The assistance will focus on temporary buildings necessary for the rehabilitation of people rescued and evacuated at disaster sites in Turkey, as well as essential field hospital structures. Israeli Air Force aircraft are currently preparing to transfer these buildings.

The Turkish request was transferred via the Israeli Consul stationed in Ankara.

Two days ago Defense Minister Barak already spoke to Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad, Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs of the Israeli Defense Ministry, offering Turkish authorities any assistance needed in dealing with the earthquake that took place in eastern Turkey. In response, the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz instructed the IDF to prepare for the possibility of a search and rescue aid delegation sent to Turkey. The Home Font Command prepared the relevant forces.

Minister for Home Front Defense, Matan Vilani, offered Turkey assistance. The Minister spoke with the Home Front Command Chief, Maj. Gen, Eyal Eizenberg regarding IDF preparations for the an aid delegation sent to the area.

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu spoke with his Turkish counterpart expressing his condolences for the deaths and damage caused by the earthquake. Israeli President, Shimon Peres, spoke with Abdullah Gul, his Turkish counterpart, expressing his condolences and offering assistance from Israel.

Related posts:

1. Update on Terror Attacks in the South and Israel’s Response Over the last two days, Israel has been hitting back...
2. Israel Offers Aid to Japan The Government of Israel has offered aid to the Japanese...
3. After Itamar Killings, Turkish Journalist Questions Hypocrisy of Condemning Israel In an article appearing in the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

During the discussions outlines were heard by the heads of the security services – Director of the Shin Bet Yoram Cohen, Chief of Staff Benny Gantz , Director of the Mossad Tamir Pardo and the Prime Minister’s special envoy to the negotiations David Meidan. The heads of the security services presented the agreement and its various aspects and expressed their support in it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This is a difficult decision to make, but a leadership is examined in moments like these, in its ability to make difficult decisions. I am bringing Gilad Shalit home, to his parents Noam and Aviva, his brother Yoel, his sister Hadas, his grandfather Zvi, and the people of Israel.”

PM Netanyahu’s remarks at the opening of special Cabinet meeting:

“Today, I bring a proposal to the Government for a deal that will bring Gilad Shalit home alive and well; bring him home to his parents Aviva and Noam, his brother Yoel, his sister Hadas, his grandfather Zvi, and the entire people of Israel. Two and a half years ago, when the government was formed, I took upon myself, as my first priority, to bring Gilad home to his people, to his family – to bring him home safe and sound.

At the time, Gilad was already held in captivity for two and a half years, with no visits from the Red Cross, with no visits at all, and we did not know what state he was in. The first step I took, and we approved it here in the Government, was to get a video recording of Gilad, and we all breathed a sigh of relief when we saw it. We saw that he was functioning, physically, mentally and cognitively. We saw that he was functioning well. We knew that he was healthy and that he was alive. I regarded that tape as an insurance policy, because it obliged the Hamas before the international community to safeguard him, to keep him alive and maintain his health. But that was obviously only the first step.

The most important mission that we had was more challenging – to actually bring Gilad home. To that end we held long and tough negotiations through the German mediator. These negotiations were based on a framework outlined by the previous government. They were long and exhausting and despite all our efforts, a deal was not reached.

I must point out that not a day went by without us trying various ways to bring Gilad home, any way possible, and that didn’t work either. In the last few weeks, the negotiations were renewed in Cairo, this time with the Egyptian government as mediator. My instructions to the team were to adhere to the principles and framework that are important for the security of the State of Israel, which I will detail in the meeting.

There is an inbuilt tension between the desire to bring back an abducted soldier, or citizen, and the need to maintain the security of the citizens of Israel. This is my dual responsibility as Prime Minister.

The deal I am bringing to the Government expresses the right balance between all of these considerations. I do not wish to hide the truth from you – it is a very difficult decision. I feel for the families of victims of terror, I appreciate their suffering and distress, I am one of them. But leadership must be examined at moments such as this, being able to make difficult, but right, decisions.

I believe that we have reached the best deal we could have at this time, when storms are sweeping the Middle East. I do not know if in the near future we would have been able to reach a better deal or any deal at all. It is very possible that this window of opportunity, that opened because of the circumstances, would close indefinitely and we would never have been able to bring Gilad home at all.

Therefore, for all of these reasons, I instructed the team to put their initials on the deal last Thursday, and today it was finalized and signed by both sides. I thank my Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Yohanan Locker, the Chief of the Shin Bet Yoram Cohen, my personal envoy to the negotiations, David Meidan and his predecessor Hagai Hadas. I thank the team that has accompanied them all these years.

I thank the IDF, the security forces for doing everything they could regarding Gilad Shalit. I also wish to thank the German mediator, and the Chancellor Angela Merkel who supported his mission all along. A send a special thanks to the Government of Egypt and the Egyptian Intelligence Services for providing much assistance in mediating and helping us reaching this agreement.

This morning I Invited Noam Shalit to my residence, and I spoke on the phone with the mother Aviva and the grandfather Zvi. I told them that I am keeping my promise and I’m bringing their son and grandson home. I told them, “I’m bringing your boy back.” I am happy that I succeeded in fulfilling the Jewish decree of redeeming captives, and if all goes as planned, Gilad will be back in Israel in the next few days with his family and his people.

The Nation of Israel is a unique people. We are all mutually responsible for each other, as our Sages said: “He who saves one soul, it is as though he saved an entire world.” Tonight, I bring the Government a proposal to save Gilad Shalit, to finally bring him home to Israel after five years.”

Related posts:

1. NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn Proclaims September 7th “Gilad Shalit Day” "When we stand for what is right, we stand united,”...
2. America’s U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice Meets with Noam Shalit Said the American Ambassador to the United Nations "I expressed...
3. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Meets with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Jerusalem Said Deputy FM Danny Ayalon, "The Council is damaging the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“Future assistance and cooperation could be severely and irreparably compromised if the Palestinian leadership continues on its path of essentially acting in contravention of all signed agreements, which also regulate existing economic relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” Ayalon told the conference, which was hosted by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, and chaired by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Ghar Store. The Palestinians were represented by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Ayalon laid out all of Israel’s activities that have assisted the continued growth in the Palestinian economy during the past few years, and how cooperation with Israel is essential for the Palestinian Authority’s institution building. However, the Deputy Foreign Minister warned the Palestinians that all of this will be affected by the Palestinian initiative to bypass negotiations and impose their demands on the international community.

“The Palestinian Authority’s path of unilateralism and reneging on its commitments bodes extremely ill, not just for a peaceful resolution to our conflict, but for the immediate future,” Ayalon said. “If the Palestinian Authority is staking a path, not just against its signed commitments, but against the norms and standards of international peace-making, then it will prove very hard for the State of Israel to continue a process abandoned by its partners and co-signatories.”

Ayalon warned that unilaterally declaring statehood will have legal ramifications for any future cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians. “The State of Israel signed the Oslo Accords with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which created the Palestinian Authority. Israel will have absolutely no obligations towards a so-called Palestinian state, especially one created artificially in this building, in breach of these very accords,” Ayalon told the donors conference.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister called on the international community to use its influence to call on the Palestinians to refrain from taking unilateral steps damaging for the peace process. “The international community and especially donors to the Palestinian Authority should ask for minimal standards of diplomatic practice by the Palestinians,” Ayalon said. “They should do their best to turn the Palestinian leadership away from confrontational and provocative unilateral steps and lead them back to the negotiating table where they will find waiting an Israeli government intent on finding solutions to all the outstanding issues with a view to arriving at a real and lasting end to our conflict.”

Ayalon called on the Palestinians to immediately return to the negotiating table: “It is incumbent on the Palestinian leadership to return to the path of negotiation, compromise and cooperation and lead its people towards the goals set by the international community – two states for two peoples, living in enduring peace and security.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon also called on the international community to demand the immediate release of Gilad Shalit.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon met earlier in the day at the UN with Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, in the presence of Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor. Ayalon told Pascoe that it was essential not to let the Palestinians turn the UN into a rubber stamp for Abu Mazen’s whims. If the Palestinian plan succeeds, the UN will lose status and its ability to preserve stability and order in the world, Ayalon warned.

