An Israeli entrepreneur is harnessing the sun's energy in an industrial park in the northern Negev, where he plans to refine the technology and then replicate it in California's Mojave Desert.

Arnold Goldman was a dreamer who didn't give up on his dream even when oil prices dropped and the State of California decided not to renew its incentives for clean energy producers in the 1990's.

Test site of the robotic mirrors

Goldman's Luz International company which he had built in the 1980's, went bankrupt in 1991 as a result. But the dream didn't die, and the UCLA and USC-educated scientist built BrightSource Energy Inc. and Luz II instead.

This past April, the Israeli entrepreneur signed the largest power-buying agreement in the history of solar power with Pacific Gas & Electric.

A month later his clean-energy company raised $115 million from like-minded investors such as Google.org and BP Alternative Energy, enabling him to build the world's first solar thermal energy field at Rotem Industrial Park in the northern Negev.

Located between the southern cities of Arad and Dimona, the site is the testing ground for five larger solar fields that Goldman plans to build in California.

The field of 1,640 robotic mirrors, called heliostats, looks a little like a mechanical rock concert in action when the sun rises in the morning.

Each mirror is slightly larger than a ping pong table and is controlled by a computer; the tables turn toward the sun as it moves through the sky. The mirrors focus the sun's rays on the point of a 200-foot tower where a water boiler is to produce high-pressure steam.

The system is designed to produce up to 900 megawatts of clean, renewable energy for the State of California in the next decade, enough to power 540,000 homes per year.

Mujahideen Muslim terrorists may be behind the sinking American dollar as part of a campaign to cripple the American economy, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported. The media watch group, which specializes in tracking Arabic language websites, said that postings on websites the past two years reflect a move toward waging an economic war against the United States.
Financial, rather than military, losses that will prompt the U.S. to change its policies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Mujahideen terrorist groups that operate in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries "have come to the conclusion that it is financial, rather than military, losses that will prompt the U.S. to change its policies in the Middle East and elsewhere," according to MEMRI.  

An article recently posted in Sada Al-Jihad (Echo of Jihad) magazine and posted on several Muslim websites, discusses the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. as having influenced the decline in the dollar. It also cited the cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as draining the American economy.

Another recent posting stated, "The dollar can expect two additional blows that will break its back... [namely] the announcement of the return of the [religious rule of the] Caliphate..." and the reinstatement of the gold standard in international monetary trade. It urged Mujahideen "to get rid of American dollars" before an "imminent" terrorist attack that "will put an end to the so-called United States of America and destroy its economy completely."

MEMRI concluded, "Given that it is highly atypical for Al-Qaeda to give prior warning of its attacks, the message is probably an attempt to pressure Muslims to sell dollars, in order to generate pessimism in the dollar market and thus accelerate the drop in its value."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni declared Thursday that Israel should respond with military force every time terrorists attack Israel with rockets and mortar shells. She told visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, "It doesn't interest me who fired it, we need to respond militarily and immediately to every infraction."

Islamic Jihad terrorist leaders have accused Israel of violating the temporary Gaza ceasefire 15 times since it went into effect eight days ago. The alleged violations include IDF surveillance drones over Gaza skies and the shooting of Arab fishermen and farmers by soldiers.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has limited his response to verbal statements that Israel considers the attacks truce violations. In addition, Israel has closed crossings into Gaza that had been opened under the agreement, and they remain shut on Friday, except for the Nahal Oz fuel depot. Terrorist leaders have warned that the closures will be considered as violations of the ceasefire.

The Islamic Jihad organization previously has taken responsibility for breaking the truce and attacking Israel with Kassam rockets and a mortar shell on Tuesday. It explained the bombardment was in retaliation for Israel's killing two terrorists in Shechem, part of Judea and Samaria where Islamic Jihad unilaterally extended the truce.

The Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot reported that United Nations sources claimed Israel has violated the agreement seven times and that Arabs violated it only once. Arab terrorists have fired at least seven rockets on three separate days this week. 
 
Most of the alleged Israeli violations involved IDF soldiers shooting at Arabs who approach the separation barrier, where they often plant bombs to explode when IDF vehicles pass. Hamas has maintained that the Arabs were farmers trying to work their land.

IDF spokesmen said they knew of only one incident when soldiers fired warning shots in the air without injuring anyone. Islamic Jihad claimed that the IDF shot and seriously wounded two farmers, ages 67 and 80.

The Prime Minister's office has admitted, in a letter to the Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center, that it is enabling the transfer of huge amounts of shekels into Hamas-run Gaza.

