Huckabee tells it like it is in Israel!
August 26, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
By: Josiah Ryan and Herb Keinon
The Jerusalem Post
Former US presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Tuesday there is no room for a Palestinian state “in the middle of the Jewish homeland” and that Israel should be able to build settlements wherever it wants.
Huckabee’s opposition to a Palestinian state puts him at odds with the accepted wisdom of both Democrats and Republicans – and to some degree even with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has come out in favor of a demilitarized Palestinian state.
Speaking to a small group of foreign reporters in Jerusalem, Huckabee, seen as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012, said the international community should consider establishing a Palestinian state some place else.
“The question is should the Palestinians have a place to call their own? Yes, I have no problem with that. Should it be in the middle of the Jewish homeland? That`s what I think has to be honestly assessed as virtually unrealistic,” he said.
The politician, a Southern Baptist preacher and a two-time former governor of Arkansas, praised Israel for giving Muslims access to Jerusalem`s Dome of the Rock – also the site of the ancient Jewish temples – even though the presence of a mosque there “could be considered an affront.”
“Israel is a place where they`re going to allow other cultures and religions, but don`t ask the Jewish people whose homeland it is to completely yield over their ability to live within the context of their country,” said Huckabee.
US President Barack Obama is calling for a complete freeze on settlement activity on lands the Palestinians claim for their would-be state.
Huckabee is being hosted by the Jerusalem Reclamation Project, a group seeking to bolster the Jewish presence in east Jerusalem. Their activities, some of them funded by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz, are aimed at blocking the division of the city as part of any future peace deal.
Huckabee said he welcomed a demonstration Monday night by anti-settlement protesters outside the Shepherd Hotel, the site of a planned housing project in east Jerusalem which the Obama administration has demanded be stopped and where the Moskowitz family hosted Huckabee for dinner.
He called the freedom to protest an “affirmation of everything that is wonderful and great about Israel and the United States.”
No related posts.
Institutional Investors Buy in to Zion Oil
August 26, 2009
Last week, institutional investors (i.e. banks, investment houses, mutual funds, etc.) filed their changes in investments with the SEC.
Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. now has as stockholders, the institutions listed below. This is the approximate amount of stock that they held at the filing date. This list is not complete, but it proves a point regarding Zion stock.
- Barclays Global Investors – 529,000 shares
- Ing – 280,500 shares
- Goldman Sachs – 119,000 shares
- Usquehanna International – 93,200 shares
- Tiaa Cref Investments – 69,700 shares
- Renaissance Technologies – 57,000 shares
- Northern Trust – 40,600
- Bank of New York (Mellon) – 33,300 shares
- Vanguard – 21,000
- Morgan Stanley – 18,000 shares
- Blackrock Investment Management – 17,000 shares
- American International Group (AIG) – 9,600 shares
A total of over 1.25 million shares of stock (that’s about $12.4 million)
So what does that mean? Institutional investors aren’t sentimental about Israel, Zion Oil’s story or vision, or whether or not the Bible predicts a last day’s oil discovery in Israel. They’re interested in return on investment. Why in the world would institutional investors put $12.4 million into Zion Oil & Gas? Because they believe their investment will pay off.
For all of us that have followed the story of Israel’s oil for so long, it’s difficult to express what this means. The ‘facts’ of Zion Oil’s exploration efforts have overcome even the skeptics antipathy to the ‘faith’ that has driven Zion Oil from the beginning. Institutional investors have bought into Zion Oil & Gas because it’s a good deal; no more, no less.
Remember this: the world’s approval doesn’t lend credibility to God’s plan. But sometimes God’s plan is so incredibly obvious that the world would be foolish not to recognize it.
Related posts:
- International Energy Agency Reports a Decline in World Oil Output
- Zion Oil Files for New Rights Offering
- TomCo Energy reports near doubling of oil-in-place in Heletz Field
Groundhog Day … Again
August 26, 2009
Last week we talked about how being born again into life requires dying first; crucifying the old man whose behavior leads us into death. We also figured out how we crucify the old man – we kill his deeds, the behavior that leads us to death instead of life. Remember the old joke: “A man goes [...]Zion Oil Makes NY Times
August 21, 2009
Market action for Zion Oil & Gas has apparently been hot enough to attract the New York Times Business Section. Click here to see Friday’s NY Times listing.
Related posts:
- A Dead Sea Oil Discovery in Jordan?
- Does Israel Have Oil? Wrong Question.
- October 24, 2008 Letter From Zion CEO Richard Rinberg
Gas Field Near Haifa Exceeds Expectations — Again!