Related posts:

1. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Throws Support for Israeli to Lead IMF Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank of Israel, is one...
2. Report Released on Economic Progress and Cooperation with Palestinian Authority Today, the Government of Israel released its report ahead of...
3. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Meets with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Jerusalem Said Deputy FM Danny Ayalon, "The Council is damaging the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Israel is sending medical supplies to Nairobi, Kenya, to assist in treating casualties of the fuel-line explosion on 12 September.  In that disaster, more than a hundred people died and hundreds were injured.

As details of the disaster became known, Gil Haskel, Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, offered Israel’s assistance to the heads of Kenyatta National Hospital, where most of the injured are hospitalized. The director of the hospital welcomed the offer and a list of needed medical supplies was formulated.

Israel will send medical supplies for long-term treatment, in accordance to the list, including more than 360 kilograms of medicines for treating burns, bandaging equipment, infusion sets, ointments and painkillers. The aid is expected to arrive in Kenya on Thursday,  September 15th.

The supplies were mobilized and dispatched by the Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Related posts:

1. Palestinian Family Caught Under Hamas Rocket Fire Saved By IDF With the Erez Crossing suffering serious damage to its electrical...
2. Israel Joins World in Shock Over Oslo Terror Attacks President Shimon Peres sent a special condolence letter to the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Related posts:

1. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Meets with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Jerusalem Said Deputy FM Danny Ayalon, "The Council is damaging the...
2. President Peres Meets with Visiting Members of Congress Said Peres, "We never forget your bipartisan support of Israel...
3. Israel Welcomes New U.S. Ambassador Said Ambassador Shapiro (in perfect Hebrew) ""Thank you for the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

On Thursday night in Israel, terrorist attacks flared up once again, with rocket and mortars continuing to be launched from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel, forcing some 1 million civilians into bomb shelters.  As the rockets mortars rained down across Israel’s southern skies, they managed to cause damage to the Erez Crossing, The only crossing used by people traveling between Gaza and Israel.

With Hamas committed to the destruction of Israel, one would normally assume the victims of their terrorist attacks are always Israelis. After all, they are firing into southern Israel, right?

Unfortunately, during the recent attack, a Palestinian family was caught in the crossfire on their way back to Gaza from Israel. Three Palestinian women and their children had come to Israel to receive medical treatment. Whether during periods of calm or not, it is quite common for Gazans to seek medical treatment in Israel, as the Hamas-run enclave spends more time crafting missiles than training doctors.

The mortar attack on the Erez Crossing happened at the very same time the Palestinian family was attempting to return to Gaza. With the Erez Crossing suffering serious damage to its electrical system from the attacks, Israelis monitoring the crossing risked their lives to bring the Palestinians back to a safe location. Here, they were given food, water and medical care.

Despite an onslaught of terrorist attacks and rocket fire over the last week, it has not stopped Israel from maintaining the border crossings, which are used for the movements of not only Palestinians but to bring in goods and supplies, which arrive by the thousands of tons per day.

Related posts:

1. Despite Rocket Attacks, Israel Reopens Crossings for Aid to Enter Gaza Even while Israel continues to be pounded by over 100...
2. Hours After Gaza Rocket Hits Schoolbus in Israel, “Iron Dome” Makes Historic Achievement Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that "Iron Dome" intercepted two projectiles...
3. Following Grisly Terror Attack, a Look at Palestinian Incitement Terrorists are given an honored status and become models for...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Erez Crossing, despite being hit by 2 rockets,  remained open to allow 100 Palestinians living in Gaza to enter Israel to receive medical treatment. At the Kerem Shalom crossing, 80 truckloads entered Gaza over the weekend, totaling 2,554 tons of goods, and 46 tons of cooking gas.

Here’s the breakdown:

• 13 truckloads of Fruits and Vegetables.
• 5 truckloads of Meat and Fish.
• 3 truckloads of Dairy Products
• 23 truckloads of Mixed Grain for animals feed.
• 9 truckloads of mixed food.
• UNRWA transferred 21 truckloads of construction materials and 6 truckloads of flour.