Asked about this issue by Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of human rights organization Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, the PM's office replied, "The transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip takes place with the knowledge of the Israeli government, for diplomatic reasons."

Notably, the letter states that the money is transferred to the PA, when in actuality, Hamas - not the PA - runs Gaza.

The PM's Bureau letter continues, "The money transfer takes place after consultations on the matter with the relevant elements, in which are taken into consideration various possibilities and ramifications of the stoppage of the transfers. At this stage, in light of the conclusion that was reached that it was an Israeli interest that the money transfers continue, it was decided to continue to transfer certain sums to Gaza."

Law Centers Demands Stop to Money Transfers
Shurat HaDin, an organization representing hundreds of terror victims in ongoing global battles against terror funding, had sent letters to the Prime Minister, the Bank of Israel and the Israel Postal Bank, demanding an immediate cessation to the transfer of funds to Hamas.

Israel Launders Hamas Money
A Law Center representative explained that the funds are transferred in two ways: "For one thing, trucks from Arab banks in Judea and Samaria bring new banknotes and shekels issued by the Bank of Israel to the Gaza crossings, where the money is exchanged for dollars and euros smuggled into Hamas under the Philadelphi Corridor from Iran and elsewhere.  This means that Israel is essentially laundering Hamas's smuggled money."

Replacing Old With New
"In addition, the Bank of Israel sends Brinks trucks to the Gaza crossings to replace old, unusable shekel banknotes.  It replaces the old ones with shiny new ones - and last November, just days after such an exchange took place, the whole world saw pictures of Hamas terrorists holding their Kalachnikov rifles kissing Israeli banknotes with pictures of Yitzchak Ben-Tzvi and Shmuel Yosef Agnon that they had just received as their salaries; they had not been paid in months, and the Hamas government appeared to be on the verge of collapse, when Israel stepped in with this delivery." 

"Without these criminal acts," the Law Center writes, "Hamas' financial hold on the Strip would collapse, and thus these measures are directly responsible for shoring up the Hamas control over Gaza and its continued terrorist activity launched from the region."

Shurat HaDin director Darshan-Leitner had sharp words for the government of Israel, saying it "cannot fight against the Hamas terrorist organization  with one hand, and continue to secretly finance it with the other. Hypocritically, the Prime Minister demands that governments around the world isolate and and embargo the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and stop transferring funds to them, while at the same time he authorizes the transfer of  Israeli currency into the hands of the enemy. "

"There can be no doubt," Darshan-Leitner said, "that the  Israeli government's policy of transferring shekels is assisting the  Hamas terrorists with their missile attacks on the Negev communities.  If the Prime Minister does not immediately halt the currency transfers to Gaza, Shurat HaDin will take all legal means available against the government to bring this terror financing to a close."

Gaza terrorists fired two mortar shells at Israel Friday morning. The shells exploded in unpopulated areas within the Shaar HaNegev region. They caused no casualties or damage.

This is the fifth time that the Arabs have fired at Israel in breach of the "understandings" reached by Hamas and Israel last Thursday, regarding a period of "calm" in which both sides were to cease firing at each other.

The calm only lasted a few days, and was broken Tuesday when Arabs fired three short range ("Kassam") rockets at Israel. On Thursday, too, a rocket was fired at the town of Sderot.

Crossings partially closed
In response to the rocket fire, Israel initially decided to delay the transfer of goods and the opening of crossings into Gaza. On Thursday, however, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his deputy, Matan Vilnai, decided to partially reopen the crossings. Some fuel would be let in to Gaza through the Nahal Oz crossing, and "h
This is the fifth time that the Arabs have fired at Israel in breach of the "understandings."
umanitarian" cases would be allowed through Erez crossing, while Sufa and Karni crossings remained sealed.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Arab breaches of the "lull" must be met with military action and Vice Prime Minister Chaim Ramon said the understandings with Hamas need to be reexamined.

Analysts said, however, that Hamas really does have an interest in preserving the calm at this moment . Hamas issued a rare denouncement of the missile fire and said it went against the Arab "national interest."

"Respond if we seek life"
Kadima MK Isaac Ben-Israel criticized Thursday the cease-fire agreement reached with Hamas and urged the Israeli government to respond militarily to the continued rocket attacks.

"The firing of rockets by Fatah and the demands of those firing for a truce in Judea and Samaria – these are a result of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas which is interpreted as surrender on Israel's part," Ben-Israel said. He added that "Israel must respond militarily if it seeks life."

