VFI News April 22, 2022

Raisi threatens to target the center of the Israeli regime & Putin meets with the Palestinian Authority and more. check this out to listen to more from Barry!

• 00:25 - Raisi threatens to target the center of the Israeli regime
• 01:10 - Iran moves centrifuges to the underground site
• 02:27 - Mansour Abbas threatens to leave the government coalition
• 04:07 - Putin meets with the Palestinian Authority
• 06:22 - Bennet criticizes Jordanian PM
• 08:03 - Israeli laser technology to shoot down drones
• 09:26 - Israeli consumer goods rise by 0.6%

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As Passover comes to an end, our team at VFI would like to wish you all a happy last day of Passover. May this be a season of reflection and blessings for your family. Chag same’ach!

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett came out against those who incite against Israel and encourage terrorists, hours after Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh praised Palestinian attacks on Israelis in a speech to the parliament in Amman on Monday, April 18.

“Israel is doing everything so that everyone can always celebrate their holidays safely – Jews, Muslims, and Christians,” Bennett said. “We expect everyone not to join the lies and certainly not to encourage violence against Jews.”

Bennett also spoke out against those who “blame Israel for the violence against us, those who encourage throwing rocks and violence against the citizens of the State of Israel.”

This is unacceptable. That is a prize for the inciters, foremost of which is Hamas, which is trying to spark violence in Jerusalem,” Bennett stated.

Khasawneh said he “praises every Palestinian and Jordanian Islamic Wakf [religious trust] worker who stands tall like a turret and those who throw rocks at the pro-Zionists who are defiling al-Aqsa Mosque while under the security of the Israeli occupation government.”

He also repeated an unsupported theory advanced by the Palestinians that Israel plans to divide the Temple Mount like the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, into separate spaces and hours for Jews and Muslims. An Israeli senior diplomatic source confirmed that no changes to the current situation have been proposed.

Meanwhile, Jordan called an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers on Thursday, to discuss the situation. (JPost / VFI News)

“Lord, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the people within it.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

The Ra'am party has submitted its conditions for remaining part of the coalition to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, maintaining the status quo at the Temple Mount under which Jews are banned from any form of prayer at their holiest site, Channel 12 News reported.

In addition, the party demands an agreed outline for the implementation of the economic five-year plan within a year, accelerating the recognition and regulation of villages in the Negev and expanding the program to eradicate crime and violence in the Arab sector.

Tomorrow, April 19, a meeting will be held of members of the Ra'am party and the Islamic Movement in which Abbas will be required to take more drastic measures in response to the recent violence on and surrounding the Temple Mount, possibly including withdrawing from the coalition altogether.

However, Mansour Abbas insists that it is not right for the party to leave the coalition at this time and lose the unique status it has attained as an Arab party in the Israeli government.

On Sunday, April 17, the Ra'am party froze its participation in the coalition in response to pressure from the Islamic Movement, citing law enforcement efforts against Arab rioters on the Temple Mount.

The council held an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon after one of its leaders, Sheikh Mohammad Salameh Hassan, demanded the UAL (United Arab List or Ra’am in Hebrew) party bolt the coalition and bring down the government.

At the urging of party chief MK Mansour Abbas, the council did not insist on the UAL’s immediate departure from the coalition but instead instructed the faction to cease all cooperation with the government for the time being.

“God, we ask that You bring peace and stability within the government in Israel.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call Monday, April 18, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss tensions in Jerusalem and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

According to the report, Putin updated Abbas on “Russia’s special military operation to defend the Donbas region” in eastern Ukraine. The phone call reportedly took place at the Palestinian leader’s behest.

With the war in Ukraine driving up food prices globally, Putin also assured Abbas during the phone call that Moscow will provide the Palestinians with “Russian wheat, materials, and crops.”

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa said that Putin “stressed Russia’s firm position in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, and that Russia will continue to accord its political support to the Palestinian cause in all international forums, and what is happening in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Wafa also reported that the Russian leader rejected “the Israeli practices that prevent worshipers from freely accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” adding that Israel must “respect the existing historical status quo” at the holy site.

Russia has long been a champion of the Palestinian cause, with PA hoping Moscow will play a more central role in mediating between it and Israel. (TOI / VFI News)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Monday, April 18, warned that Israel will be targeted by his country’s armed forces if it makes “the tiniest move” against Iran.

Raisi addressed Israel directly during a speech at an annual parade of Iran’s armed forces.

“If you make the tiniest move against the nation of Iran, the center of the Zionist regime will be the target of our armed forces,” Raisi said, referring to Tel Aviv.

Raisi did not elaborate, but said Iran watches any move by Israel “closely.”

He spoke as talks stalled in Vienna over a deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear capabilities. European-sponsored talks hope to save the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program aimed at preventing it from obtaining a weapon. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you protect Israel from attack and violence.”

Barry & Batya would like to wish you and yours a very happy Passover!

Iran has confirmed it relocated a centrifuge facility to its underground Natanz nuclear site, state media reported, days after the UN atomic watchdog said it installed surveillance cameras to monitor the new workshop at Tehran’s request. Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for Iran’s atomic energy organization, has been quoted as saying authorities had moved the operation to a safer place.

Iran’s centrifuge facility in Karaj found itself targeted in what Iran described as a sabotage attack in June. Natanz itself has twice been targeted in sabotage attacks amid uncertainty over the nuclear deal, assaults that Iran has blamed on Israel.

“Unfortunately because of a terrorist operation that took place against Karaj, we were obliged to intensify security measures under which we moved an important part of the machines and transferred the rest to Natanz and Isfahan,” said Kamalvandi. Isfahan is the location of another Iranian nuclear facility.

On Thursday, April 14, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said it installed cameras and removed seals from machines at the new workshop in Natanz two days earlier. Those machines will be used to make centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows, crucial parts for the devices that spin at very high speeds to enrich uranium gas.

Talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled. There is concern that Iran could be closer to being able to construct an atomic weapon if it chose to pursue one. The nuclear deal collapsed four years ago when former US President Donald Trump withdrew and imposed crushing sanctions on Iran. (JPost / VFI News)

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. - Matthew 24:6

The Defense Ministry revealed Thursday, April 14, that a laser air defense system it is developing successfully shot down drones, rockets, mortars, and anti-tank missiles in the first series of tests last month.

According to the head of the ministry’s research and development team, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaniv Rotem, the tests were conducted at “challenging” ranges and timings.

“The use of a laser is a ‘game changer’ and the technology is simple to operate and proves to be economically viable,” he said.

In a video released by the ministry, the laser-based system can be seen intercepting a rocket, a mortar, and a drone at an undisclosed location in southern Israel’s Negev desert, in March of this year.

The ministry has been testing the laser-based defense system for several years, shooting down a drone with it last year. The recent tests were the first to be successful against the other threats, including unguided projectiles and anti-tank guided missiles.

Its research and development department initially planned to deploy the anti-missile system by 2024, but the military has pushed for an earlier deployment. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced in February that Israel would deploy the system within the year. (TOI / VFI News)

You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; - Jeremiah 51:20

The cost of consumer goods in Israel rose by 0.6 percent over the course of March 2022, data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Friday.

Since the beginning of 2022, there has been a rise of 1.5%, and over the past 12 months, the consumer price index has risen by 3.5%, according to the new CPI data.

The CPI measures the average cost of household goods. Particular rises were seen in clothing and footwear (4.6%), culture and entertainment (2.1%), and transport (1.6%).

However, a decrease of 2.5% was seen in the costs of fresh vegetables and fruits, the data showed.

The rise in the index was lower than expected, and the annual inflation rate had not risen since last month.

Apartment prices also rose during the first two months of 2022, by 1.8%, resulting in a cumulative rise of 15.2% in the past 12 months compared to the previous period.

Central Israel and Jerusalem saw the highest increase during January and February of 2022, 2.4% and 2.2% respectively. Haifa saw an increase of 2.1%, the rest of northern Israel 1.6%. Southern Israel saw an increase of 1.5% and last came Tel Aviv, with 1.3%. (TOI / VFI News)

Jerusalem was on edge Monday morning, April 18, as a prayer ceremony went ahead at the Western Wall for the Passover holiday, with authorities still facing the ongoing threat of Palestinian violence around the Jewish holy site.

The semi-annual priestly blessing event, known in Hebrew as “Birkat Hacohanim,” was held without incident.

The ceremony usually draws tens of thousands to the Western Wall plaza. However, turnout appeared to be quite low on Monday compared to previous years, amid heightened tensions in the capital.

Several Hebrew media reports estimated that attendance was in the low thousands.

This year’s event was split into two sessions, with the first on Monday and the second on Wednesday, to reduce crowding for security reasons. A stampede at an overcrowded religious event at Mount Meron in northern Israel killed 45 people last year in Israel’s worst-ever peacetime disaster.

Around 2,500 police officers were securing the area around the time of the prayers.

Jewish pilgrims make their way to the ceremony on the intermediate days of the Passover and Sukkot festivals, with crowds spilling out from the wall’s plaza into the surrounding areas.

The ceremony, which sees male descendants of the Kohanim priestly caste gather to bestow a benediction, involves the raising of hands to perform the blessing, with those conducting the blessing wrapped in prayer shawls.

Pictures from Monday’s prayer session showed some worshipers covered with Ukrainian flags amid the Russian offensive in the eastern European country. (TOI / VFI News)

Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. - Deut. 16:1

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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