Israeli-American Partnership Wages War on Cancer

Two leading Israeli and American scientific research institutes are taking a groundbreaking step forward to advance global collaboration in the fight against cancer.

Two of the world’s preeminent academic and research institutions, NYU Langone Medical Center and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, formally announced on Wednesday a $9 million gift from philanthropists Laura and Isaac Perlmutter that will fund two major, joint research endeavors with potentially far-reaching impact in advancing cancer research.

The joint program is also positioned to attract additional, world-class support from institutions and individuals who are dedicated to eradicating cancer through focused and efficient research.

The first $3 million of the grant will finance six cancer-focused research projects that will be conducted by teams spearheaded by co-investigators from both NYU Langone and the Technion. The remaining $6 million will be used to establish a state-of-the-art research facility on Technion’s campus in Israel that will support these and other research projects – and which will have a principal focus on the emerging field of cancer metabolomics, which are processes that are both affected by, and can influence, a variety of human diseases including cancer.

Because of the significant differences in the chemical processes that occur in cancer cells in comparison to normal healthy cells, metabolomics is becoming ever more important in cancer research. Developing a comprehensive understanding of chemical processes through metabolomics is critical both for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer, as well as for developing innovative treatments.

The gift to foster the NYU Langone-Technion partnership continues the efforts of the Perlmutters to champion projects in the fight against cancer. NYU Langone is a leader in the investigation and treatment of cancer, while the Technion is one of Israel’s leading academic and research centers and a top-ranked science and technology global research university.

“NYU Langone and the Technion have a shared, longstanding commitment to advancing cancer research,” said Dr. Dafna Bar-Sagi, senior vice president and vice dean for science at NYU Langone, chief science officer at NYU School of Medicine, and a principal architect of the NYU Langone-Technion partnership. “We are now at a great moment in our institutions’ illustrious histories, a point from which we can jointly leverage the talent and creativity of our researchers toward accelerating breakthroughs. The foresight and the generosity of the Perlmutters, particularly at this time of financial challenge in funding for basic research, will have tremendous impact.”

“Bringing together the unique expertise of researchers from both NYU and the Technion will hopefully enable us to overcome some of the most difficult challenges in treating cancer patients,” said Technion Professor Aaron Ciechanover, the 2004 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, and head of the David and Janet Polak Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center at the Technion Faculty of Medicine‬‬.

Renowned cancer biologist Dr. Benjamin G. Neel, an expert in the field of cell signal transduction, and Dr. Eyal Gottlieb, a world leader in cancer metabolism, will lead the new research facility at the Technion and spearhead joint efforts in cancer metabolomics.

Dr. Neel will work closely with Prof. Ciechanover to lead the collaborative cancer research effort between the two institutions.

Bringing Israel’s Strengths Front and Center

The latest gift also recognizes the Perlmutters’ commitment to wed Israel’s strengths as a global leader in research and technological innovation with other institutions and endeavors, said the Technion in a statement. The Perlmutters note that Israeli institutions like the Technion spearhead many of the world’s top advances in medicine, science and technology with a proven record in the development of effective cancer treatments. The Perlmutters prioritize funding these efforts through partnerships like the newly established one with NYU Langone.

“Ike and I have long sought for ways to link the state-of-the-art scientific and research advances being made in Israel with our deep commitment to NYU Langone Medical Center,” said Ms. Perlmutter in announcing the new gift. “The partnership between the Technion and NYU Langone allows us to launch a focused cancer research and treatment approach. We are confident that this collaborative effort, which avoids duplication of research initiatives and creates efficiencies among marquee donors and researchers, will lead to dramatic results in the fight against this terrible disease.”

Collaborative efforts between NYU Langone and the Technion are already underway.

Source

Chanukah: Increasing Light in the World

All year round, we must battle the forces of darkness and increase light in the world. Chanukah is an annual reminder that this battle must be waged every day!

As a child growing up in America, it always seemed that Chanukah got the shorter end of the stick when compared to the bright light of Christmas. Lighting those tiny flames couldn’t hold a candle to the houses draped in Christmas lights and adorned with glowing Santas and reindeers on the front lawn. Let’s not even talk about a decorated tree! As I got older and understood what those little Chanukah lights were all about and the commercialization of Christmas, I was proud to be celebrating Chanukah.

