Oprah visits a mikvah

Last week, Oprah visited Crown Heights, Borough Park and Brooklyn Heights for an episode of her new show, Oprah's Next Chapter. She was given a tour of a Brooklyn Heights mikvah by Chabad women, enjoyed a meal with two Chasidic families, and discussed communal affairs with local women.


Oprah's new show will premiere in January on her network OWN. The show features "revealing interviews and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from the ends of the big, beautiful earth to her own backyard."

GILAD -- HOME FOR SUKKOS B"H

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!

GILAD IS COMING HOME FOR SUKKOT B"H!!!

MAY THIS BE THE FIRST OF A QUICKENING SERIES OF MIRACLES HERALDING THE FULL REDEMPTION OF AM YISRAEL!!!

And may this Sukkot be a time of truly unbounded joy, because through the unbounded joy of Sukkot we can access the unbounded joy of the messianic era. The Shalit family knows a bit what this feels like right now...

CHAG SAMEACH!

ושמחת בחגך והיית אך שמח

Deal for Shalit release now on the table

Shana tova to my fellow geulah bloggers and readers! 

With the onset of 5772 we have received a ray of sunlight of good news (yes, this blog may be known for doomsday posts, but who knows, maybe this will change in 5772?)...Israel and Hamas are said to have reached a deal that will secure the RELEASE OF GILAD SHALIT B"H. The deal is part of a "brief window of opportunity" on the background of changes across the Arab world. As with previous deals, this will entail the release of prisoners by Israel as well, although this deal includes the most strict requirements yet for the exile of prisoners from Israel and the West Bank (although some may return to Gaza - Israeli press). The Israeli cabinet is meeting now (Tuesday 8 p.m. Israel time) to vote on the deal.

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You may want to take this time to read the verses of Psalm 119 that spell Gilad's Hebrew name. When praying for Gilad's release keep in mind that Hashem is capable of anything and everything...and that we pray for the immediate, unconditional release of Gilad! You may want to visualize Gilad sitting in the sukkah with his family...talk about the unbounded joy of Sukkot!

גְּמֹל עַל-עַבְדְּךָ אֶחְיֶה;    וְאֶשְׁמְרָה דְבָרֶךָ.
גַּל-עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה--    נִפְלָאוֹת, מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ.
גֵּר אָנֹכִי בָאָרֶץ;    אַל-תַּסְתֵּר מִמֶּנִּי, מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
גָּרְסָה נַפְשִׁי לְתַאֲבָה--    אֶל-מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ בְכָל-עֵת.
גָּעַרְתָּ, זֵדִים אֲרוּרִים--    הַשֹּׁגִים, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
גַּל מֵעָלַי, חֶרְפָּה וָבוּז:    כִּי עֵדֹתֶיךָ נָצָרְתִּי.
גַּם יָשְׁבוּ שָׂרִים, בִּי נִדְבָּרוּ--    עַבְדְּךָ, יָשִׂיחַ בְּחֻקֶּיךָ.
גַּם-עֵדֹתֶיךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי--    אַנְשֵׁי עֲצָתִי.

לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה--    דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם.
לְדֹר וָדֹר, אֱמוּנָתֶךָ;    כּוֹנַנְתָּ אֶרֶץ, וַתַּעֲמֹד.
לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, עָמְדוּ הַיּוֹם:    כִּי הַכֹּל עֲבָדֶיךָ.
לוּלֵי תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי--    אָז, אָבַדְתִּי בְעָנְיִי.
לְעוֹלָם, לֹא-אֶשְׁכַּח פִּקּוּדֶיךָ:    כִּי בָם, חִיִּיתָנִי.
לְךָ-אֲנִי, הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי:    כִּי פִקּוּדֶיךָ דָרָשְׁתִּי.
לִי קִוּוּ רְשָׁעִים לְאַבְּדֵנִי;    עֵדֹתֶיךָ, אֶתְבּוֹנָן.
לְכָל-תִּכְלָה, רָאִיתִי קֵץ;    רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד.

עָשִׂיתִי, מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק;    בַּל-תַּנִּיחֵנִי, לְעֹשְׁקָי.

עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב;    אַל-יַעַשְׁקֻנִי זֵדִים.

עֵינַי, כָּלוּ לִישׁוּעָתֶךָ;    וּלְאִמְרַת צִדְקֶךָ.
עֲשֵׂה עִם-עַבְדְּךָ כְחַסְדֶּךָ;    וְחֻקֶּיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.
עַבְדְּךָ-אָנִי הֲבִינֵנִי;    וְאֵדְעָה, עֵדֹתֶיךָ.
עֵת, לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיהוָה--    הֵפֵרוּ, תּוֹרָתֶךָ.
עַל-כֵּן, אָהַבְתִּי מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ--    מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז.
עַל-כֵּן, כָּל-פִּקּוּדֵי כֹל יִשָּׁרְתִּי;    כָּל-אֹרַח שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי.

דָּבְקָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשִׁי;    חַיֵּנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
דְּרָכַי סִפַּרְתִּי, וַתַּעֲנֵנִי;    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
דֶּרֶךְ-פִּקּוּדֶיךָ הֲבִינֵנִי;    וְאָשִׂיחָה, בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ.
דָּלְפָה נַפְשִׁי, מִתּוּגָה;    קַיְּמֵנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
דֶּרֶךְ-שֶׁקֶר, הָסֵר מִמֶּנִּי;    וְתוֹרָתְךָ חָנֵּנִי.
דֶּרֶךְ-אֱמוּנָה בָחָרְתִּי;    מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ שִׁוִּיתִי.
דָּבַקְתִּי בְעֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ;    יְהוָה, אַל-תְּבִישֵׁנִי.
דֶּרֶךְ-מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ אָרוּץ:    כִּי תַרְחִיב לִבִּי.

בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ--    לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ;    אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה--    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי--    כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.
בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי--    כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.
בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה;    וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.
בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע;    לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.

נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ;    וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי.
נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּמָה--    לִשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.
נַעֲנֵיתִי עַד-מְאֹד;    יְהוָה, חַיֵּנִי כִדְבָרֶךָ.
נִדְבוֹת פִּי, רְצֵה-נָא יְהוָה;    וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.
נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד;    וְתוֹרָתְךָ, לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי.
נָתְנוּ רְשָׁעִים פַּח לִי;    וּמִפִּקּוּדֶיךָ, לֹא תָעִיתִי.
נָחַלְתִּי עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם:    כִּי-שְׂשׂוֹן לִבִּי הֵמָּה.
נָטִיתִי לִבִּי, לַעֲשׂוֹת חֻקֶּיךָ--    לְעוֹלָם עֵקֶב.

אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי-דָרֶךְ--    הַהֹלְכִים, בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה.
אַשְׁרֵי, נֹצְרֵי עֵדֹתָיו;    בְּכָל-לֵב יִדְרְשׁוּהוּ.
אַף, לֹא-פָעֲלוּ עַוְלָה;    בִּדְרָכָיו הָלָכוּ.
אַתָּה, צִוִּיתָה פִקֻּדֶיךָ--    לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד.
אַחֲלַי, יִכֹּנוּ דְרָכָי--    לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֶּיךָ.
אָז לֹא-אֵבוֹשׁ--    בְּהַבִּיטִי, אֶל-כָּל-מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
אוֹדְךָ, בְּיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב--    בְּלָמְדִי, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.
אֶת-חֻקֶּיךָ אֶשְׁמֹר;    אַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי עַד-מְאֹד.

בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ--    לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ;    אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה--    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי--    כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.
בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי--    כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.
בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה;    וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.
בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע;    לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.

יָדֶיךָ עָשׂוּנִי, וַיְכוֹנְנוּנִי;    הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶלְמְדָה מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
יְרֵאֶיךָ, יִרְאוּנִי וְיִשְׂמָחוּ:    כִּי לִדְבָרְךָ יִחָלְתִּי.
יָדַעְתִּי יְהוָה, כִּי-צֶדֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ;    וֶאֱמוּנָה, עִנִּיתָנִי.
יְהִי-נָא חַסְדְּךָ לְנַחֲמֵנִי--    כְּאִמְרָתְךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ.
יְבֹאוּנִי רַחֲמֶיךָ וְאֶחְיֶה:    כִּי-תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי.
יֵבֹשׁוּ זֵדִים, כִּי-שֶׁקֶר עִוְּתוּנִי;    אֲנִי, אָשִׂיחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ.
יָשׁוּבוּ לִי יְרֵאֶיךָ;    וידעו (וְיֹדְעֵי), עֵדֹתֶיךָ.
יְהִי-לִבִּי תָמִים בְּחֻקֶּיךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ.

בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ--    לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ;    אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה--    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי--    כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.
בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי--    כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.
בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה;    וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.
בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע;    לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.

הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ;    וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב.
הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ;    וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל-לֵב.

הַדְרִיכֵנִי, בִּנְתִיב מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ:    כִּי-בוֹ חָפָצְתִּי.
הַט-לִבִּי, אֶל-עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ;    וְאַל אֶל-בָּצַע.
הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי, מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא;    בִּדְרָכֶךָ חַיֵּנִי.
הָקֵם לְעַבְדְּךָ, אִמְרָתֶךָ--    אֲשֶׁר, לְיִרְאָתֶךָ.
הַעֲבֵר חֶרְפָּתִי, אֲשֶׁר יָגֹרְתִּי:    כִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ טוֹבִים.
הִנֵּה, תָּאַבְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶיךָ;    בְּצִדְקָתְךָ חַיֵּנִי.

A day of violence in the West Bank

Kiryat Arba
Shortly before noon on Friday there was a car accident between an Israeli car and a Palestinian youth on Road 60, near Kiryat Arba. In the accident, the Palestinian youth was severely injured. Following the incident, Arabs gathered at the site and began to riot and attack police officers who arrived at the scene. Despite arrests and attempts to quiet the riots, the Arabs continued to exert violence on police officers, who began to shoot rubber bullets on the rioters, until the crowd eventually dispersed. Israeli security forces are concerned that the security situation is highly volatile leading up to Abu Mazen's speech at the UN this evening.


Har Gilo
1:30 p.m.: Dozens of Arabs are presently rioting by the separation fene near Har Gilo. Israel army forces are on the other side of the fence to prevent a breach. No injures have been reported (HNN Hebrew article)

Qalandia  checkpoint (near Ramallah)

2 p.m.: Masked Arabs are throwing rocks at Israeli security forces at the Qalandia security checkpoint.
4 p.m. Hundreds of Arabs demonstrated at Qalandia and threw stones at security forces, who responded with crowd control measures. 

Gilo 
2:10p.m.: Palestinian security forces report that dozens of Palestinian youths are assembling at a checkpoint in Gilo

Shilo
Dozens of Shilo area Jewish residents arrived at Eli Ayin mount to protest the recent evacuation of the settlement by the Israeli army. Simultaneously, nearly 1,000 Arabs from the village of Kutzra are marching towards the area with Palestinian flags, and the local Muazin (Muslim call to prayer) is calling for Arabs to confront the group of Jews. At present Israeli army forces are standing between the two groups, attempting to disperse the Jewish protestors. (HaKol HaYehudi Hebrew article)

Chalchul
A man in his 30's and a baby were killed after their vehicle overturned on Route 60 near Hebron on Friday afternoon. While police are claiming it was a traffic accident, initial reports from residents who arrved at the scene informed the press that a stone was thrown at the vehicle and caused the accident.


This is a summary of events until 4:45 p.m. Israel time. We will pick up again on Saturday night. Shabbat Shalom to all. 

Obama's UN address + live webcast

From Obama's remarks at the UN General Assembly:

The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own, but ... a genuine peace can only be realized between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves

America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakable, our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring ... Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against them. Israel's citizens have been killed by rockets fired on their houses and bombs on their buses 

Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now 

You can watch the UN General Assembly debates live here: http://www.un.org/webcast

A guide to the Palestinian statehood bid: for, against, and undecided

The unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is ultimately the creation of another Gaza or northern Lebanon in the heart of Israel. When Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and northern Lebanon, the respective territory became not a basis for an entity that could develop healthy economic, political and social relations with Israel, but rather fertile ground for shooting rockets deeper into Israeli territory and infiltrating its borders to commit acts of violence on civilians--official strategic policies advanced by parties that were democratically elected, i.e. supported by the population, in the case of Gaza.

Moreover, as 45 years have passed since the said territory was won by Israel in a war they did not want (keep in mind: Palestinians, along with Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon were enemies of Israel prior to 1967, when Israel had those dreamy pre-67 borders), the West Bank is now home to nearly one million Israelis, who have since built vibrant and extensive infrastructure, cities, schools, transportation systems, community centers and agriculture. In the present security context, the declaration of a Palestinian state outside of the context of a peace agreement with Israel is a declaration of war on a sovereign country.

In the days leading up to Abbas' formal application for UN membership at the UN this Friday, Israeli and Palestinian officials are busy tallying up pledges by countries to vote for and against the bid. The potential upcoming and critical votes on the matter, and the expected outcomes, are as follows:

UN Security council vote

On Friday, September 23, Mahmoud Abbas will submit the membership application to the UN Secretary General after his address to the General Assembly. Still, the UN Security Council vote on the bid may be delayed for several weeks. If a vote should happen, the bid would require a majority of 9 out of 15 votes in favor in order to pass. As it stands, out of the 15 members of the UN so-called Security Council, six or seven have pledged to support the Palestinian bid. Palestinian foreign minister Raid Malki said that officials are now busy trying to convince two or three more members in favor of accepting Palestine as a member state.

Permanent members: The UN security council is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain and the US. Britain and France have thus far not announced an official position, although have said that Palestinians should approach the EU rather than the UN. China and Russia are likely to support the bid. 

Non-permanent members: In addition to the five permanent members, the General Assembly periodically elects ten non-permanent members, who take part in the council for two-year terms. The current non-permanent members and their position on the bid are as follows:

In favor (6): Brazil, India, Lebanon, South Africa (China, Russia)

Against (2): Germany (US)

Will abstain (1): Colombia 

Undecided (6=have not yet made an official announcement, as of 9/20): Portugal, Bosnia, Nigeria, Gabon (Britain, France)

[Note: as a result of Palestinian pressure, YNet reports that Gabon and Nigeria are set to endorse the bid, although no formal announcement has been made]

In other words, the fate of Israel could lie in the hands of a West African nation most people never new existed, with a population of 1.5 million.

General Assembly vote

If Gabon and Nigeria indeed endorse the bid, and if Palestinians (h"v) enlist the support of either Portugal, Nigeria or Bosnia (this article says Portugal is likely to endorse), amounting to a majority in the Security Council, then the US will most likely be forced to use its veto power to kill the motion.

However, this still leaves the Palestinians with the option of going to the General Assembly, by invoking Resolution 377, which states that if the Security Council fails to exercise its responsibility for the "maintenance of international peace and security," the General Assembly can in effect bypass the Security Council decision. Legal experts have emphasized that the wording of the resolution does not have the backing of international law, but Israeli officials are not taking chances.

Should the Palestinians go to the General Assembly after facing a US veto, they would require two-thirds of 193 votes in order for the membership bid to pass.

Some are warning that the Palestinians may bypass the Security Council entirely and head straight for the General Assembly, should their chances there be better. 

Indonesia

This is where countries like Indonesia come into the picture. And specifically, efforts by countries like Indonesia to not only back the bid, but lobby other countries to support it.

On Tuesday, after a meeting with Kazakhstani and Portugese officials, Indonesia's foreign minister announced that the country is actively seeking opportunities to ensure Palestine's bid for UN membership.

Also on Tuesday, Indonesian officials upgraded the status of the Mount Tambora volcano to Level 3, after volcano activity increased, raising the risk of the emission of toxic gas to neighboring villages, and forcing evacuations of these areas.

The Mount Tambora volcano was responsible for the largest and deadliest volcanic eruption in history, in April 1815, in which nearly 100,000 people were killed.

In April, Tambora showed signs of awakening. In August, it made headlins for spewing thick white smoke into the sky.

Throughout the month of September, earthquake activity has increased.

Suspected terror attack in Turkey

A bomb went off in downtown Ankara on Wednesday morning, injuring at least 27 people. Turkish officials reported that the blast occurred in a minibus. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told Turkish television that the blast was caused by a bomb that was planted in a vehicle.

New Video! Earthquakes, Elenin and the Land of Israel

My first YouTube video:



Please like this video and comment on Youtube if you feel so inclined (so far there are far too many anti-Israel comments)!

