parchin is a military base, not a nuclear facility. Iranian officials reported that the seven steps referred to were moves agreed upon to "show transparency," and are to be implemented by May 15. Parchin has long been suspected as a site where nuclear bomb triggering devices are being tested, a suspicion supported by repeated satellite evidence last August and in August 2012. The denied access is particularly concerning following a Pentagon report last week that acknowledges the US would have no clue if Iran acquired nuclear weapons. The declaration that Parchin will be barred came just nine days before negotiations over a long-term agreement between Iran and world powers begins. The interim agreement has already seen the US lift sanctions on Iran. (INN)
IRAN STATE TV SIMULATED ATTACK ON ISRAEL: Iranian state television on Friday aired a documentary which featured a computerized simulated attack on Israeli cities. The clip, which was posted on YouTube, is a hypothetical scenario which envisions the Iranian response to an Israeli or American military offensive against Iran's nuclear installations. “Anybody who thinks of attacking Iran should be prepared to receive strong slaps and iron fists from the Armed Forces,” Khamenei is seen saying. “And America, its regional puppets and its guard dog – the Zionist regime – should know the reaction of the Iranian nation to any kind of aggression, attacks or even threats will be a response that will make them collapse from within." The documentary's computerized simulation shows how the Iranians envision an attack on Tel Aviv, Haifa, and the USS Abraham Lincoln. The film is yet another propaganda salvo unleashed by the Iranian regime, which has escalated its rhetoric in the past few days. (Jerusalem Post) Pray according to scripture: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” Isa 54:17
IRANIAN SPEAKER: ISRAEL IS A ‘CANCER’ IN THE REGION: The speaker of Iran’s parliament criticized Israel and the United States during a ceremony in honor of Tunisia’s new constitution causing the American delegation to walk out of the celebrations. Addressing the ceremony at the National Assembly in Tunis, Ali Larijani referred to Israel as a "cancer" in the region. Larijani charged that Israel and the US had "tried to render Arab revolutions sterile and to make them deviate from their course so that Israel can benefit." The American embassy in Tunis said following the incident, "What was intended to be a ceremony honoring Tunisia's achievements was used by the Iranian representative as a platform to denounce the United States. The US representatives present at the NCA departed the ceremony due to the inappropriate comments made by the Iranian representative present regarding the United States." (Arutz-7)
ROUHANI APPROVES EXECUTION OF ARAB-IRANIAN POET: Last July, an Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced 14 human rights activists to death on charges of "Waging war on God" and "spreading corruption on earth." Last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Ahvaz, capital of the province of Khuzestan, where he gave the green light for the executions. The first two executions were carried out days ago when Hashem Shaabani and Hadi Rashedi were hanged. Both men were well known for advocating greater cultural freedom for Iran's ethnic Arab-speaking minority, believed to number almost two million. Shaabani, 32, was especially known for the poetry he published both in Persian and Arabic. (Al-Awsat)
US: SYRIA CONFLICT A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY: The civil war in Syria has become a matter of US homeland security over concerns about a number of Americans who have gone to fight with Syrian rebels and returned home, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Friday. Johnson said he and other law enforcement and security officials around the world were focused on foreign fighters heading to the bloody war, including those from the US, Canada and Europe. The US fighters in Syria are recruited by extremists, indoctrinated and provided terror training, according to one of the officials. More Americans are considering going over. Some terror training camps in Syria are filled with westerners. Some of the Americans who have gone over there to train are already back in the US, the official said, citing ongoing investigations around the country. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the Senate Intelligence Committee last month that al-Qaeda groups in Syria have started training camps “to train people to go back to their countries” – one of the newest threats emerging in the past year to US security. (Times of Israel)
70% of ISRAELIS DON’T TRUST US ON SECURITY, SAYS POLL: Seventy percent of Israeli Jews do not believe the US can be relied upon to maintain key Israeli interests and security requirements in the American- brokered agreement being drafted with the Palestinians, a Geocartography Institute poll taken last week found. When the pollsters asked respondents whether they trusted the US under President Barack Obama to maintain Israel’s interests in a deal, 23% said definitely no, 25% said no, 22% said not completely, 17% said yes, 8% said definitely yes and 5% had no opinion. Asked whether they agreed with recent criticism of US Secretary of State John Kerry by top Israeli officials, 67% said yes and only 32% said no. Sixty-seven percent said they agreed with the concerns about a potential boycott of Israel that Kerry raised. Only 17% said they were not concerned about such a boycott. (Reuters) “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.” Ps 118: 9-11
HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS RIOT ON TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER FRIDAY PRAYERS: Minutes after concluding Friday prayers, hundreds of Palestinians attacked officers with rocks at the Temple Mount. The violence came one day after police closed the holy site to Jews to avert another riot, following numerous anonymous threats from Arabs of probable violence should any Jews ascend. According to a police spokesman at approximately 12:30 pm the group began throwing rocks at police officers stationed there, without provocation. “Police responded immediately by entering the Temple Mount area and dispersing the rioters, using only stun grenades in order to prevent injuries,” he said. Seven arrests were made after riot police attempted to quell the violence. (Jerusalem Post) Pray for the protection of Jerusalem’s police and security forces that frequently have to deal with outbreaks of Palestinian violence in the city and around Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount.
SPAIN EASES NATURALIZATION PROCESS FOR SEPHARDIC JEWS: Spain has announced new measures to speed up the naturalization of Jews of Sephardic descent whose ancestors fled the Iberian Peninsula five centuries ago when they were told to convert to Catholicism or go into exile. The Cabinet approved a bill amending previous legislation that granted nationality by naturalization to Sephardic Jews who chose to apply for it. The reform will allow dual nationality, enabling people who can prove Sephardic ancestry to also retain their previous citizenships. Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon said Friday the measure smooth the bureaucracy involved in obtaining Spanish nationality. (Ha’aretz)
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH PRESENTED WITH ADL’S HIGHEST HONOR: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) presented former President George W. Bush with its highest honor, the America’s Democratic Legacy Award, according to a press release Friday. The ADL cited the former president's inspirational leadership in promoting democratic values worldwide when faced with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 during one of the most dramatic and consequential periods in American history; his commitment to securing Israeli-Palestinian peace; and his establishment of the United States’ first Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. "The best Middle Eastern policy starts with an alliance with the only democracy in the Middle East, and that is Israel. The cornerstone of peace begins with an unshakable US-Israel alliance,” stated Bush. (Jerusalem Post)