Related posts:

1. Hours After Gaza Rocket Hits Schoolbus in Israel, “Iron Dome” Makes Historic Achievement Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that "Iron Dome" intercepted two projectiles...
2. One Killed and Scores Wounded in Rocket Barrages on Southern Israel On Saturday, August 20th, over 60 rockets and mortars were...
3. Middle East Quartet Denounces Additional Flotillas The Middle East Quartet released a statement noting that efforts...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

With recent events shining an international spotlight on the situation in Gaza, the Middle East Quartet (United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia), released a statement noting that efforts “have improved conditions over the last year, including a marked increase in the range and scope of goods and materials moving into Gaza, an increase in international project activity, and the facilitation of some exports.” Last week alone, 1,236 truckloads totaling over 29,556 tons of goods were unloaded at the land crossings into the Gaza Strip and transferred to Palestinian and international organizations for distribution. This is in addition to Egypt’s reopening of the Rafah border crossing.  The Quartet commended “the recent approval by Israel of materials for new homes and schools to be constructed by UNRWA.”

The statement continued saying:

“The Quartet recognizes that Israel has legitimate security concerns that must continue to be safeguarded. Members of the Quartet are committed to working with Israel, Egypt and the international community to prevent the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition into Gaza and believe efforts to maintain security while enabling movement and access for Palestinian people and goods are critical. In this context, the Quartet strongly urges all those wishing to deliver goods to the people of Gaza to do so through established channels so that their cargo can be inspected and transferred via established land crossings. The Quartet regrets the injury and deaths caused by the 2010 flotilla, urges restraint and calls on all Governments concerned to use their influence to discourage additional flotillas, which risk the safety of their participants and carry the potential for escalation.”

The Quartet also called for an end to “the deplorable five-year detention of Gilad Shalit.”

Read the full statement here.

Related posts:

1. U.S.-Israeli Relations and the Drastically Changing Middle East With the 112th United States Congress well underway in Washington,...
2. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Meets with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Jerusalem Said Deputy FM Danny Ayalon, "The Council is damaging the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Widespread death and destruction was caused by the earthquake and tsunamis.  According to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the “enormously powerful” earthquake caused “tremendous damage over a wide area.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman immediately directed Israel’s ambassador in Tokyo, Nissim Ben- Sheetrit, to offer any aid to the Japanese government that it may need in dealing with the tragedy.

In addition, Ben-Sheetrit said that the embassy was trying to make contact with Israelis known to be in the country and who remain unaccounted for.

Click here to read more.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with Quartet Representative Tony Blair, announced Friday a series of steps that Israel will take to enhance stability and advance economic prosperity with the Palestinian Authority, ultimately contributing to peace and security in the region. The broad framework of Israel’s plan includes:

1. Steps to advance the economic growth in the Palestinian areas
2. Steps to make Gaza independent of Israeli infrastructure
3. Steps to diversify gas supplies and develop additional energy sources in the future

The concrete measures Israel plans to take include:

• An extension of Palestinian Authority security presence in Area B on the West Bank – with seven towns approved in principle.
• An agreement to fast-track the construction or reconstruction of schools and health clinics in Area C  on the basis of plans submitted by the Palestinian Authority and the Quartet Office.
• Granting West Bank identification cards to 5,000 Gaza-registered residents of the West Bank.
• An agreement to quickly resolve outstanding revenue collection issues between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority Finance Ministries.
• An agreement to revive discussions on the “Gaza Marine” gas field project, with approval in principle to supply Palestinian offshore gas to Gaza power plants and the approval of a new power station in Gaza.
• An agreement to establish mobile desalination plants to meet Gaza’s needs for clean water, and the approval in principle for a permanent desalination plant.
• Approval for all the sanitation and water treatment plants necessary for Gaza.  The Government of Israel agreed to facilitate and support the entry of construction materials to enable projects to be completed on schedule.
• An agreement on further measures to promote Gaza exports, especially in furniture, textiles, and agriculture. In February, the Israeli Government will transfer 40,000 tons of aggregates into Gaza.
• Future approval of another 20 named construction projects. The aim is to begin a pilot project for private sector construction materials by April 1, 2011.
• Israel has agreed to encourage the implementation of all projects that abide by municipal regulations that will improve infrastructure in East Jerusalem for Palestinians, particularly in housing, with two projects already approved.

Full text of the joint press conference is available on the Prime Minister’s website.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.