VISITING PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT HEAPS PRAISE ON ISRAEL: Israel’s President Shimon Peres recently welcomed and honored Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli in an official ceremony at the President's residence in Jerusalem.  "As a citizen of Panama," said Martinelli, "I will always support Israel, guardian of the world's capital, Jerusalem."  Peres returned Martinelli's sentiments: "In the name of Israel I want to thank you and the citizens of your country from the bottom of my heart for your long-standing friendship and support of Israel. Your country is a symbol of peace, a country without an army. We hope to one day to live like you, in security and in peace.”  Israel and Panama exchanged ambassadors in 1960, and Panama is consistently supportive of Israel in the UN. (Arutz-7)

KINNERET DANGER ALERT CANCELED – FOR NOW: The heavy rains of the past week have had their desired effect. For the first time in over a year and a half, the water in Israel’s largest reservoir has climbed above the red danger line of 213 meters below sea level. Fourteen centimeters of water height - approximately 20 million cubic meters of water - have been added to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in the past five days. The level now stands at 212.98 meters below sea level, and continues to climb because of the water streaming into it from the mountains to the north. (INN) “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Ps 105:2

LIEBERMAN: US SHOULD PLACE CUBA-STYLE EMBARGO ON IRAN: Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman this week stated Israel should encourage the US to adopt the boycott of Cuba as a model for dealing with Iran.  He said the meaning of the latest contacts in the international arena is that resolutions in the UN Security Council will be postponed to a later date, without a clear understanding of where and when they will take place. In view of this, Lieberman said, Israel should change its policy on Iran. Instead of pushing for a concerted effort to place sanctions on Iran, “we should ask the US to adopt the model of the Cuban trade embargo which has already proven its efficacy and is strong enough to topple the Iranian regime."  He continued that while consensus is important, what is vital is to stop the Iranian nuclear plan, and by using the Cuban model the US can do it alone. (INN)     

CLINTON: IRAN SANCTIONS MAY BE MONTHS AWAY: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday it could take months for new UN sanctions against Iran, appearing to back away from her contention before the Senate last week that a new resolution could be obtained in the next 30 to 60 days.  "We are moving expeditiously in the Security Council. I can't give you an exact date, but I would assume sometime in the next several months," she said. (AFP)

IRANIAN SPIRITUAL LEADER: NUKES ARE A RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION: Ayatollah Masbah Yazdi, the spiritual teacher of Iran’s dictator Mahmoud Ahmedinajad, says the acquisition of nuclear weapons is a religious obligation. Yazdi, considered one of the leading religious thinkers in Iran, authored a book in which he wrote that attaining the ability to independently produce “special combat means of a specific type” is not only a military obligation for the Islamic Republic, but also a religious one. Just ten days ago, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the opposite. Speaking to army commanders at the launch of a new Iranian naval destroyer, Khamenei said, “Our religious beliefs are against the use of weapons. We in no way believe in an atomic weapon and do not seek one." (Arutz-7) “With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chr 32:8

FOX NEWS POLL: IRAN AND THE BOMB EQUALS DISASTER: A majority of US voters think military force will be necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons program. A Fox News poll released Tuesday finds 60% of voters think force will be required to stop Iran, while 25% think diplomacy and sanctions alone will work. Just over half of Democrats (51%) think force will be necessary, as do three-quarters of Republicans (75%). (Fox News)

NETANYAHU: ISRAEL WILL NEVER CEDE JORDAN VALLEY: PM Netanyahu said Tuesday Israel would never agree to withdraw from the Jordan Valley under any peace agreement signed with the Palestinians. He explained the Jordan Valley's strategic importance along the eastern border of the West Bank made it impossible for Israel to withdraw. (Ha'aretz)

ISRAEL UNPREPARED FOR EARTHQUAKES AT HOME: The State of Israel is woefully unprepared for the possibility of being struck by a natural disaster such as a major earthquake, former State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss warned Knesset members Tuesday. He pointed out the government has not taken action on recommendations made by his predecessor in 2004.  A major earthquake in Israel is long overdue and could endanger tens of thousands of lives due to faulty safety codes used when building were constructed in the 1960’s. (INN)

SENIOR HAMAS LEADER DISOWNS SON WHO SPIED FOR ISRAEL: Hamas Web sites published a letter Monday by Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan.  In the document, Hassan said his family announced its "complete renunciation of the one who was once our eldest son, who is called Mosab."  The father said though he was sorry to take such action, he had no choice after his son "disbelieved in God...and collaborated with our enemies."  Mosab Hassan Yousef, who famously converted to Christianity, served for over a decade as the Shin Bet security service's most valuable source in the terrorist organization's leadership. The intelligence he supplied Israel led to the exposure of a number of terrorist cells, and to the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Israeli figures. (Ha’aretz) Pray for the Comforter to be with Mosab Hassan Yosef.  “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” Luke 12: 51-52.

MEETING ISRAEL’S NEEDS DURING INCREASINGLY TROUBLED TIMES: The National Insurance Institute's annual Poverty Report released Nov. 2009, paints an extremely grim picture: There are 1,651,300 needy people living in Israel, including 783,600 children. Hardship is mounting. Please continue to enable us to assist terrorist victims, entire households suffering from poverty, the elderly and others in need in Israel. Your donations are needed and welcomed at www.visionforisrael.com Make your online donation today. For residents in the UK and outside North America you can visit www.josephstorehouse.co.uk  If you prefer to send your donation by check, you can mail it in to the Israel address or the addresses in the USA and the UK or one of our other branches in The Netherlands and Germany:     

Vision for Israel   P.O. Box 7265   Jerusalem, 91073 Israel

The Joseph Storehouse Trust  P.O.Swindon, SN3 4FB Box 5    England

Vision for Israel P.O. Box 7743 Charlotte, NC  28241 USA

Blessings from Jerusalem,
Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff