Israel Update

Israel’s population reaches more than 8 million at year’s end

From: JPost.com

By: Benji Rosen

Israel’s population is over 8 million at the close of 2013, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced Sunday.

The CBS report, published just days before the New Year, estimates that the population of Israel is 8,132,000.

The country’s population increased by 1.8 percent – or 147,000 people – since 2012, according to the report.

Sunday’s data showed that 75.2% of the country – approximately 6.1 million Israelis – are Jewish. The Arab population of Israel, which includes Muslims, Arab-Christians, and Druse, is 20.6% – 1.6 million. The remaining 4% of Israel’s population – 348,000 – are either non-Arab Christians, individuals practicing another religion, or those with no religious affiliation.

The report also showed that 175,000 infants were born in Israel in 2013. In a similar report CBS published on Independence Day last April, about 41,000 people died and some 163,000 infants were born from 2012’s Independence Day to 2013’s.

Israel’s population is on track to reach 11.4 million by 2035, according to a report CBS released in June. Israel’s annual population growth rate, however, is predicted to decline from 1.8% to 1.4% because of declining fertility rates.

Nevertheless, Israel will remain exceptionally fertile, especially in comparison to neighboring Arab states. Citing UN estimates, CBS indicated the most fertile Arab nation, Jordan, has a projected 2035 fertility rate of 2.41 children born to the average woman. Israel’s Jewish fertility rate, in comparison, is predicted to increase from 2.99 to 3.04, while the rate for Israeli Muslims is projected to decline from 3.37 to 2.71.

CBS also estimates that Israel’s already high life expectancy is set to increase across all sectors by 2035. In 22 years, the average Jewish female born in Israel may expect to live 89.5 years, as opposed to 86.3 for Arab females, 84.8 for Jewish males, and 81.6 for Arab males.

CBS’s latest population statistics do not account for the foreign population of approximately 202,000 who live in Israel, which includes anyone who entered Israel without a residence permit.

News to Remember

Israel Signs Historic Trade Agreement in Indonesia, World’s Largest Muslim Country

Naftali Bennett, Minister of Economy and the first Israeli Cabinet member to visit Indonesia in more than a dozen years, signed an historic trade agreement there, which he expects will inject a trillion dollars into the world economy.

Bennett, who is also chairman of the Jewish Home party and a reserve major in the Israel Defense Forces, was representing Israel at the recent World Trade Organization conference in Bali. Shimon Peres had visited Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population, in 2000 as Israel’s minister of regional cooperation.

Indonesia on the world map

Bennett’s trip was part and parcel of “an effort on the political, economic and international diplomatic fronts,” which also included visits to the US and Australia.

As minister of the economy, he has been stressing an interest in diversifying economic ties.

“We promoted trade agreements with surprising countries that I can’t publicize yet,” he posted on his Facebook page. “We promoted cooperation agreements in research and development with other countries in the East, as I had promised, so that in the future, we will not be so dependent on the European Union.”

To learn more about the European Union, visit:

http://www.euintheus.org/who-we-are/what-is-the-european-union/  

“I later gave a speech before the 157 trade ministers, including those from Muslim and Arab states with which Israel does not have diplomatic ties. We didn’t notice anyone walk out.”

In fact, he received enthusiastic applause.

“A couple of years ago, our region entered a new era of turbulence,” which could last for decades, he told the WTO audience.

Israel is the “one place that has withstood the storm,” he continued. It has become the “lighthouse” of the region because of its solid foundations: a “strong economy,” a “flourishing democracy,” and “Jewish roots that date back 3,800 years.”

A lighthouse, however, “also projects light,” and it is therefore important that Israel’s economy not only do well, but also do good, he said, stressing the need to “break down barriers” for the sake of global prosperity.

“An open market is in all our interests,” he stated. “It creates peace and makes the world a better place.”

Discussing Israel’s “innovative…lighthouse technology,” he focused on the areas of agriculture and food security, water, cyber-security, medical advancements and alternative energy.

“I anxiously await the day I can sit down and sign free-trade agreements with all of Israel’s neighbors, as well as other Arab and Muslim states in the wider region,” he stated.

Author: Atara Beck, Staff Writer for United With Israel

Israel Defense

Report: Israel mulls destroying missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon

From: jpost.com

By: jpost.com staff

Israel has information on the location of long-range missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon and is considering taking military action to destroy the weapons, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Friday.

The paper, quoting an Israeli security source close to Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, reported that the remote-operated missiles, with a range of 1,500 kilometers, were made in China and further developed in Iran.

According to the source, the missiles are being stored by Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the veracity of the report.