Chanukah: Not the Only Time for Giving

I know those who try to defend and define Christmas, and for that matter Chanukah, as the holidays of giving. After all, who can .argue with that? Giving definitely increases in December (though it is likely a function of end of year tax planning) with all the holiday cheer. I think though that this idea is a mistake and in a way even counterproductive. In Judaism (and I believe Christianity) there is no season of giving. Giving is an all year round event. It applies every single day, week, month and year of our lives. A spiritual person, a Godly person, must be a giver. You cannot have a relationship with God while ignoring the needs of those living around you. Defining Chanukah (or Christmas) as a time of giving runs the risk of diminishing the rest of the year as a time of giving as well. I think this idea was developed to justify the gift giving element of the holidays.

A Battle for Hearts and Minds

So what is Chanukah really about? About 2300 years ago the Greeks were ruling the land of Israel. Over the course of the following century they tried to impose their Hellenistic culture upon the Jewish people. Hellenism was the Greek ideology that included the pursuit of knowledge and the arts, architecture, engineering, science and most importantly the perfection of the human form.

The Greeks were an advanced society and very much respected learning and advancement. What was it that ultimately led the Jews to rebel against the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE?

The Greeks believed that man was equal to if not superior than the gods. They saw the world as a man-centered affair in which the gods ultimately had to respond to and accommodate man. Judaism says the exact opposite. The world is meant to be a God-centered world where the will of man is bent to the will of God. Life is to be lived in service of God and in the pursuit of goodness and the perfection of the world. When I say perfection of the world I mean that we are supposed to bring Godliness into everything that we do.

Ultimately, the severely outnumbered Jews defeated the world’s greatest super power with the help of a miracle from God. After redeeming Jerusalem from the Greeks, the Jews went to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem that had been defiled by the Greeks. In the process they found only one jug of pure olive oil with which to light the menorah (the seven branched candelabra lit daily in the Temple). The oil they found though was only enough to light for one day. Nevertheless, they lit the menorah and it remained burning for eight days — enough time to prepare new oil.

Two Miracles: Military Might and Eight Nights of Light

We celebrate Chanukah by lighting candles (or olive oil) for eight nights to commemorate the miracles (1) of the military victory over the Greeks and (2) of the oil. We begin with one candle and add one each night. It is beautiful to see here in Israel the flames dancing as they are displayed for all to see in windows or even outside.

At its core, Chanukah is the celebration of those who believe that the world should be God-centered against those who believe that the world is man-centered. This battle is still being waged today as many in society place athletes and entertainers above heroes of the spirit. The stadium has replaced the house of worship, with money as its idol. God has been removed from public life and science has the answers to everything. Please do not misunderstand me. I enjoy sports and entertainment. Science is critical and absolutely should be studied and used to help humanity. However when sports, entertainment and science are revered more than God, we are no different than the Greeks.

“And God said: Let there be light!” This Biblical imperative is more than just part of the creation story. It is a description of what we are all doing here. Every day we must battle the forces of darkness by adding more and more light to the world. Chanukah reminds us that this is a battle we must face every day.

By Rabbi Moshe Rothchild
www.unitedwithisrael.org

The Shabbos Project Inspires Many Worldwide

The Shabbos Project was a successful, spiritually uplifting event worldwide. Thousands upon thousands of Jews were inspired by an authentic Jewish Sabbath experience.

Jerusalem and other Israeli cities hosted several exciting events this past Shabbat, October 24-25, for The Shabbos Project, an international event hosting Jews from 170 cities and more than 1,000 communities worldwide to experience the beauty of the Sabbath.

Originating in South Africa as a groundbreaking initiative of South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, communities around the world participated in The Shabbos Project, calling on people to keep this one sacred day in its entirety and connect with the worldwide community.

The program began on Thursday evening with a massive international Challah-breaking event. Jerusalem – the eternal capital of the Jewish People – hosted the “Great Big Jerusalem Challah Bake” to help prepare for Shabbat in the spirit of unity, featuring celebrity chef and author Jamie Geller.

Hosted and sponsored by JICNY (Jewish International Connection of New York), Jerusalem Interactive, The First station, Fun in Jerusalem, One Family Fund and Lisa’s List, the event taking place at Jerusalem’s First Station was pulled together by Jodi Samuels, a recent immigrant to Israel, community activist and entrepreneur.

“It’s a thrill to be a part of and help put together an event that is unifying the worldwide Jewish community, in the center of the Jewish world,” said Samuels.

“Preparing the challah for Shabbat is known to be a time of reflection and devotion to the Jewish faith and tradition,” said Jamie Geller, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of the Kosher Media Network. Geller, a resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh, made aliyah (immigration to Israel) recently from the U.S.

“What an amazing experience this will be together with hundreds of other women from all backgrounds, coming together to perform this mitzvah (Torah commandment),” Geller said.

Communal Meals, Prayer and Musical Programs Enhance Spirituality

Enthusiasm for The Shabbos Project was electric. In Beit Shemesh, close to 1,000 women baked challah together on Thursday evening under the spiritual guidance of educator Orit Esther Riter. Community activist Yehudis Schamroth, who organized the event, said the turnout “way exceeded any expectations. I was just delighted to see so much interest.”

The weekend included festive communal meals, prayer services, sing-alongs, concerts and Havdalah (ending-of-Sabbath) ceremonies.

Outside of Israel: According to sources at Shabbat.com, Toronto is a “superstar city.” At least 2,500 participated in the challah-baking event. A number of people reported having received as many as 20 invitations from potential hosts.

Source: Unitedwithisrael.org

Prophetic Fulfillment: Regathering the ‘Lost Tribes’ of Israel

Since the Assyrians invaded their land and led them into captivity in 722 B.C., the whereabouts of the northern tribes of Israel has remained one of the great mysteries of antiquity. Unlike those in the southern kingdom of Judah, who returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple after 70 years in captivity under the Babylonians (586-516 B.C.), there is no record in the Bible of the northern tribes ever returning.

In fact, these “lost tribes of Israel,” in a wider sense, include more than just the 10 tribes that vanished from the stage of history after the Assyrians took them captive. Ezra and Nehemiah both relay that only a remnant returned to Jerusalem with them from the Babylonian captivity. What happened to the rest of the southern kingdom, members of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin? And what of the Jews remaining in Israel following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. and the final revolt against the Romans in 136 A.D.? They were banished from their land, scattered to the nations of the world and became known as the diaspora, or dispersion.

Jews wandered from nation to nation throughout Europe during the Middle Ages as they were expelled from their host nations. Jews living in Italy were banished in 855 A.D. and from England in 1290. During the Spanish Inquisition (1492-97), the Jews of Spain (1492) and later Portugal (1497) were expelled and migrated to the Ottoman Empire, North Africa and the Netherlands. Many also ended up in South and Central America and are known today as Marranos, Conversos or Anusim (translated “retrained ones”).

Commerce also played a role in Jewish migration into other nations of the world. Merchants in search of treasures from the Middle East established trade routes into Asia and Africa. One of the most famous of these was the “Silk Road,” a 4,000-mile trek that connected silk traders in China with consumers in the Middle East. This route brought Persian Jews and other Jewish merchants into China. By the year 1200, there was a thriving Jewish community in Kaifeng until a flood of the Yellow River in 1850 destroyed their synagogue.

I had the opportunity to travel to Kaifeng on an outreach led by my good friend Sid Roth back in 1995 to scout out the Jewish community remaining there. Although we only met a handful of these Chinese Jews, this trip led me on a journey that has continued to this day—searching out and working to aid and restore the scattered children of Israel. The experience has felt like an Indiana Jones adventure, but instead of searching for the lost Ark of the Covenant, I have been in search of the lost people of the Covenant. This quest has since taken me to some of the most remote areas of the world.

God warned Israel that if they were not faithful to obey His laws and commandments, He would banish them from their land to wander the nations: “The Lord will scatter you among all the peoples, from one end of the earth to the other” (Deut. 28:64).

Indeed, this came to pass. The descendants of Jacob have been scattered to almost every nation on earth. But in His mercy and faithfulness, God also promised the day would come when He would bring them back: “When all these things happen to you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you remember them among all the nations, where the Lord your God has driven you, then you must return to the Lord your God and obey His voice according to all that I am commanding you today, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul. Then the Lord your God will overturn your captivity and have compassion on you and will return and gather you from all the nations, where the Lord your God has scattered you” (Deut. 30:1-3).

While these tribes may be lost to the world, God knows who and where each one of them is. I believe we are living in those days of restoration. Indeed, many of these Jewish communities are now coming to light and being recognized by the State of Israel.

The Jews of Ethiopia

Isaiah 11:11 says, “In that day the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, who shall be left, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.”

What’s referred to as Cush in the ancient Scriptures is likely modern-day Ethiopia. According to ancient tradition, Ethiopia’s Jewish connection goes back to the time of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. A 14th-century document known as the Kebra Nagast (“The Glory of the Kings”) records that Solomon and Sheba had a son named Menelik I, who later returned to Ethiopia with his family and the Ark of the Covenant.

Others believe that Jews from the exodus made their way up the Nile and eventually settled in Ethiopia. Most historians, however, believe their presence in Ethiopia is post-exilic and traces back to the Roman dispersion of Jews migrating from Yemen to the horn of Africa. Whatever history is correct, we do have the account of Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39), who was led to faith not from paganism but from Judaism.

Known as the Beta Israel (House of Israel), the Ethiopian Jews were officially recognized by the State of Israel in 1973. In fact, the Israeli government conducted two dangerous operations to bring them to Israel: Operation Moses, which took place over a period of seven weeks in 1984-85, during which 8,000 Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel. Operation Solomon, a covert airlift, was conducted in 1991 and brought 14,500 Ethiopian Jews to Israel over a 24-hour period. Sadly, thousands of the Beta Israel identified as Falasha Mura (converts to Christianity) were left behind.

Another tribe of Ethiopian Jews, the Beta Avraham, was originally part of the Beta Israel community. But in the 17th century, a false messiah rose up among these people and ultimately led them to join the Orthodox Church. They broke away, becoming their own tribe and eventually settled in the Ethiopian district of Kechene, near the capital city of Addis Ababa. Jewish Voice brings a team of medical doctors and volunteers to help this community every year and operates a full-time medical clinic known as Bete Hibret.

A third offshoot of Ethiopian Jews, the Gefat, lives farther south in the Ethiopian rural countryside of Woliso and Hosanna. A remote community made up of 20,000 to 30,000 people, this tribe has faithfully observed Jewish customs for hundreds of years, including circumcising their male children on the eighth day, applying the blood of a lamb over their doorposts at Passover and keeping biblical dietary laws. In fact, their name, Gefat, means “the blowers”—according to their oral history, they were chosen by the kings of Ethiopia centuries ago to blow the shofar ahead of the Ark of the Covenant in official processionals.

I became aware of this community in 2010 when their elders contacted me during one of our medical clinic outreaches in Addis Ababa and asked for our help. The following year we held our first medical outreach in Woliso. Thousands came for treatment, and we’ve returned regularly ever since.

To date, Jewish Voice has planted and supports a flourishing network of eight Messianic Jewish congregations in Ethiopia, all of which are experiencing rapid growth.

The Bnei Menashe of India

Near the border between eastern India and Myanmar are the two Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram. Within these lives an ancient community called the Bnei Menashe, believed to be descended from the lost tribe of Manasseh. Oral history holds that they were captured by Assyria along with the rest of the northern tribes of Israel and eventually landed in China. Then, in the second century, they migrated to India in the wake of Chinese persecution. Many converted to Christianity in the 19th century through the work of Welsh Presbyterian missionaries.

In 2008, a rat infestation completely overtook the rice crops in Mizoram, threatening starvation. This famine drew global media attention to the Bnei Menashe. When I heard of their plight, I felt the Lord strongly prompting me to do something to help. After an advance trip to assess the needs, we provided hundreds of tons of rice and brought a large team of doctors and dentists to provide free medical, dental and eye care to the Bnei Menashe. We’ve been back every year since. More than 900 members of the Bnei Menashe have prayed with our prayer teams to receive Jesus as their Messiah.

In 2011, the Israeli government decided to allow 7,300 members of the Bnei Menashe to come to Israel. Several hundred more have also recently made aliyah (going up to the Holy Land), but thousands still remain and live in a state of deep poverty.

The Lemba of Zimbabwe

God made good on His promise to scatter the children of Israel to the uttermost parts of the world. Perhaps nowhere is that more evidenced than in the remote bush of Zimbabwe, where we’ve often had to wait to land our six-seater prop plane until zebras exited the clearing we use as a makeshift runway. Here we’ve found the Lemba, a tribe numbering over 70,000 and spread throughout Zimbabwe and parts of South Africa.

In a recent DNA study, 70 percent of the Lemba sampled possessed the Cohanim gene (from an ancient Jewish priestly line­)—a higher percentage than both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews sampled. This finding has generated significant interest among the Jewish community and strongly supports their 800-year claim to be descendants of Aaron the high priest.

After a whirlwind trip—spent mostly on planes—to meet with the Lemba’s elders, we organized our first medical outreach to their community in 2012. Without electricity, hotels or restaurants, we had to truck in the entire clinic on washed-out dirt roads—including tents and the generators needed to power our medical equipment. Since this first outreach two years ago, we now have 30 Messianic Jewish congregations among the Lemba with a weekly attendance of over 3,000. The Lemba are currently the fastest-growing Messianic Jewish community in the world.

The Yibir of Somaliland

Through a dear friend, Gerald Gotzen, I heard about a mystical tribe of people in Somaliland called the Yibir. The Yibir—whose name, some believe, derives from the word Hebrew—were forced to convert to Islam many years ago yet have secretly retained their Jewish identity. In 2012, I sent an advance team to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland to meet with tribal leaders. They quietly shared about their Jewish ancestry and their desire to further connect with their Jewish identity and the State of Israel. We’ve continued to develop our relationship and are seeking ways to help them in this pursuit.

The Pashtun of Afghanistan

Within the borders of Afghanistan, one of the most uniformly Muslim countries in the world, lives an ethnic group called the Pashtun who some believe to be descendants of one of the 10 lost tribes. The Pashtun are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Though DNA testing has been inconclusive and scholars have disagreed for centuries as to their true origins, it’s indisputable that the Pashtun do observe certain ancient Jewish customs and traditions. Many historic markers in the region are written in Aramaic (the language of first-century Judaism) instead of the traditional Sanskrit usually found in this area.

Many of the family names among the Pashtun are Jewish as well, including Levani (similar to Levi), Daftani (similar to Naphtali) and Jaji (similar to Gad). Some historians, as far back as the 1800s, even referred to the Pashtuns as “Yusefzai,” meaning sons of Joseph.

The Igbo of Nigeria

In the central-western African country of Nigeria lives a tribe of the Igbo people who call themselves the Bnei Yisrael. They believe themselves to be descended from the lost tribes of Gad, Zebulun, Manasseh, Dan, Asher and Naphtali. Numbering some 30,000, the Bnei Yisrael observe many biblical feasts and maintain the dietary laws and other commandments of the Torah.

We just completed a scouting trip to meet with the leaders of the Bnei Yisrael and plans are under way to conduct our first outreach in Nigeria next year.

The Jew First

While many rightly view the rebirth of the State of Israel and restoration of Jerusalem as important fulfillments of last days’ prophecy, too few Christians are paying attention to other prophetic events taking place before our eyes. Among these are the large numbers of Jewish people coming to faith in Jesus as their Messiah; the rise and growth of the Messianic Jewish movement; and the regathering of these “lost tribes” back to their homeland. In my opinion, these are some of the most significant signs of Messiah’s soon return.

In Romans 1:16 we are told that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first” (emphasis mine). While some teach this is simply a fact of history and nothing more, I believe this is a biblical principle that is still in force today. In fact, it may be the missing key to our missiology. Is it possible that reaching the Jewish people opens the door to the salvation of the nations? Perhaps this is the mystery that Paul was revealing to us in Romans 11:15 when he declared, “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”

So how are we applying this missiological view and reaching the “lost tribes” of Israel with an end-times perspective in mind? Since our first medical clinic in Gondar, Ethiopia, in 1999, hundreds of dedicated volunteers from church communities around the world have worked with Jewish Voice in more than 20 medical-clinic outreaches to help impoverished Jewish communities. By God’s grace, we’ve provided free medical care and medicines to more than 211,000 patients. We’ve distributed 37,000 pairs of eyeglasses, performed nearly 700 eye surgeries and provided dental treatment to 13,000 patients.

While these statistics are wonderful, it’s the spiritual message and outcome that is most important. Everything we do to physically help these people is with the end goal of earning the right to share our faith and demonstrating that we care. I often repeat the adage to the volunteers who work with us that “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Each of our outreaches features a prayer tent, where patients can pray with members of our team and hear about a God who loves them and sent His Son to die for them. We don’t force anyone to enter these tents—our medical help is truly free—but we rejoice when they do. And the practical aid has paid off. Our teams have prayed with 38,644 to receive Yeshua as their Messiah and Savior. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, people of all walks of life have responded. We’ve also witnessed thousands supernaturally healed, delivered and filled with the Spirit of God. We’ve seen patients enter the prayer tent on their knees and walk out on their feet. We’ve seen the deaf hear, the blind see and the lame carried in and walk out!

Lost No More

God’s preservation and regathering of the dispersed of Israel is a testimony of His faithfulness. As Jeremiah 31:35-36 declares, “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea so that the waves roar, the Lord of Hosts is His name: ‘If those ordinances depart from before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘then the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.'”

