US Congressman addresses Knesset Christian Allies Caucus about greater cooperation with American group
The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC) met on Thursday with US Congressman Dave Weldon, co-Chairman of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus (CIAC), a pro-Israel organization comprised of members of the US House of Representatives. The CIAC was established in July 2006 in response to the initiative of its sister caucus, the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.  
Opposition leader and Chairman of Likud, MK Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as many Christian leaders attended the meeting. The participants discussed cooperation between the KCAC and the CIAC. At the event, MK Benny Elon (National Union), chairman of the KCAC, and Congressman Weldon ratified a joint resolution between the two sister groups.  
“This resolution will act as a blueprint for political cooperation between the KCAC and its sister caucuses.” Josh Reinstein, the director of the CIAC, said. The resolution is set to be signed by all of the chairmen of the 11 sister caucuses later this year.
Congressman Weldon called for the “unity of all peoples of good will to declare that those who stand together for freedom, democracy and justice must stand with Israel in its hour of greatest ...   more »

Mark Weiss
IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi warned the army on Wednesday to be ready for a new conflagration in the region.
"There are dangers to our survival on the horizon and great challenges to Israeli security. The IDF needs to ensure a rapid victory in any conflict and I cannot guarantee that we won't need to act in the near future," Ashkenazi said at a graduation ceremony for a ground forces officers training course at the Officer Training School near Mitzpe Ramon.
The army chief said the IDF's job was and remained to serve as "a safety net" for the continued existence and success of the State of Israel.
Also attending the ceremony was Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who told the soldiers that the lessons of the Second Lebanon War had been internalized, and that Israel was now better prepared for any conflict.
"The lessons of the war are being implemented at all levels of command in the IDF: in the branches, corps, commands and the departments of the General Staff," Olmert said. "Unprecedented resources today allow the IDF to train more, prepare better for a time of trouble, and train commanders and fighters at all ...   more »

Jpost staff and michal lando
In yet another verbal attack against Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Jewish state a "filthy bacteria" whose sole purpose was to oppress the other nations of the region.
"The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the nations in the region like a wild beast," the Iranian president told supporters at a rally in southern Iran.
"[Israel] won support [from the other nations] which created it as a scarecrow, so as to keep the people of this area under control," Ahmadinejad said.
Referring to the assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh, the Iranian leader said that Israel "uses terror as a threat every day, and afterwards is happy and joyful."
Meanwhile, the Israeli mission to the United Nations has written a letter of complaint to the UN Security Council, protesting recent remarks by two senior members of the Iranian regime threatening Israel.
Last week, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Commander-General Muhammad Ali Jafari of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps wrote in a letter to Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah that he was convinced "that Hizbullah's might is increasing with every passing day, and ...   more »

By SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL   
Talkbacks for this article: 4
Israel and the US see nearly eye-to-eye on the threat of a nuclear Iran, differing only on when Teheran will be able to build an atomic bomb, a key American senator told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.  
US Sen. Jon Kyl, right, shakes hands with Knesset speaker and acting President Dalia Itzik during their meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem.
Photo: AP
"There is now and always has been a slight difference of opinion about the precise timing of the threat of [a nuclear] Iran, but in response to the fundamental nature of Iran's desire to acquire nuclear weapons, and its ongoing development of fuels for that purpose, there is no difference of opinion in that regard," said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona).
Recent intelligence assessments provided to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee suggested that Iran could have a nuclear weapon by the end of 2009. US intelligence estimates, however, say it will take the Islamic Republic at least one year longer.
Kyl is the Senate minority whip and a close ally of Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
Kyl, who led a ...   more »

'The Gemara mentions a number of causes of earthquakes, one of which is homosexuality, which the Knesset legitimizes,' Benizri says regarding last Friday's tremor
Amnon Meranda
The recent earthquake that was felt across Israel was the result of the "homosexual activity practiced in the country", Knesset Member Shlomo Benizri said Wednesday.
During a special Knesset session on Israel's preparedness for the possibility of another earthquake hitting the region, the Shas member said "the Gemara refers to earthquakes as disasters, but you are searching only for the practical solutions how to prevent and repair.  
"But I no of another way to prevent earthquakes; the Gemara mentions a number of causes of earthquakes, one of which is homosexuality, which the Knesset legitimizes," Benizri said.  
An earthquake registering 5.3 on the Richter Scale was felt by residents across Israel at 12:36 pm Friday. The trembling lasted for 19 seconds and shook structures in many major towns and cities.  
Reports of shaking were received from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba. Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no reports of injuries, but several people suffered from shock.  
Last month fellow Shas member Nissim Ze'ev stirred controversy when ...   more »