A group of concerned citizens in Beit El invited several leaders of the political Right to a panel discussion on the proper course for the National Camp in the next round of elections. Ultimately, the only politicians who turned up at the hall on Tuesday were Knesset Member Effie Eitam of the National Union party and Moshe Feiglin, head of the Jewish Leadership faction within the Likud party.

The two leaders represented differing approaches as to the best strategy for the National Camp, with Eitam emphasizing political unity among the nationalist parties and Feiglin focusing on the ultimate goal of installing a faith-based, ideological leadership for the nation as a whole.

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Can't see the video? Click here for interviews with Eitam and Feiglin.

Eitam, who is heading a new faction called Achi ("My Brother") within the National Union, agreed with Feiglin that the leadership crisis runs deeper than the political level. "It's a crisis of vision and values," which he believes the national-religious community is best capable of addressing, Eitam told INN TV. "It's our time to unite and show the way to the rest of the people of Israel."

In his remarks to the Beit El gathering, MK Eitam warned against "missing a fateful moment for the future of the state, resulting from this deep leadership crisis," and failing to unify nationalist forces in a single political list.

Feiglin, on the other hand, feels that political unity of National Camp parties will have no serious impact on the direction the state is going. He said, "Another yarmulkeh (skullcap) in the Knesset - we're not going to gain anything from it. What's important is that we will hold the wheel and save this sinking Titanic."

Responding to Eitam's vision, Feiglin belittled the plethora of small National Camp parties that have come and gone in recent years: "I would sign off on 99% of the things you said, but the things you said are not relevant, because your words point in one direction, but your legs are moving in the opposite direction."

Eitam did not ignore the challenge Feiglin posed by insisting on a revolution from within the mainstream Likud party. He suggested that the Jewish Leadership approach has failed to show results: "If we had seen that this strategy succeeded in getting in one single Knesset Member... I would say: You know what? Maybe there is something to it."

Feiglin plans to continue to strive for national leadership through political maneuvering within the Likud, currently the largest single party in the National Camp. Recalling that he received 25% of the vote in Likud primaries last year, Feiglin told INN TV that had he been working within the Likud not alone, but alongside Eitam, Eldad and other ideological allies, "for sure we would have had the leadership of the State of Israel already."

Earlier this month, MK Uri Ariel told Arutz Sheva Radio that the pro-Land of Israel parties are renegotiating a common political framework for the upcoming elections. The parties potentially running on a unified list are to include the National Religious Party and the constituent member parties of the National Union: Moledet, Achi, and MK Ariel's Tekumah faction. Another new player on the political Right is the Hatikvah movement, billed as a secular nationalist alternative, led by National Union MK Aryeh Eldad. It is not yet clear if Hatikvah will run as an independent political entity or remain a movement within an existing party.

The water level in Lake Kinneret is only 18 centimeters (seven inches) away from the "red line", the mark at which water quality is jeopardized and at which Israel declares an official water shortage.

The water level will pass beneath the red line in about two weeks if the lake continues to decline according to normal rates of depletion.

At present, the water level is slightly more than two meters (80 inches) away from the "black line", the mark at which pumps will be above water and unable to function.

If the winter rains arrive on time, the Kinneret will not reach that point – but this year, it will be dangerous close, due to the current conditions, which resulted from last year's sparse rainfall. 

Water management experts have said it will take at least two or three consecutive winters of higher-than-average rainfall to overcome the deficit in the Kinneret and in underground acquifers.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has produced a tip sheet on its website that lists water conservation methods to be used by members of the Israeli public.  The list includes water-saving measures to be implemented at home as well as at work and on the municipal level.

The top leadership of the IDF Home Front Command met Wednesday evening with top hareidi-religious leaders, and participated in a Talmud class in Yeshivat Ponovezh.  Among the "students" were Home Front Command O.C. Gen. Yair Golan, district commanders and other senior officers. 

The stated purpose of the day tour was to "discuss and learn issues of common interest."

The officers met with representatives of the Zaka and Ezer MiZion organizations.  Zaka deals with emergency medical responses and collection of body parts for burial, while Ezer MiZion offers monetary and other help to victims of terror attacks and those in financial straits.

The visit was capped off with a two-hour visit to the famed Ponovezh Yeshiv in Bnei Brak, featuring a class in Jewish Law - specifically, the passage at the beginning of Tractate Bava Metzia about two people who claim the same object.  The visitors and hosts also discussed the problems facing the hareidi-religious public, and solutions that are being pursued.

Gen. Golan, who described the meeting as positive, said it is important to get to know the hareidi populace. More such encounters are planned.

The tour was held as part of a series of visits designed to help the Home Front Command get to know the various population sectors and their ability to deal with emergency situations.

The Home Front Command often holds various exercises throughout the country. One was held a month ago in the cities of Petach Tikvah and Elad, and siren-testing exercises have been held in various districts over the past several weeks.

Yitzchak Herskovitz, in his late 70's, has been waiting 16 years to move into his property in Jerusalem - but Arab squatters refuse to budge. The latest court session was abruptly canceled when the judge suddenly remembered he had another case scheduled instead.

The property in question is located in southern Jerusalem, at the edge of the Givat HaMatos neighborhood near Gilo and the Arab neighborhood of Beit Tsafafa. Herskovitz purchased it back in 1992 from a man who had bought it from the estate of an Armenian Christian.  However, he soon found himself facing a clan of Arab squatters, who claimed it as their own; their claims alternated between "we received it when the Armenian defaulted on a loan" and "he sold it to us."

Last year, after handwriting and document experts testified that the Arabs' documents were fraudulent, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court ruled in Herskovitz's favor, and that he could move to have them evicted.

"But the Arabs were smart," Attorney Anat Ben-Dror, who represents Herskovitz, told Israel National News.  "The Magistrates Court judge refused to rule on actual 'ownership,' saying that this was merely a suit about eviction.  So the Arabs promptly filed a suit in the District Court claiming they own the property!  Unfortunately, District Court Judge Yosef Shapira is now refusing to accept the findings of the lower court, and is making us go through the entire process of bringing in our witnesses once again."

Lawyer: "Justice System is a Circus"
Ben-Dror said the justice system is being unfair: "It's a circus. The judges have many cases and apparently do not pay enough attention to each one.  I'm sure he will realize his mistake in the end, but it will cost us another six months - as if Herskovitz has not waited long enough for justice."

Ben-Dror says there are other unbelievable aspects to the case: "Herskovitz has written letters to the police, to the Interior Ministry, and to everyone else, stating that Arabs who do not have Israeli citizenship are actually living in Israel proper - in the capital city of the country.  Despite this, the offices don't even take the trouble to answer him - and have taken no action to deport these Arabs or to take other action against them."

Israel National News contacted the Justice Ministry to ask if it plans to apologize to the litigants for the delay caused by the court's scheduling conflict, and how it views the fact that this case - not unlike others - has gone on for so many years without justice being served. The Ministry spokesman's office received the queries Wednesday morning, and on Thursday stated, "We are dependent on others for the answers; we will inform you as soon as they are ready."

Good Sign for Herskovitz
Herskovitz's case did take a turn for the better on Wednesday, however: An order was handed down to the Arab squatters, informing them that if they do not pay the bond they had been previously ordered to pay, plus the total amount of outstanding rent that has amassed over the years - the injunction against the eviction will be withdrawn. 
Attorney Ben-Dror said that the judge did not set a date for the money to be paid.  However, she said she sent a letter to the Arabs' lawyer saying that if the money is not paid within ten days, "we will be free to begin proceedings" to remove them from the property.

Previous articles on this saga:
Nov. '07 - PA Arab Squatters Remain on Jerusalem Property 
April '08 - One Man's Battle For His Jerusalem Land Continues

The Israel Postal Service petitioned the Tel Aviv Labor Court Friday to instruct its striking workers to resume work. In an initial ruling, the court instructed the workers not to intensify their strike. The employees' union announced that it will honor the verdict but will continue the present work stoppage in its current intensity.

The union announced that it will decide upon its further actions after the next Labor Court session on the matter, which is scheduled for Sunday, and will determine its moves based on what the court decides.

Regular and registered mail are not delivered anywhere outside Israel's urban centers (except in the Gaza Belt); ownership transfers for cars are not being carried out; diplomatic mail is not being delivered and government offices including the Knesset are not getting mail.

NII benefits delivered
The Director of the Postal Service, Avi Hochman, said that "Israeli Postal Service clients are paying a steep price for employee work stoppages." Earlier in the week he addressed a letter to postal workers' union boss Baruch Weizman, Minister of Finance Ronny Bar-On and Minister of Communications Ariel Atias, pleading with them to sit down and negotiate a way out of the strike.

He also asked national labor union Histadrut leader Ofer Eini to intervene so that people who depend on the postal service for their National Insurance Institute (NII) benefits will be able to collect their stipends. Following this appeal, the postal workers agreed to deliver NII child benefits and they are now expected to deliver NII benefits regardless of the strike.