He has sustained His people through famine, dispersion, persecution and attempted genocide. While they may be “lost” to the world, God knows where they are … and He is actively regathering them before our watching eyes. He is not only restoring them physically to their land, He is restoring them spiritually through His Son.

Jonathan Bernis is president and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries International, host of the TV show Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis and author of A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth. See www.losttribesofisrael.org.

Source: www.charismanews.com

The High Holydays: A Season of Repentance

The High Holy Days are the most widely observed Jewish holidays, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and ending ten days later with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The month preceding the High Holy Days, known as Elul in Hebrew, is a time of preparation involving intense reflection and soul-searching. The dominant theme during this time is teshuvah, meaning repentance, literally “returning to one’s self.” During this time, Jews around the world examine their lives and seek forgiveness for the coming year.

Below you will discover a variety of resources from Bible studies to devotions to recipes to help you understand the importance and significance of this holy time of year, not only to Judaism, but also to the Christian faith. Read more…

“Jews Have the Right to Live in Jerusalem”, Israel Tells USA

“You know, there’s not only the freedom of property, but the right of every individual to live where they want, as long as they purchase the apartment legally and don’t expropriate, don’t take over, which isn’t the case here. So I just want to understand this policy. It flies in the face of American values, and it flies in the face of common sense.”

Just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his two-hour meeting with American President Barack Obama, the US harshly condemned Israel for its plans to further develop housing projects in Jerusalem that were publicized on Wednesday.

“This development will only draw condemnation from the international community,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest stated. “It also would call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”

The State Department further accused Israel of “poisoning” the atmosphere with the Palestinians and moderate Arab countries. The development of housing projects would “distance Israel from even its closest allies; poison the atmosphere not only with the Palestinians, but also with the very Arab governments with which Prime Minister Netanyahu said he wanted to build relations; and call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington late Wednesday afternoon.

Plans Include Building for Jews and Arabs

The Jerusalem Municipality announced on Wednesday that it is moving ahead with the approval of 2,600 housing units at the Givat Hamatos neighborhood in Jerusalem. The plans were initially approved in December 2012, and this announcement was regarding a new development in the process. The project still requires further authorization and approval. The plans include building for Jews as well as Arabs.

The US further criticized Israel for moving Israelis into homes in the Ir David (City of David) neighborhood in Jerusalem, known by the Arabs as Silwan, on Wednesday. Earnest said this move serves only to “escalate tensions at a moment when those tensions have already been high.”

Netanyahu Rejects US Criticism, Will Not Discriminate against Jews

Netanyahu strongly rejected the criticism, stating that Jews have a right to homes in Jerusalem just as the Arabs do, and that he would not discriminate against the Jews.

“I don’t understand this criticism, and I don’t accept this position. Arabs in Jerusalem freely buy apartments, and nobody says that is forbidden. I will also not say that Jews cannot buy property in Jerusalem. There cannot be discrimination between Jews and Arabs. This is a normal process, and I see no reason to discriminate,” he said while briefing reporters in New York.

“This isn’t a settlement,” the Israeli leader declared. “These are neighborhoods in Jerusalem. If you said to me that in some city in the United States or in Mexico, or anywhere else, Jews cannot buy apartments, there would be an uproar. You know, there’s not only the freedom of property, but the right of every individual to live where they want, as long as they purchase the apartment legally and don’t expropriate, don’t take over, which isn’t the case here. This was a free transaction. So I just want to understand this policy. It flies in the face of American values, and it flies in the face of common sense.”

Netanyahu further accused various Israeli elements of deliberately creating a political stir to sabotage his meeting with Obama, noting it was not a coincidence that the issue surfaced during his visit in the US.

Speaking to MSNBC Netanyahu said, “What is most important is to first learn the facts. We are not talking about illegal communities. These are Jewish neighborhoods.”

Building Will Continue with Force, Mayor Says

Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat seconded Netanyahu’s remarks. Not only is the building harmless, but it is necessary for the city, he stated.

“I say this firmly and clearly: building in Jerusalem is not poisonous and harmful – rather, it is essential, important and will continue with full force,” Barkat declared. “I will not freeze construction for anyone in Israel’s capital. Discrimination based on religion, race or gender is illegal in the United States and in any other civilized country; 2,600 apartments in Givat HaMatos that we approved two years ago will enable more young people from all sectors and religions to live in Jerusalem and build their future here, thereby strengthening the capital of Israel. We will not apologize for that. “

Source: unitedwithisrael.org