Al-Jarida quoted the Israeli source as saying that Jerusalem views the missiles as posing a danger to the security of Israel and are therefore examining the possibility of destroying the arsenal.

Israel has said repeatedly that while it does not wish to interfere in Syria's civil war, it would act to halt the transfer of chemical arms or "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah.

"Our policy is to stop, as much as possible, any leaks of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. We will continue to act to ensure the security interests of the citizens of Israels," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stressed earlier this year.

According to foreign reports, Israel has struck weaponry earmarked for Hezbollah within Syria's borders on a number of occasions in the past year.

10 Things to Know About Israel

KNOW THESE POINTS ABOUT ISRAEL.

    Use them in your conversations about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

POINT: Israel’s size is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab World.

POINT: Israel has 1,300,000 Israeli -Arab citizens, who are 20% of its population.

Israel also officially recognizes and gives privileges to 15 different religions.

POINT: Palestinian Arabs living in the territories are not citizens of Israel.

POINT: There was no Security Fence along the West Bank prior to the relentless violence in 2002, and since it was built, terrorism has dropped by 85%

POINT: Israel wants peace and is willing to make painful compromises by giving away land as it did for peace with Egypt and Jordan.

Today it is unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza.

POINT: Where is the money? Arafat was given billions of dollars to improve living conditions for the Palestinians. He did not build schools, roads or hospitals. He did not improve housing or sewage systems. Those billions are missing. The 20 million dollars a year promised to Arafat’s widow in Paris comes from the coffers of the PA. Why?

POINT: Peace Must Be Taught The PA must immediately change the message being taught by its clerics who call for the murder of Jews and by its teachers who deny Israel’s right to exist. PA schoolbooks must promote peace, not hatred.

POINT: The PA Charter Must be Changed. It still calls for the destruction of Israel, just as the Hamas Charter does.

POINT: Israel is a re-establishment of the Jewish State Jews have lived in and identified with this land for thousands of years. The Old Testament, New Testament and Koran all refer to this area as the land of the Jews. Even if one is not religious, these old documents are another way to show that Jews are indigenous to Israel and the surrounding area.

POINT: The Definition of Zionism: If you believe that Jews have a right to self- determination and to their own country in the area that is ancient Israel where they have maintained a presence for thousands of years, then you are a Zionist.
Most Jews are Zionists, as are many non-Jews.

Produced by StandWithUs

Who is Iran's New President, Hassan Rouhani???

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani: Moderate Reformer or More of the Same?

From: standwithus.com

In June, 2013 Hassan Rouhani was elected to be the new president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, replacing the infamous Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Many observers around the world praised Rouhani as a moderate and hoped that his election would lead to better relations between Iran and the West. But Rouhani’s words and actions cast doubt over how moderate he really is. In addition, many have ignored the fact that the most powerful official in Iran remains the extremist Ayatollah Khamenei. He is Supreme Leader and still has final say in matters of policy.

Rouhani’s highest ranking ministers are anything but moderate.

1. Rouhani appointed Moustafa Pour-Mohammadi as Justice Minister. Pour-Mohammadi was dubbed “minister of murder” by Human Rights Watch, because he was responsible for Iran’s mass execution of political prisoners in the 1980s.1
2. Rouhani appointed Hossein Dehghan as Defense Minister. Dehghan commanded the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon in 1983. That year Iran orchestrated brutal terrorist attacks against French and American peacekeepers in Beirut, killing 241 US Marines and 58 French paratroopers.2
3. Rouhani appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif as Foreign Minister. In 2006 Zarif refused to acknowledge that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust when he was asked by a student at Columbia University.3
4. Rouhani’s cabinet has been described as “stacked with security insiders and regime loyalists.”

Rouhani supports the murderous Syrian government and the terrorist group Hezbollah.

1. Shortly after he was elected Rouhani affirmed his support for Hezbollah and the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Assad and Hezbollah have killed tens of thousands in Syria, including hundreds with poison gas. Over 100,000 people have died since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.5

Rouhani supported the Iranian regime’s violent crackdown on student protesters in 1999.

1.  In 1999 Iranian students took to the streets to demand greater political and social freedoms. Rouhani spoke in favor of the regime’s decision to “crush [the protesters] mercilessly and monumentally...”6

Rouhani boasted about Iran using negotiations as cover to advance its nuclear program.

1. “While we were talking with the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing [nuclear] equipment in... the facility in Isfahan... in fact, by creating a calm environment, we were able to complete the [nuclear] work in Isfahan.”—Hassan Rouhani, 20047

Extremist Ali Khamenei remains in charge of Iran’s nuclear, foreign, and domestic policy.