August 19, 2009
by Hana Levi Julian
(Israelnationalnews.com) The capacity of natural gas fields at the Tamar I drilling site off the coast of Haifa have exceeded the most optimistic expectations.- for a second time.
The natural gas reserves found at the site are 16 percent more than estimated, according to an independent report released by Noble Energy, which owns 36% of the field under exploration.
Noble Energy also operates the drill site on behalf of a conglomerate of partners, including Texas-based petroleum company Netherland, Sewell and Associates. The site is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Haifa.
Israeli partners in the well include Isramco Negev 2, which owns 28.75%, Delek Drilling, which has 15.625%, Avner Oil Exploration with 15.625% and Dor Gas Exploration, which owns 4%.
Shares rose in response to the announcement at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).
Tests by an outside consultant have revealed 207 billion cubic meters of gas. The previous estimate of 178 billion, made a month ago, was already 30 percent higher than original estimates.
“There is already enough Israeli made natural gas to provide for the county’s needs for years to come, said Avner CEO Gideon Tadmor and Delek CEO Tzvi Greenfield in a joint statement.
They said that the group plans to “determinedly seek out additional reserves in our many licenses along the coast,” pointing out the discoveries free the Jewish State from dependence on foreign energy sources.
Related posts:
- Natural Gas Exploration to begin off the Haifa Coast
- More Detail about the Haifa Offshore Gas Exploration
- Israel Discovers Huge Natural Gas Field
Zion’s Search for Oil in Israel on French TV
August 18, 2009
French news agency AFP recently filmed a short news piece on the biblical search for oil in Israel featuring John Brown of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. and Ginko Oil Exploration in the Dead Sea region of Israel.
Related posts:
- Israel Strikes Oil
- Zion Oil Featured by Israeli and French News Agencies
- Does Israel Have Oil? Wrong Question.
Zion Oil Goes to NASDAQ
August 17, 2009
Dallas, Texas and Caesarea, Israel – August 17, 2009: Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ZN) announced today that its board of directors has approved the decision to switch the listing of its common stock and common stock purchase warrants from the NYSE Amex to the NASDAQ Global Market (NGM). The Company also announced that it has received approval from NASDAQ to list its common stock and warrants on the NASDAQ Global Market.
It is anticipated that Zion’s securities will commence trading on NASDAQ on September 2, 2009. Zion’s common stock will continue to trade under the symbol ‘ZN’ and Zion’s warrants will trade under the symbol ‘ZNWAW’. Zion’s management is scheduled to participate in the opening bell ringing ceremony on that date.
The Company believes that listing the Company’s common stock and warrants on the NASDAQ Global Market will provide the Company with opportunities to increase investor and analyst attention and provide the Company’s investors with a better environment for trading shares of the Company.
Zion’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Rinberg, said today, “This decision was reached after careful consideration, as we have been pleased with the assistance given to us by both the NYSE Amex staff and our specialist. However, we believe that the NASDAQ’s electronic multiple market maker structure will provide our company with enhanced exposure and liquidity and a more effective cost structure. At the same time, investors will gain added visibility, the lowest cost per trade and the fastest execution possible by the most current trading technology.”
NASDAQ is the largest U.S. electronic stock market. With approximately 3,200 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, its systems trade more shares per day that any other U.S. market. NASDAQ is home to companies that are leaders across all areas of business. For more information about NASDAQ, visit their website at www.nasdaq.com
Zion’s common stock currently trades on the NYSE Amex under the symbol ‘ZN’ and Zion’s warrants trade under the symbol ‘ZN.WS’.
Zion Oil & Gas, a Delaware corporation, explores for oil and gas in Israel in areas located on-shore between Haifa and Tel Aviv. It currently holds two petroleum exploration licenses, the Joseph and the Asher-Menashe Licenses, between Netanya, in the south, and Haifa, in the north, covering a total of approximately 162,000 acres and the Issachar-Zebulun Permit Area, adjacent to and to the east of Zion’s Asher-Menashe license area, covering approximately 165,000 acres. Zion’s total petroleum exploration rights area is approximately 327,000 acres.
Related posts:
Groundhog Day Part 2
August 17, 2009
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Romans 8:5) In my last letter I talked about how what I want to do, I don’t do; but the very [...]Elisha Roih, One of Israel’s Patriots
August 12, 2009
Remember the movie “The Patriot”? Mel Gibson played the part of Benjamin Martin (loosely based on Revolutionary War Hero Francis Marion) an American patriot in the Revolutionary War. The movie gave us a glimpse of what life and battle may have been like for the out-manned, out-gunned band of American patriots during this country’s war for independence. It also portrayed the sacrifices and raw courage of these men who have earned their place in American history as true patriots and heroes.