Periphery hit hard
Regular and registered mail are not delivered anywhere outside Israel's urban centers; government offices do not receive mail; diplomatic mail is not being delivered.

The labor dispute is reportedly causing heavy losses to the postal service, which is already doing badly in the balance sheets. The first quarter of 2008 was accompanied by a loss of NIS 10 million and the second quarter earnings are negative as well.

The Postal Service's clients in the "periphery" are hardest hit. Residents of the rural Regional Councils nationwide have not been getting mail for three weeks, and businesses in the periphery are also suffering great economic hardship.

The postal workers demand a governmental "security net" for them, as the post services undergo privatization. The "security net" should include a commitment not to fire any employees beyond the 450 workers which the union agreed would retire as part of the process in which the Postal Service becomes a registered company. In addition the "net" should make sure that none of the existing wage agreements is changed.

Media pressure on the Israeli government and public reached a crescendo at the end of the week as the Left demanded that the government accept Hizbullah and Hamas demands for release of terrorist murderers in exchange for three IDF soldiers abducted in 2006.

The government is due to discuss the proposed deals with Hizbullah and Hamas next week. Regarding the deal with Hizbullah, a major point of contention is Hizbullah's demand for the release of Samir Kuntar, who murdered a Jewish man and then smashed the skull of his four-year-old daughter, killing her as well, in 1979.

A discussion of the deal negotiated with Hizbullah for Regev and Goldwasser is on the government's schedule for Sunday, although an actual vote has not been scheduled yet. Ofer Dekel, the government's negotiator, favors Kuntar's release. Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad, opposes it.

A large majority of ministers is reportedly in favor of the deal, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have not yet made up their minds.

The 'Mothers'
All of the major news outlets played up a story Friday morning about a group of "mothers of soldiers" that announced it would go on a protest march towards the Erez junction, demanding the release of captive IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, being held by Hamas, as well as the two soldiers captured by Hizbullah, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Security sources have been quoted as estimating that Regev and Goldwasser are no longer alive, but they are not completely certain that this is so.

The "group of mothers," which intends to hold protests on a weekly basis, is reminiscent of pre
A large majority of ministers is reportedly in favor of the deal, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have not yet made up their minds.
vious protests by "mothers," the most famous of which was the "Four Mothers" movement in the late 1990s. The protests by the "Four Mothers" group was played up by Israeli media and led to the relinquishing of the Israeli security buffer zone in southern Lebanon in 2000.

Diskin eases stance
The heads of Israel's different security organizations will testify before the cabinet Sunday. The head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Yuval Diskin, who in the past opposed the release of any terrorists "with bloodstained hands" – i.e., who participated in terror attacks that hurt or killed people – is now said to have changed his mind. Diskin reportedly agrees to the release of some "bloodstained" terrorists from Judea and Samaria on the condition that they not be allowed to return to Judea and Samaria, but that they be released in Gaza or abroad.

Maariv reported Friday that a source close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert blamed the Minister of Defense and other security officials for allowing the debate over the deal to become public. It quotes Olmert as saying that most security officials opposed the deal at first but were eventually swayed to relent by media pressure. 

'Are the Jews stupid?'
Maariv also quotes a person who is said to have great influence on Olmert as saying: "It is madness to release [Kuntar]. A country that releases a despicable murderer like that, a man who smashed the skull of a small girl, who murdered her fother in front of her eyes, a person like that should be executed, or left to rot in jail his whole life. No country in the world would release a man like that, and in exchange for the bodies of dead soldiers… What message are we sending the terrorists?... What does it tell them, that the Jews are stupid? That even if you kill them and murder their babies, in the end you will go free?"

Former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said in an interview Friday that Kuntar should be set free. "Kuntar has been in jail for 30 years," he said. "If he sits five more years, we will not receive any further benefit from him. I would prefer, of course, that he end his life in a closed cell, but if the result is that the Regev and Goldwasser families remain in limbo, we must release." Regarding Shalit, too, Halutz said that he favored paying a high price. "It is not enough to look at the external price. We must also look at the internal price – what the captivity does to the Jewish mother."

Regarding the Shalit deal, an Arab newspaper reported that Israel gave Egypt a list of names of 450 terrorist prisoners it is willing to release in return for the soldier. Hamas reportedly demanded the release of Fatah terror leader Marwan Barghouti, but Israel refused to let him go.