6.9 India earthquake, Elenin and the Palestinian UN state bid

A shallow 6.9 earthquake hit Sikkim, India at 6:10p.m. local time on Sunday evening, killing at least 16 people, toppling buildings, and sending tremors as far as New Delhi, Bangladesh and Nepal. The quake precipitated massive landslides throughout the Himalayan state, cutting off thousands living in remote areas.

For those following the relationship between Elenin and recent increased earthquake activity throughout the globe: Elenin is now between the orbs of Mercury and Venus, on its way to align with the Earth, Sun and Mercury on Venus' orb around the Jewish New Year on September 27th. Elenin is currently 0.542 astronomical units from the Earth (the sun is 1 AU from the Earth; during the Japan earthquake, Elenin was 6 AUs from Earth).

Now, guess who announced their support of Palestinian state bid at the UN on Friday?

India will support a Palestinian bid for membership of the United Nations at a meeting of the General Assembly scheduled for later this month, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said on Friday...Mr. Mathai told journalists that India “will support the resolution on Palestine seeking membership of the United Nations” and that India was among the first countries to accord the state of Palestine diplomatic recognition when it was proclaimed in November 1988 (The Hindu, Sept. 17, 2011).

Earthquakes, Elenin and Eretz Yisrael are all in God's hands. 

Elenin, Rosh Hashana and Sukkot

The video below presents a chart made by Luis Vega showing that the dates of Elenin's upcoming alignments with Earth match up perfectly with Rosh Hashana 5772 and the last day of Sukkot 5772. This is particularly interesting in light of the recent announcement that the decree of war has been delayed until after Hoshana Rabbah. 

Elenin-watchers have drawn parallels between Earth's previous alignments with Elenin and major earthquake activity around the globe. Only the last alignments took place when Elenin's distance from earth was 6 times further than the distance between the sun and Earth; Elenin's next alignment--on Rosh Hashana--will take place when Elenin is midway between the Earth and the sun.

On the Shmini Atzeret/Hoshana Raba, Elenin will enter Earth's orbit, which could exert gravitational pull.

What will we be doing B"H between these two major alignments? Teshuva, Tefila and Tzedaka. Let's make it count.

Note: At the 10-minute mark, the speaker switches from presenting the material to discussing its relevance to Christian doctrine.

Explosion at French nuclear site

Source: France Info

An explosion at the Marcoule nuclear site in southern France has killed one and injured four. The blast was caused by a furnace fire in a radioactive waste site in the town of Codolet. Officials say there are no leaks of radioactive material, but a security perimiter has been set up around the plant.

Update: French emergency services warn of risk of radioactive leak.

Police search for stolen vans amidst 9/11 terror alerts

Police on high alert before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks are considering whether two incidents of vehicle theft in the DC and New York areas may be related to terrorist activity.

In Prince George County, two Ford Econoline U-Haul vans were reported stolen on Saturday, in what law enforcement agencies have been briefed may fit a terror warning. The vans both carry Arizona plates: AE10807 and AE15192.

Meanwhile, the NYPD is searching for three stolen vans, two of which belonged to a World Trade Center site contractor:

One of the vans, a white Econoline, was stolen from Liberty Storage, a self-storage facility in Jersey City, N.J. on Aug. 21 and had Oklahoma plates, police said. Thieves cut the phone lines, alarms and took with them surveillance video, in what could be an extensive effort to cover their tracks in a way that seemed different from the average grand larceny.

The other two, dark green Chevy vans, were stolen Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 from Tully Construction, Co. Contractors, which has been involved in recovery work at the site and is currently doing roadwork on West St. near 1 World Trade Center...The two green vans had a red stripe on the body and a yellow turret light. No arrests have been made, and the vans have not been recovered. Tully Construction was one of four contractors chosen to perform the clean up after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed.

According to a police source from the DC incident, "It just feels like something is going to happen."

 

What's going on with Greece?

Today 20,000 protested in Greek's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, in anticipating of the government's announcement of additional austerity measures to avoid a default on the country's debt. Markets plunged on Friday at the prospect of a Greek default, a move that would deal a sharp blow to the European banking sector as a whole.

On a positive note, last week Greece's foreign minister Panos Beglitis was in Jerusalem to sign a security cooperation agreement with Israel, on the background of deteriorating relations between Israel and Greece's neighbor, Turkey. Greece also voiced its support of Cyprus' freedom to conduct business with Israel in the Mediterranean last week, in response to Turkish threats on the island country.

Perhaps also related to strengthening ties between Athens and Jerusalem, a new law passed in Greece last week grants citizenship to Greek Jewish refugees from World War II.

Egyptians storm Israeli embassy; Israeli diplomats flee Egypt

On Friday afternoon, after a rally in Tahrir Square, Egyptians began attempting to break down the wall protecting the Israeli embassy in Cairo. By midnight the mob had broken through the wall and entered the building housing the embassy on the top floors. An hour later there were reports of embassy documents falling from the windows of the top floor, evidently indicating the mob had managed to gain access to the embassy offices.

At 2 a.m. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reported that Israel had appealed to the U.S. for help in guarding its embassy, after Netanyahu's calls to Tantawi went unanswered. At 2:30 a.m. the White House issued a statement that the U.S. is concerned over the storming of the embassy and is taking the necessary steps to prevent further violence. Soon after, the Israeli ambassador and his staff arrived at the airport in Cairo.

At 8:30 p.m. Israel time on Saturday, Netanyahu held a press conference in which he personally thanked Obama for calling Tantawi and ordering the Egyptian military to intervene and ensure the security of Israeli embassy staff. Netanyahu confirmed that it was the Egyptian commando which in the end stood between the mob and Israeli personnel--on Obama's orders.

This Shabbat, a major crisis was closely averted. 

Are Turkey and Egypt aligning against Israel?

Turkey, Egypt, the Mediterranean and Israel

Israeli leaders may be simply hoping Turkey backs down, but Israel's military is reportedly taking seriously Ankara's recent threat to send warships to accompany boats to Gaza.

According to the World Tribune, Israeli military sources are preparing for the worst: potential confrontation at sea with Turkey, with Gaza at the focal point. The concern is that Turkey may join forces with Egypt to patrol the Mediterranean with the help of Turkey's naval bases in the region.

"They [Turkish warships] will be seen more frequently in those waters," Erdogan said on Sept. 6. "The eastern Mediterranean is not a strange place to us."

Erdogan is planning a visit Cairo to discuss "strategic cooperation" with the new Egypt, during which he may make a provocative visit to Gaza with his hosts' help. And earlier today, YNet reported that Turkey is planning on conducting military maneuvers with Egypt in the Mediterranean in coming months.

Israel's two best friends in the region -- Turkey and Egypt -- are now turning their backs from her, and to each other instead. The problem is that when Turkey and Egypt turn to each other, that pretty much covers the Mediterranean.

Let's pray Israel's leaders begin to take the new Middle East seriously!

IDF general warns of increasing likelihood of 'all-out war'

At a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, Home Front Command Chief Major General Eyal Eisenberg made rare warnings that the Middle East is headed for a major war:

Iran has not abandoned its nuclear program. The opposite it true; it continues full steam ahead...

In Egypt, the army is collapsing under the burden of regular security operations, and this is reflected in the loss of control in the Sinai and the turning of the border with Israel into a terror border, with the possibility that Sinai will fall under the control of an Islamic entity...

In Lebanon, Hezbollah is growing stronger within government arms, but it has not lost its desire to harm Israel, and the ties with Turkey aren't at their best.

...This raises the likelihood of an all-out, total war, with the possibility of weapons of mass destruction being used.

Although his comments were approved for the press, Eisenberg was reportedly criticized by defense officials for sharing sensitive security information and "heating up tensions" in the region.

Half a million Israelis protest for...?

What began as a facebook group has turned into the largest social protest in Israel's history: Organizers of the "March of the Million (Tza'adat HaMillion)" knew that getting one-seventh of the population of Israel into the streets was unlikely, but were nonetheless hopeful that the march's slogan would serve to sustain the momentum of Saturday night protests earlier this month in which hundreds of thousands marched around the country. As of 10 p.m. Israel time, 300,000 were reported to be marching across Israel.

Live feeds of the central protest in Tel Aviv are available on Walla!, YNet, and Channel 2.

Update (22:40): Police estimate over 400,000 people are currently protesting throughout the country, including at least 300,000 in Tel Aviv and 50,000 in Jerusalem. (Haaretz)

Update (23:15): The Jerusalem Post reports over 460,000 protesting across the country. Daphni Leef, unofficial leader of the new social movement, spoke of the transition happening in Israeli society from waiting for a change to happen to m aking the change ourselves. May the leaders of this movement be blessed with the wisdom to take this momentum in the right direction! (Hint: check out the title of this blog =0) After all, it's already beginning: A new chant goes: The people...demand...a leader!

העם דורש מנהיג!

May the chant reach shamayim!

The silver lining of Palestinian statehood?

In an interview with Foreign Policy magazine, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said that the establishment of a Palestinian state (h"v) could alter the status of all existing agreements between the Palestinian Authority, the U.S. and Israel. According to Oren, Israel has agreements with the P.A., not with the 'government of Palestine'. Agreements that could be "put at risk" include treaties on security cooperation, economic and even water-sharing. "The Palestinians risk all that has been achieved if they go forward with this...and that would be a great tragedy," Oren said.

Israel bolsters border with Egypt following terror alert

Recent intelligence reveals that an Islamic Jihad terror cell from Gaza is attempting to infiltrate Israel via Sinai. As a result, Israel's navy has sent additional warships to its maritime border with Egypt. Meanwhile, Iran reported yesterday that its warships will make another round in the Red Sea in coming weeks.

Is Michele Bachmann Jewish?

No...but some Republican donors think she is, and it seems to be working in her favor. The New York Post reports:

Some Jewish donors are telling fund-raisers for Romney, a Mormon, that while they like him, they'd rather open their wallets for the "Jewish candidate," who they don't realize is actually a Lutheran, The Post has learned. "It's a real problem," one Romney fund-raiser said. "We're working very hard in the Jewish community because of Obama's Israel problem. This was surprising." Like other Republicans, Romney is trying to capitalize on President Obama's waning support among Jewish voters, who are upset with his administration's policies toward Israel.

Although Bachmann is not Jewish, she spent a summer working on a kibbutz in Israel (albeit as part of ministry work) and is a staunch supporter of the Jewish state. As she told the Weekly Standard earlier this summer:

If you consider what it was like in 1948 and literally watch flowers bloom in a desert over time — I don’t know if any nation has paralleled the rise of Israel since 1948.

By referring to Bachmann as the Jewish candidate, perhaps donors have not so much confused her religious affiliation, but rather have pinpointed her as Israel's strongest supporter among the Republican field. In response to a question on the relationship between America and Israel's security at the Republican Jewish Coalition, Bachmann said the following:

I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. And my husband and I are both Christians, and we believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.

Jewish? No. Honorary Jew? Perhaps.

The redemption will not be monetized

Liberty? (Source: Flickr)

Porter Stansberry of Stansberry's Investments has created a new video presentation on the gloomy future of the dollar and the US economic system as we know it. Stansberry is credited with predicting the crash of many companies in the 2008 economic crisis, yet he claims that the worst is yet to come. According to his predictions, many Americans could soon face skyrocketing prices of basic commodities such as milk, bread and gas, coupled with closed banks, failing credit card companies, and bans on buying gold and foreign currencies.

America's consumption-led way of life led the country to borrow frivolously using short-term loans on which they were unable to pay interest. When major banks collapsed in 2008, debts were absorbed by the U.S. government and other world governments from which it borrows. The reason Americans don't feel these debts to their fullest is because the response of the US monetary system for the past decade has been to print dollars whenever it's in a bind. The US is the only debtor that can print more of the world's reserve currency -- US dollars -- anytime it wants. Because it can always print more dollars, the US can never go broke, since its currency forms the foundation of the world's economic system since World War 2.

The danger of this strategy comes when other countries realize what's going on and start to discount the value of the US dollar. Ever since the US has become accustomed to consuming more than producing, the real value of the dollar has sunk. According to Stansberry, this consumption-led way of life will become impossible to maintain. If other countries begin to price basic commodities in a currency other than dollars, those commodities will become much more expensive to Americans, and the frivolity of US monetary policy of the last decade will be felt rapidly. Rising oil prices would cripple the US economy and way of life, affecting the cost of transporting food, farming, commuting to work, air travel  prices.

Stansberry claims the world's preference for currencies other than the dollar has already begun, even if most Americans find it hard to believe. Robert Fisk recently wrote that Europe and Gulf states are conspiring to end dollar dealings for oil and instead move to a combination of Asian and new currencies to govern the oil market. China has recently been reported as investing more in the Yen than in the dollar. Americans are used to being able to use dollars wherever they travel, but Stansberry claims a major bank in Mexico has refused to accept dollars on the grounds of the weakening of the currency.

You can watch Stansberry's video presentation here. The presentation is long, and there's no way to rewind, fast-forward or pause (as far as I know), but there's a lot of good information in there, the gist of which I've summarized here. Stansberry's warning is intended for investors and those seeking to avoid the hit to their investments and retirement funds. Beyond this, these warnings also serve to herald the decline not only of the dollar, but of the consumption-led lifestyle which has become the universal currency of life in the last several decades. In this week's Haftorah (weekly reading of the Prophets), we read the following:

 חנם נמכרתם ולא בכסף תגאלו

You were sold for nothing, and without money will you be redeemed (Isaiah 52:3)

Today the values of consumerism seem so fundamental to life itself, so much as we can not even accept the basic human rights of a person who does not "work"--a view completely foreign to Torah, in which a poor person is a representation of a loan which God owes that person which we can pay for Him. After spending a week on Rothschild Boulevard, I believe one of the major achievements of Israel's latest protest movement is the introduction of a way of life which aspires to exist outside of the economic system which the government has imported from America. No one knows where it is heading--not even those who are considered its "leaders".

The tyranny of a life led by consumption is crumbling, and in its midst the ground is clearing for the reemergence of the values and dreams that have laid dormant for our two thousand years of exile. We need not rely on the empty promises of anarchy, socialism, or secular democratic utopias imported from states fallen, nor on doctrines of asceticism, minimalism or other dogmas that champion the Greek split between body and soul. After all, our people left Egypt not hungry and miserable, but laden with its stashes of gold and silver. The answers the times seek are ever-bubbling in the overflowing spring of the soul of our people, who throughout two thousand years of exile awaited the pure soil and air of the Land of Israel like a child waiting for its mother to return home, for the place where it can rekindle the spirit of prophecy and the bond between humanity and God for the sake of all of creation.

Friday is Gimmel Elul, the Yartzeit of Rav Kook, who saw these days.

China will support unilateral Palestinian sate bid

China has joined the list of countries who support a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state in September.

According to Israel's foreign ministry, 130-140 states are expected to vote in favor of a unilateral Palestinian state--independence without formal peace agreement with Israel. Only five countries have promised Israel that they will vote against the Palestinian bid: the U.S., Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. Other nations with otherwise "warm" relations are expected to be absent or abstain rather than vote against. Whether the EU's 27 countries with vote in favor, abstain or oppose remains in question.

Palestinians will bring their bid to the UN Security Council on September 20th, but the General Assembly vote, needed to pass with a two thirds majority should the US veto the motion, will take place only in October.

8 injured in Tel Aviv terror attck

On late Sunday night a 20-year-old Nablus resident stabbed a Tel Aviv cab driver, stole his cab, and drove it towards the HaOman 17 nightclub where one thousand high schoolers were celebrating the end of the summer. The man subsequently stepped out of the car, yelled Allah Akbar, and began stabbing people. Luckily, nearly all the teenagers were inside the club at the time of the attack, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome. The man was abruptly tackled to the ground outside the club by Border Police officers, but not before stabbing and injuring eight border police officers and security guards. Police are now trying to figure out how the terrorist knew about the youth party at the nightclub in the first place. 


Aviv Kriyaf, one of the injured security guards, told YNet the following: "I have no doubt that he tried to reach the teenagers. I am scared to think about what could have happened had he succeeded (h"v). There were thousands of children there who by miracle were unharmed." 

21 trapped in upstate NY hotel

Officials are concerned that the Gilboa Dam has been breached after all signals to the dam were lost this morning. Downstream from the dam, twenty-one people are stranded in a hotel threatened by the river's rising levels. Via myFOXNY:

A massive effort was underway Sunday to rescue 21-people, including several children, trapped in a Catskills motel as fast rising storm waters surrounded the building. The motel is in Prattsville, N.Y.  The N.Y. National Guard deployed 129 soldiers and several speed boats to try to get to the Green County motel.