1. Religious extremist Ali Khamenei has been Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 and remains the most powerful figure in the government. He is responsible for Iran’s countless human rights violations, sponsorship of global terrorism, and violations of the UN’s nuclear non-proliferation treaty.8

1 Fazel Hawramy, “Rouhani Appoints Controversial Justice Minister,” Al-Monitor, August, 20, 2013, at http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/rouhani-justice-minister-executions.html
2 Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira, “Iran’s New Defense Minister: Behind the 1983 Attack on the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut,” JCPA, August 11, 2013, at http://jcpa.org/irans-new-defense-minister-behind-the-1983- attack-on-the-u-s-marine-corps-barracks-in-beirut/
3 David Feith, “Iran’s ‘Moderate’ Holocaust Denier,” Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2013, at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323968704578649964138252672.html#articleTabs_video%3D% 26articleTabs%3Darticle
4 The Tower Staff, “Proposed Rouhani Cabinet to Be Voted on This Week, Stacked with Security Insiders and Regime Loyalists,” The Tower, August 12, 2013, at http://www.thetower.org/proposed-rouhani-cabinet-to-be- voted-on-this-week-stacked-with-security-insiders-and-regime-loyalists/
5 AP, “Iran’s Rohani affirms support for Syria and Hezbollah in ‘confronting Zionist regime,’” Haaretz, July 16, 2013, at http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.536095
6 Pejman Yousefzadeh, “Hassan Rouhani: The Immoderate Moderate,” Atlantic Council, August 9, 2013, at http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/hassan-rouhani-immoderate-moderate
7 Elias Groll, “How Iran’s Next President Sees the Country’s Nuclear Program,” Foreign Policy, June 15, 2013, at http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/15/how_irans_next_president_sees_the_countrys_nuclear_program 8 Max Fisher, “5 things to know about Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani,” Washington Post, June 17, 2013, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/06/17/5-things-to-know-about-irans-new- president-hassan-rouhani/; Stop Iran’s Nukes, “Home” 2013, at http://www.stopiransnukes.org/

Words from Netanyahu

Netanyahu: Arabs Must Recognize Jewish State of Israel

From: unitedwithisrael.org

By: Atara Beck

Notwithstanding the profound existential challenges facing the Jewish state and the free world and a seeming lack of will on the part of most Western nations to combat these threats, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu concluded his address at the “Israel Towards 2020 Conference” at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University with hope and determination.

“I believe in the power of the people of Israel and I believe in the power of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu declared, noting the country’s “wondrous” achievements in all fields since its establishment.

While voicing hope that peace and prosperity will come to the entire region, he warned his audience against taking Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s friendly words at face value and urged them to examine the facts behind the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking
at the Begin Sadat center in Bar Ilan University,
Tel Aviv. Photo: Amos Ben Gershom GPO

“Iran’s goal is to take over the entire Middle East and beyond, and to destroy the State of Israel. This is not speculation; this is their goal,” the Israeli leader stated.

Why does Rouhani “insist on centrifuges to enrich uranium and on plutonium reactors?  Neither of these things is necessary to produce peaceful nuclear energy.

There is no need for them; however they are the essential components for producing fissile material for nuclear weapons…. Seventeen countries, including some of the leading countries in the world…produce nuclear energy without centrifuges, without plutonium reactors….

“As long as Iran does not dismantle its centrifuges and plutonium reactors, the sanctions must not be eased at all,” the Israeli leader asserted. “On the contrary, they should be increased….  If their intentions are peaceful, they will agree.  If they are not peaceful, they will not agree.  But perhaps the formula should be put simply as follows: they dismantle, they receive; they don’t dismantle, they don’t receive.”

The second issue Netanyahu presented was the false notion that the so-called “occupation” of territories of Judea and Samaria is the main obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He pointed to terrorist attacks against the Jewish population decades before the establishment of the State of Israel, including massacres in areas such as Tel Aviv.

“There were no settlements for 46 years, from 1921 to 1967, nearly half a century,” he said. “We were excoriated by the Arab public unrelated to settlements, unrelated to what is presented as the historic heart of the struggle.”

Netanyahu presented historical evidence of the “readiness to cooperate with Germany in any way” on the part of Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, the “undisputed leader of the Palestinian national movement in the first half of the 20th century.”

Al-Husseini, Netanyahu said, “was the living spirit” behind attacks against Jews from 1921 throughout the Second World War; according to historical records, he recruited Muslim fighters to join the ranks of the S.S. in the Balkans and broadcasted propaganda for the Nazis.