The fight for American independence took place in 1776; more than 230 years ago. But there was another war of independence on the other side of the world, much more recently, with its own patriots and heroes. The patriots that insured Israel’s independence, like their American counterparts, were out-manned and out-gunned. Also like the heroes of the American Revolution, Israel’s patriots made crushing sacrifices and displayed incredible courage in their fight to win and build a free country; they too have become a part of their nation’s history.
In his letter to Zion Oil shareholders last week, CEO Richard Rinberg featured retired Vice President of Israeli Operations, Elisha Roih. Richard mentioned that, “… Elisha has put in a lifetime of service – as a very young member of the British Army’s Jewish Brigade during WW2 and as a veteran of the Israel Defense Force, attaining the rank of a full Colonel. He is a true hero of the State of Israel.” What he said about Elisha Roih is true, but what doesn’t appear in Richard’s statement is the life written between the lines.
Elisha is “a true hero of the State of Israel.” But in order to fully grasp what that means, those of us who haven’t personally experienced a patriot’s fight for freedom can benefit from the narrative of someone who was there. The following excerpt is from the book Never The Last Journey, by Holocaust survivor, Israeli patriot and electronics giant Felix Zandman. Felix met Elisha in France, early in 1948, as preparations were being made for Israel’s birth as an independent nation.
Among the people I got to know in Nancy were a few Israelis-Palestinian Jews. The first was Elisha Roih, a student in agricultural science at the university, or so he said. Elisha was tall and rawboned. He had a slightly Slavic cast of features, high cheek bones, and an instant smile. He was one of the friendliest, most sympathetic people I had ever met, and I took an instant liking to him. There was something different about Elisha, something I couldn’t quite define. He was brash; in his bearing and in the glint of his eyes he exuded self-confidence, even a hint that he could be dangerous if provoked.
Elisha’s demeanor was strikingly different from that of the Polish Jews I knew, most of whom had a fearful, wounded air about them I attributed the difference to the fact that he was an Israeli, born and raised on a kibbutz. I looked up to Elisha. He seemed a symbol of something that had come to have great meaning for me – a strong, self-sufficient Israeli man. I had met a few Israelis in Poland while I was running guns, but only fleetingly. Elisha was the first I actually got to know
In fact, Elisha’s bearing wasn’t only due to having been raised on a kibbutz. Before long I learned that he was no ordinary agricultural science student either. Elisha was one of the first contingent of Israeli secret agents in Europe – forerunners of the Mossad. Most were members of the Palmach, the strike force of Israel’s underground army. During the war they had fought with the Jewish Brigade, which had been raised by the British Army When the brigade was disbanded at the close of hostilities, 550 Jewish soldiers had remained in Europe under new identities, their places in the demobilized unit taken by refugees they had trained to assume their old identities.
The agents bought and smuggled arms, organized and escorted refugee boats, and gathered intelligence. For a while Elisha had traveled under a Canadian passport, according to which he was a Québécois (his French wasn’t perfect, nor was his English). Now he was an agricultural student. But what he really did was smuggle guns and immigrants across the German border, keeping his eye out for talent – potential candidates for the clandestine Haganah camps that were training Jews in Europe fur the coming war with the Arabs.
I didn’t know any of this at first. What I did know was that here was an engaging Israeli I could speak my Tarbut school Hebrew to. I sensed there was something else when one day I invited Elisha to take a shower at the Cité Universitaire, where I was living. Hot water in Europe was in short supply at the time (soap was in no supply), and showers were rationed, Elisha was living in a small rented room with no bathing facilities at all, so when it was my dormitory’s turn for showers, I invited him over.
We stood in the long line waiting our turn, but when mine came someone pushed me rudely aside. It was a rough- looking older student. “This is my turn,” he said. “Excuse me,” I said politely, “it’s my turn. “Merde,” said the French student. Suddenly Elisha was standing between us. “Sorry,” he said, “actually it’s my turn, and I’ve given it to him.” He gestured at me,
“Your turn?”
“Yes, my turn. And I’ve given it to him. So he’s going to takes shower now.”
“You?” the French student looked at him disdainfully. “What are you, some kind of Jew-lover?”
I couldn’t believe how calm Elisha was. My own heart was beating a mile a minute. “Listen,” he said, “I’ll forget what you just said. But it’s my turn, and I’ve given it to my friend. So he’s going in now. Is that plain enough?”
“Not only are you a dirty Jew-lover,” said the French student, “but you’re a liar, too.”
This was too much for Elisha’s patience. His voice got very quiet. I was riveted. “I come from a place,” he said softly, “where if you call somebody a liar, he’ll kill you.”
“Oh, and where’s that?”
“I come from Palestine,” said Elisha.
“So,” he said, measuring his words. His body tensed, ready for a fight. “Then I guess that makes you a dirty Jew, too.”
The next thing I knew, the rough-looking Frenchman was lying on the floor. Elisha had done something to him, though I wasn’t sure exactly what. I walked in to take my shower. Then Elisha took his. The long line of students simply moved up, as if this kind of thing happened every day.
It wasn’t much of an incident. In terms of what Elisha had done in his life, it wasn’t something that he would remember more than five minutes. But to me it was extraordinary. I had seen a Jew standing up for himself and dealing out punishment to a bully. It struck a chord so deep, I thought about it for days. Later I thanked Elisha for what he had done, mumbling a few embarrassed words about “protecting Jewish honor when I didn’t feel that I could do it.” The words were awkward, and I wasn’t sure he understood what I meant. How could anybody understand who hadn’t lived through what I had? But then again, I thought, maybe he did.
Elisha was worried about events in Palestine. We were now several months into 1948. In November the United Nations had voted to partition the country into two parts – one Jewish, one Arab. The Jews had accepted the resolution; the Arabs had rejected is. Since then, violence had been increasing. We heard about attacks by the Irgun and skirmishes and battles between the Jewish underground army – the Haganah – and Arab forces. Pressure was building in anticipation of May 14, the day the U.N. resolution was supposed to go into effect. Everyone knew what would happen then. The Jewish community would declare its independence; then full-scale war would break out. The fight for Jewish survival was coming on.
In early March Elisha suggested to me that maybe I should be part of the Haganah. The way he said it I knew he was telling me that if I wanted to, he could arrange it. His confidence overwhelmed me. I wasn’t even quite sure who he was, but what he was saying was clear enough. The Haganah needed people. Elisha thought I had the right stuff for it.
I told him I was interested. I had wanted to go to Palestine for years. I wanted to fight. What did he mean, he could arrange it?
“We have a camp,” he told me, “a training camp for Haganah squad leaders. I’ve already recommended you for it, and you’ve been accepted. When the time comes, we’ll get you over to Israel. If you want to start training, you can leave tomorrow”
The next day I was on a train for Lyons. At the railroad station someone was waiting for me. He said little as we drove off toward the mountains. In the early spring the French countryside looked idyllic, dotted with farmland and pastures and small herds of brown and white cows. The sign at the gate where we stopped said “Colonie de Vacance” – Vacation Colony.
Beyond the fence and low hills that separated the camp from the road, the Haganah had built a full-scale training facility with barracks, obstacle courses, and firing ranges. The basic training course I started the moment I put my bag down was short – I’d be here only a month – but it was intense. Our instructors went under code names; they were all Aries and Jehudas and Avrams. They were British-trained and had fought with the Jewish Brigade or had served in the British-sponsored Jewish Settlement Police back in Palestine. The whole system was British.
Training with weapons came first, taking them apart, cleaning them, putting them together again. I was already pretty good at this before we started. After the war I had sworn to myself that I would never be without a weapon, and once I got involved in the Bricha, I wasn’t. In Poland I always carried a pistol. My instinct for survival told me not ever to leave myself helpless again. The upshot was that I knew guns. The most difficult to put together was the Belgian FN automatic pistol, a very complicated piece of equipment. But I quickly became expert with it, and with all the other weapons they trained us on.
My fellow trainees included girls as well as boys. We were taught weapons handling, how to use a compass and maps, how to navigate at night. We learned grenades and hand-to-hand combat – knife-fighting and basic jujitsu. The instructors, the Aries and Jehudas, were young, and there was something uncomfortable about the idea of Jewish youngsters being expert at killing. But to my surprise I became pretty good at the techniques myself.
Our instructors built up our stamina fast. We went on thirty-mile hikes with backpacks. We climbed in the low Alps that started near the camp. The pace was fast and brutal, designed to take people with no training and harden them at breakneck speed. Every minute counted, and once the course began, no one left camp for a moment.
Meanwhile, in Israel the fighting was heating up. By early May everyone knew that armies from the surrounding Arab countries would attack the Jewish community the moment the British formally gave up their mandate.
Zandman’s narrative gives us a peak into the men and women who became Israel’s heroes. Elisha Roih is among them. The rest, as they say, is history.
No related posts.
Groundhog Day
August 6, 2009
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it [...]-
Best Sellers