John Esquivel spoke on the phone with Fox 5 News.  He is with his family in the Moore's Motel.  He says, when they woke up this morning, they saw rising water.  By the time they got ready to leave, the entire building was surrounded by a 450 yard wide river.

Everyone in the building rushed up to the second floor.  Brown, debris filled waters rose over the entire first floor of the building.  All power and phone service was lost in the building.
Their main concern was if a dam above the motel were to break.

"If that dam breaks, we're going to be in worse shape," Esquivel said in a phone interview with Fox 5 News...Things got so desperate that the adults starting planning what they were going to do if the build started breaking apart or floating away.  Their plans included tying sheets to each other so they would not be carried apart.  They were worried as several mobile homes and cars rushed by, but did not strike the building they are trapped inside.

Update: 51 People Saved From Upstate Motel

Irene vs. Katrina

Source: The Weather Channel

Irene in Infrared, August 27th (The Weather Channel)

Irene from space (NASA)

Eye of Storm could pass through NYC

Meteorologists are now saying Irene could make a second of third landfall in New York City itself on Sunday around 10 a.m., after skirting the Jersey Shore Saturday night. According to the city's mayor, effects of Irene on New York may be felt as soon as 9 p.m. Saturday local time. Irene's winds, rain and storm surge could flood lower Manhattan's streets and subway tunnels, and even put JFK underwater.

The Hurricane of Peace

Many are pointing to the irony of the name of the hurricane that stands to threaten over 65 million people this weekend--Irene is derived from the name the Greeks gave to their goddess of peace. The End Times Forecaster points out that the threat of Irene follows pressure by the U.S. on Israel to agree for the first time that a Palestinian state should follow '67 borders earlier this month. Just as the U.S. is guiding Israel down a path of destruction in the guise of 'peace', so it faces an ironically-named whirlwind of destruction, right through its major metropolitan areas.

Moreover, while the world is conspiring to vote in favor of a unilateral Palestinian state on Israeli land on September 20th, Israel's historical ally, the United States, has stood silent. And as Israel continues to be barraged by rocket fire after a triple terrorist attack in the South last week, the U.S. and other Western countries sufficed to call for restraint in the region, rather than differentiate between perpetrator and victim.

The last major hurricane to inflict historical damage on the U.S. was Katrina, which took place almost exactly six years ago, in late August 2005. One week before Katrina hit, Israel evacuated nearly 10,000 people from their homes on the West coast of Israel to clear space for what would become a terror launching pad for Hamas, a move which was made in a large part as a result of U.S. pressure on Israel. A week after Katrina, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Levin blamed Katrina on U.S. pressure on Israel to concede to Palestinian demands.

Edom can do teshuva, but so long as it guides the apple of Hashem's eye down a road of destruction, it shares the same fate--yet without the promise of eternal, unconditional protection.

NYC subway shutdown scenario

According to the NY Daily News, the New York City subway system could be shut down as early as late Saturday afternoon, ahead of the expected arrival of Irene on Sunday morning. The MTA's hurricane plan describes a "worst possible scenario" in which the hurricane hits south of the city, sending of a wall of water onto New York:

The MTA battle plan, created in 2007, but still valid today, says the worst possible scenario is a hurricane making landfall at Atlantic City, 100 miles south of the city. Hurricanes spin counter-clockwise, so a big storm making landfall to the south would push a wall of ocean water onto New York.

Federal scientists say a Category 2 hurricane could drive a 20-foot storm surge into Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. If that is what appears to be looming, the MTA hurricane plan calls for bus service to begin to be curtailed at least 12 hours before landfall.

At least eight hours before landfall, the subways would start shutting down. At "zero hour" - approximately six hours before landfall, when winds reach 39 mph - all rail and bus service would be suspended, the MTA plan says.

See here for the possibility that NYC evacuations will take place on Shabbat and here for a map of potential NYC evacuation zones. You can also call 311 and give your address to check if you are in an area which may be under evacuation on Saturday morning.

NYC Evacuations may take place on Shabbat

As of early morning Friday forecasts, Hurricane Irene is set to hit North Carolina on Saturday morning local time, setting off what will be a predicted 36 hours of "destruction" until weakening to a tropical storm around Boston on late Sunday night.

In New York City, the storm is expected to hit early Sunday morning. According to Yeshiva World News, the call to evacuate low-lying areas may be made as late as Saturday morning, during Shabbat, posing a challenge for observant Jews. NYC Mayor Bloomberg's spokesperson made the following statement to YWN on Thursday:

Right now, we’re encouraging people with family who are shut-ins in low-lying areas like the Rockaways, Coney Island and Manhattan Beach, and the eastern edge of Staten Island to bring them to higher land on Friday. But there’s a possibility that on Saturday morning, the hurricane’s track may require mandatory evacuations of these areas before Shabbos is over. If you have family or friends in a low-lying area, it might not be the worst idea to invite them to you for Shabbos.

...As regards to the general public, we will make a decision about whether to order a mandatory evacuation of Zone A low-lying areas by 8:00 AM Saturday, the day after tomorrow. However, we recommend that people start going to alternative locations if they have them because of potential traffic jams and mass transit limitations on Saturday that Jay Walder is going to discuss in a couple of minutes. So if you live in one of these communities and have a relative or friend you can stay with in a safer, less vulnerable areas, you should think about arranging to stay there until the storm passes.

See here for the map of NYC Hurricane evacuation zones which will take effect should the mayor make the call Friday or Saturday.

Wishing all those in Irene's path a safe Shabbat, preferably on high land.

New York City Hurricane Evacuation Zones (Tentative)

Current tracks show Hurricane Irene is likely to hit all major US cities along the coast from North Carolina through New England, making it the worst the US has seen since 1821, when a hurricane wreaked havoc from Norfolk to Rhode Island. One scenario (see video above) shows the eye of the storm passing directly through New York city. According to one preparedness expert: "We're talking about something that could be cataclysmic if it goes full-scale."

New York city officials will announce Friday at the earliest whether to evacuate areas of New York City in danger of flooding. New Jersey and Delaware are also preparing for mass evacuations, although the geography of the New York Harbor makes it particularly vulnerable to become the storm's harbor. The city's Office of Emergency Management has prepared the following hurricane contingency plan should the storm's path warrant evacuations (via Business Insider; PDF available here):

• Residents in Zone A (Orange) face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane's storm surge. Zone A includes all low-lying coastal areas and other areas that could experience storm surge in ANY hurricane that makes landfall close to New York City. 

• Residents in Zone B (Yellow) may experience storm surge flooding from a MODERATE (Category 2 or higher) hurricane. 

• Residents in Zone C (Green) may experience storm surge flooding from a MAJOR hurricane (Category 3 & 4) making landfall just south of New York City. A major hurricane is unlikely in New York City, but not impossible.

An interactive map can be viewed here.

* * 

Are you in Hurricane Irene's path? Be prepared:

• Stock up on batteries, non-perishable foods, first-aid supplies, drinking water and medications. Get supplies NOW, not later, as streets may be blocked by fallen trees. 

• Fuel and service your vehicles. 

• Have cash on hand in case power goes out and ATMs don't work.

• Park your car indoors if possible 

• Do not open windows during a hurricane 

Sources: MSNBC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center. See Long Island's Hurricane Preparedness Guide for more suggestions

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The first verse of this week's Haftorah, along with the two verses preceding it, speak of the destructive power of water, as opposed to the unshakable love of God for the Jewish people:

כִּי-מֵי נֹחַ, זֹאת לִי, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מֵעֲבֹר מֵי-נֹחַ עוֹד, עַל-הָאָרֶץ--כֵּן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מִקְּצֹף עָלַיִךְ, וּמִגְּעָר-בָּךְ

כִּי הֶהָרִים יָמוּשׁוּ, וְהַגְּבָעוֹת תְּמוּטֶינָה--וְחַסְדִּי מֵאִתֵּךְ לֹא-יָמוּשׁ, וּבְרִית שְׁלוֹמִי לֹא תָמוּט, אָמַר מְרַחֲמֵךְ, יְהוָה

עֲנִיָּה סֹעֲרָה, לֹא נֻחָמָה; הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַרְבִּיץ בַּפּוּךְ, אֲבָנַיִךְ, וִיסַדְתִּיךְ, בַּסַּפִּירִים

For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noah, as I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.

	For the mountains shall depart and the hills totter, but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace totter," says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.

 

O afflicted city, who was not consoled, behold I will set your stones with carbuncle, and I will lay your foundations with sapphires.

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		Israel Rising points out that the first US state to feel the storm's hit is North Carolina, where Jonathan Pollard has been held inhumanely for over 25 years.

Thailand: Between Palestinian statehood and terror

On Monday, PLO member Nabil Shaath announced that Thailand will support the recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN on September 20th, following meetings with officials from the Thai foreign ministry in Bangkok.

On Thursday, two people were shot dead and 10 were wounded in a series of attacks by Muslim rebels in a southern Thailand province on the border of Malaysia.

According to BBC, as of August 12th, 122 countries are expected to vote in favor of Palestinian statehood in mid-September. Even if the US vetos the motion, it can still pass with a majority of two-thirds in the general assembly, which would require 128 votes in favor, or 134 if all countries are present.

US to call for Assad to step down

US officials have given word that Obama will explicitly call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, after weeks of weaker rhetoric against the regime. One official said the announcement may come as early as Thursday.

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. Meanwhile, at the UN, Russia's envoy said Western sanctions have proven ineffective in ending Syria's crackdown on demonstrations.

In the case of Egypt, Obama called for a transition to democracy in Egypt on February 4th, which was considered by many as a call for Mubarak to step down. Mubarak announced his resignation on state TV on the afternoon of February 12th.

UK may shut down social media in times of "disorder"

What is the line between criminality and legitimate social protest? How will the government's response to the London riots affect the country's student protests in the future? European governments are well aware of the difficult economic times that lie ahead, as well as the social unrest that accompanies them. Armed with instant communication apparatuses, protesters are able to convene and organize within hours in large numbers across distances. Once the government has an open channel to tap or pull the plug on social media networks, who will oversee which protests are deemed 'disorderly' enough?

BBC reports:

England riots: Government mulls social media controls

Curbs on social media and texting are being considered by the government 

The government is exploring whether to turn off social networks or stop people texting during times of social unrest. David Cameron said the intelligence services and the police were exploring whether it was "right and possible" to cut off those plotting violence. Texting and Blackberry Messenger are said to have been used by some during this week's riots. Rights groups said such a measure would be abused and hit the civil liberties of people who have done nothing wrong.

The prime minister told MPs the government was exploring the turn-off in a statement made to the House of Commons during an emergency recall of Parliament. Mr Cameron said anyone watching the riots would be "struck by how they were organised via social media". He said the government, using input from the police, intelligence services and industry, was looking at whether there should, or could, be limits on social media if it was being used to spread disorder.

Under social media, Mr Cameron includes Facebook, Twitter and specific technologies such as text messaging. The semi-private BBM messaging system on the Blackberry is said to have been widely used during the riots. Home Secretary Theresa May is believed to be meeting representatives from Facebook, Twitter and RIM (maker of the Blackberry) to talk about their obligations during times of unrest.

 Meanwhile, look out! Your personal phone numbers are now on Facebook.