“I mention these things here because these roots, this poisonous tumor, must be uprooted,” Netanyahu stated. “The Mufti is still an admired figure in the Palestinian national movement.  Go look at websites, go to schools; look at schoolbooks. This…is the root of the conflict….

“In order for the current process to be significant, in order for it to have a real chance for success, it is essential that we finally hear from the Palestinian leadership that it recognizes the right of the Jewish people to its own country, the State of Israel…..in the land of their ancestors.”

Israel and America

ISRAEL CREATES JOBS IN AMERICA

From:StandWithUs.com

     1. U.S. aid to Israel creates jobs in America

• - Israel is pledged to spend nearly 75 percent of the military aid it receives from the U.S. (roughly $2.25 billion) on products manufactured across America. 
  
• - This spending directly supports over 20,000 jobs and indirectly supports thousands of other jobs according to recent estimates.
  
• - More than 1,000 companies in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have signed contracts worth billions of dollars through the U.S. aid to Israel program.
  
  2. Israeli investments create jobs in America
  

• - Israel is one of America’s top 20 suppliers of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). All FDI in the U.S. supports over 5.6 million jobs. 
  
• - Israeli companies invested more than $57 billion in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010. 
  
• - In 2010 Israeli companies invested $7.2 billion in the U.S., nearly 4 percent of total U.S. FDI that year.
  
• - Many Israeli companies, including Given Imaging, Amdocs, Netafim, and BrightSource, have opened offices across the U.S.
  
• - The U.S. passed new visa legislation in June 2012 to further encourage Israelis to invest in America and create even more jobs.
  
  3. U.S.-Israel cooperation creates jobs in America
  

• - The Binational Science Foundation (BSF), Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), and Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation (BARD) are joint projects of the U.S. and Israeli governments.
  
• - Their goal is to stimulate, promote, and support cooperation between American and Israeli businesses and scientists.
  
• - These organizations have helped create anywhere between 18,000 and 200,000 jobs in the U.S. depending on the estimates used.
  
  4. Israel helps train American innovators and job creators
  
  - Cornell University and Israel’s Technion have joined forces to create the Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute in New York City. This new university will train the next generation of American leaders in technology and innovation.

The Temple Mount

Eternal Connection: The Jewish People & the Temple Mount

From: unitedwithisrael.org

By: Rachel Avraham

The Jewish connection to the Temple Mount as a sacred Jewish holy site has existed since ancient times.
The Jewish people have a historical, religious, spiritual, and national connection to the Temple Mount area dating back to antiquity. For the Jewish people, it is the holiest site on the entire planet. It was the location of the creation of Adam, the binding of Isaac, as well as both the First and Second Temples. When the Jewish Temple existed, all Jews used to visit there to perform sacrifices to G-d three times per year, as commanded by G-d. It was the sacred building that housed the Ark of the Covenant in which the Ten Commandments were stored.

Archaeological treasures found there demonstrate that a Jewish Temple used to exist on the Temple Mount. While the Islamic Waqf has attempted to destroy such evidence, Israeli archaeologists have been able to rescue some of it, such as a fragment from a Herodian style Second Temple era sculptured stone that used to stand on the Temple Mount; a Babylonian arrow head attesting to the destruction of the First Temple; and the seal of a First Temple-era priestly family. The Western Wall also still stands today, as a visual reminder that a Jewish Temple used to exist on the Temple Mount.

Video: So What Is the Conflict About, Anyway?

Middle East conflict explained in the best way possible. 

From Prager University

By Dennis Prager

Note- might not work on phone.

Why is the Middle East Problem so intractable? Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated talk show host and best-selling author, answers that question in this thought-provoking video course.

Short Video: Truth About the West Bank

Short video that clearly sums up the West Bank situation.
Note- Might not work on phone.

By: DannyAyalon

Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon explains the historical facts relating to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The video explains where the terms "West Bank", "occupied territories" and "67 Borders" originated and how they are incorrectly used and applied. Also follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DannyAyalon andhttp://facebook.com/DannyAyalon

                                            

Israeli Terror Victims Oppose Releasing Terrorists for Negotiations

Israeli Terror Victims Oppose Releasing Terrorists for Negotiations

By: Rachel Avraham

From: unitedwithisrael.org

Most Israeli terror victims say “no” to releasing convicted Palestinian terrorists especially when it won’t save a life. 
The majority of Israeli terror victims are opposed to releasing terrorists in order to jump start peace negotiations with the Palestinians, says Mark Belzberg, Chairman of One Family, an Israeli organization which assists Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism.

Belzberg is responding to a US suggestion that Israel release Palestinian terrorists from the pre-Oslo period as a goodwill gesture to encourage the Palestinian Authority to negotiate with Israel. Israel has agreed to release 82 Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands in the course of four stages over the next eight months, yet has refused to set free Israeli Arab security prisoners.

“Whenever terrorists are released, it brings back the horror and terror, even if the released terrorist wasn’t the one who did it to you,” said Belzberg. “It hits the terror victims in the heart. It brings back grief and anger and it is very difficult for them.”

Although Israeli terror victims oppose releasing terrorists, Belzberg reports that the victims are often less opposed to releasing terrorists if it results in saving a Jewish life. “Jews are willing to do any thing to save another Jewish life,” he says. “The Jewish people are willing to pay a price to save someone from injustice.”
For example, Belzberg says, half of the Israeli terror victims supported the Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange for this reason. Although it was painful for them to see murderers walk free and in many cases return to terror, they saw the tangible benefit that a young man was able to have his life back, he says. Belzberg also argues that many victims would consent to releasing Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the freedom of Jonathan Pollard, viewing it as a means to correct a miscarriage of justice that would permit Pollard to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Yet, the vast majority of Israeli terror victims do not support the idea of releasing Palestinian terror victims simply in order to pursue peace talks that they doubt will lead to peace between the two peoples. “If you took a life, you should be punished … If you are releasing a person who should be executed, there is a sense of injustice being done,” Belzberg says.

Since a great number of released Palestinian terrorists have returned to terror upon their release, the victims are skeptical about any value to such a deal, he adds.

And, while he understands that the Americans are making this request for pragmatic reasons, assuming the Palestinians are unlikely to agree to negotiations otherwise, nevertheless, Belzberg added, in speaking for the victims, that “this Palestinian request shouldn’t be condoned.”

Part V History Segment- From War to War

 This one is long, of course.
From: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel's diplomatic challenge was to translate its military gains into a permanent peace based on UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called for acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

However, the Arab position, as formulated at the Khartoum Summit (August) called for no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, and no recognition of Israel. In September 1968, Egypt initiated a war of attrition with sporadic, static actions along the banks of the Suez Canal, which escalated into full-scale, localized fighting, causing heavy casualties on both sides. Hostilities ended in 1970, when Egypt and Israel accepted a renewed cease-fire along the Suez Canal.

 

1973 Yom Kippur War

Three years of relative calm along the borders were shattered on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day of the Jewish year, when Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise assault against Israel (October 6th), with the Egyptian Army crossing the Suez Canal and Syrian troops penetrating the Golan Heights.

During the next three weeks, the Israel Defense Forces turned the tide of battle and repulsed the attackers, crossing the Suez Canal into Egypt and advancing to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Two years of difficult negotiations between Israel and Egypt and between Israel and Syria resulted in disengagement agreements, according to which Israel withdrew from parts of the territories captured during the war.

1982 Operation Peace for Galilee

Israel has never wanted a conflict with its northern neighbor, Lebanon. However, when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) redeployed itself in southern Lebanon after being expelled from Jordan and perpetrated repeated terrorist actions against the towns and villages of northern Israel (Galilee), which caused many casualties and much damage, the Israel Defense Forces crossed the border into Lebanon.

Operation Peace for Galilee resulted in removing the bulk of the PLO's organizational and military infrastructure from the area. For the next 18 years, Israel maintained a small security zone in southern Lebanon adjacent to its northern border to safeguard its population in Galilee against attacks by hostile elements.

Second Lebanon War

In May of 2000 Israel withdrew all its forces from the security zone in southern Lebanon. Lebanon however failed to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and1559, which call for the dismantling of Hezbollah- an Islamic militant group and political party based in Lebanon- and the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon.

As a result of this failure, violence erupted in July of 2006, following Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers and bombardment of Israel's northern cities. In the ensuing conflict, which came to be known as the Second Lebanon War, over 4,000 rockets were fired at civilian targets in Israel. The fighting concluded in August of 2006 and UNSC Resolution 1701 was passed, calling for the unconditional release of the captured Israeli soldiers, the deployment of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim FOrce In Lebanon- created by the UN to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and help the government of Lebanon restore its effective authority in the area) and Lebanese soldiers throughout southern Lebanon, and the establishment of an embargo on weapons supplied to Lebanese armed groups.

2008 Gaza Operation

Following Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank, and the election of Hamas in 2007, terrorism against Israel increased. Thousands of rockets have been fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in damage to property and both physical and psychological injury to the population living in the south; and creating a situation in which Israel was forced to take military action in the form of Operation Cast Lead (December 27, 2008 - January 18, 2009). Related questions: