"While Christians respect Islam and desire to dialogue with Muslims," Pope Benedict XVI's private secretary says, "[we] must act to protect the Christian identity of Europe."

Msgr. Georg Ganswein, the Pope's secretary, was interviewed in Friday's edition of Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung Magazine.  Though the interview covered many different issues, his comments about Islamic influence in Europe, and what Catholics should do about it, may prove to be the most controversial.

Msgr. Ganswein was asked about Pope Benedict's September 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germany, and its criticism of violent trends within Islam.  Though the Pope may have intended to warn against religious terrorism, his remarks aroused fury throughout the Moslem world, developing into actual violence in several places.  Arabs in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas attacked seven Christian churches, a nun was murdered in Somalia, a call for the Pope's death was issued in London, and Iraqi groups threatened the Vatican.

"I believe the Regensburg speech, as it is known, was prophetic," Msgr. Ganswein told the German magazine, because it countered a "certain naivete" among people who do not recognize that various currents exist within Islam.

"Attempts at the 'Islamification' of the West cannot be denied," he said, according to an English translation in the Catholic Explorer.  "And the associated danger for the identity of Europe cannot be ignored out of a wrongly understood sense of respect... The Catholic side sees this clearly and says as much." True respect, Ganswein said, is shown in a dialogue with Muslims that is frank, open and honest.

The Pope's speech in Regensburg included a quote from a 14th-century Christian Emperor, who said, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."  Several days afterwards, the Pope related to the speech and the storm it caused.  He did not apologize or retract his words, but rather expressed his "deep regret" at its consequences, saying the quote was misunderstood to be his own opinion. He also noted his "high regard" for Islam.

It remains to be seen what type of Islamic reaction will be caused by the papal secretary's warning against the Islamification of Europe and the "associated danger for the identity of Europe."

Three more free daily commuter newspapers will soon join the market – competing with the relatively right-wing Zionist Yisraeli daily.

The Yisraeli paper was the first of its kind in Israel – a commuter paper distributed daily in bus stations, train stations and, more recently, at gas stations as well. The paper does not back down from being highly critical of the government and features columnists such as Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction head Moshe Feiglin, of the Likud Party. It now publishes 180,000 copies daily.

It now faces at least at least three new competitors.

Israel Today will launch its first issue next week. It is being published by American billionaire Sheldon Adelson, whose dispute with Yisraeli owner Shlomo Ben-Zvi led to a halt in production for almost a week earlier this year. Adelson seems to be aiming directly at Yisraeli’s market share and aims to have a circulation of 300,000 copies.

Adelson is reportedly an associate of Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu and has hired close Netanyahu associates to run the paper, leading to speculation that it could be used to assist the former prime minister in returning to leadership when the rest of Israel’s media has been traditionally hostile to Netanyahu's campaigns.

Another paper, due to be launched in August, will be called Metro Israel and will be distributed in the afternoon. Designed to look like an Israeli edition of a European paper, it will be distributed at convenience stores and supermarkets in addition to the regular commuter points.

Metro Israel is being published by Eli Azur and David Weissman. Azur also owns the Jerusalem Post; reporters from that paper will reportedly be writing for it.

Yediot Acharonot is also planning to enter the free commuter-paper market with a Ynet Print Edition. Publisher Arnon Mozes says he hopes the free paper will exceed Yediot Acharonot’s 250,000 copies printed daily. He says he is aiming to match Israel Today’s 300,000.

Yediot Acharonot is currently Israel's largest daily newspaper.

Paper For New Immigrants Launching
Another paper bearing the name Israel Today will also launch in the near future – this one in simple Hebrew designed to help new immigrants learn the language while keeping abreast with current events. Not only will the paper be written in simple Hebrew, but some words will also be punctuated to make pronunciation easier. It will be marketed to elementary school students and the Arab sector as well.

That paper is being published by Avi Kartin and Daniel Gov. The paper will cost two shekels and be available at newsstands and markets. The owners say the name Israel Today was theirs since they launched the paper briefly in the early '90s. They admit that they did not trademark the name, but were annoyed that it would now share its name with another daily.

Arab terrorists reportedly tried to kidnap a Jerusalem teenager Sunday. The boy escaped and police are searching for the terrorists.

The 14-year-old Jerusalemite was walking in the Hareidi-religious neighborhood of Sanhedria, where he lives, when three Arab men pulled up in a car and forced him inside.

He told police that the men tried to leave Jerusalem, but he jumped out while the car was stopped at a traffic light. The boy then called his mother, who notified the police.

Police told Army Radio that the boy seemed to be telling the truth and that a dragnet was being conducted in hopes of locating the would-be kidnappers.

To mark the two years since the destruction of the Jewish towns of Gush Katif by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his close advisors Ehud Olmert, Shaul Mofaz, and others, former residents and supporters returned to the Kissufim crossing – the access route to what was once their homes.

IsraelNN TV's Yoni Kempinski joined the expelled residents to the closest place to the ruins of their communities. Click below to see the Special Feature.

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If you cannot see the video box above click here

One teary–eyed woman noted, "The tears are especially because it was our brothers who carried out the pogrom. Except for killing us, they did everything – expelled us, demolished Jewish homes, destroyed Jewish communities..."

Ami Shaked, the legendary security chief of Gush Katif, spoke at the ceremony. Known as a tough fighter, he broke down crying as he said,
"Everyday, especially at night the longing becomes greater." He turned to the youth present at the ceremony with a special request. "Do me a great kindness. If I become old, take me with you. And if I shall die, carry my bones and lay me to rest in my fields, under the palm tree."

Returning from a successful mission in Gaza in which five terrorists were killed late last week, an IDF unit left behind a soldier who had fallen asleep. Troops returned to enemy territory and found him after an hour, weak and without a radio device.

The IDF confirmed the essential details on the incident, which were first reported on the Ynet news site based on an email tip. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has been alerted, and the IDF is now conducting a high-level investigation.

A senior officer said, "This type of incident must absolutely not happen. There can be no room for taking it easy, not in Israeli territory and certainly not in a place like Gaza which is crawling with terrorists."  Another top commander said the Arab terrorists in Gaza are looking to kidnap another soldier in Gaza, and "it's just a matter of time."

How Did it Happen?
The early Friday morning incident was the result of a series of mistakes - some of them possibly criminal.  Regiment 51 of the elite Golani Brigades, two weeks into its counter-terrorism term of service in Gaza, was on its way out of Gaza, following a successful series of encounters that netted five dead terrorists and a host of weapons and arms.  The pre-departure count of the soldiers did not discover that one soldier was missing, and the force returned across the border into Israel.

Only then was it discovered that he was missing, having apparently fallen asleep. A search was immediately undertaken in the base itself, and then back inside Gaza.  He was soon found there, some 700 meters away from the border fence.

The Ynet report contains several inconsistencies, however, and the IDF investigation is therefore awaited. The report states that "a mistake" occurred in the original count, leading the commanders to believe that all the soldiers were ready to return.  The next sentence, however, states that some soldiers answered in the missing soldier's name because they were rushing to return to Israel.

Furthermore, the report states that the soldier was ultimately found after he fired off shots as a way of making his presence known.  Another paragraph states that he was found because he had turned on his sticklite - a type of one-time flashlight. 

Another question mark that arises from the report is that given the commanders' fears that he might be kidnapped, why did he either shoot off bullets or mark himself with the sticklite?

Investigation Underway
The IDF is currently investigating the grave matter, hoping that it can improve procedures and implement measures to avoid another kidnapping.  At present, one IDF soldier is being held captive by terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza: Gilad Shalit. Shalit was taken prisoner over 13 months ago as he was guarding the border.  He has been heard from only once during this period, several weeks ago, and is presumed to be in satisfactory condition.

In addition, two soldiers - Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser - were taken captive on Israel's northern border by Hizbullah terrorists just over a year ago.  To their families' tremendous alarm - though they are putting on a brave front - a Lebanese daily reported over the weekend in the names of German sources that one of the two is apparently dead. Germany has increased its efforts to mediate a deal on the prisoners between Israel and Hizbullah. 

Just last week, Hizbullah chieftain Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah reiterated that he plans to divulge no hint at all as to the wellbeing or whereabouts of the two captives, unless Israel releases Lebanese terrorists from Israeli prison.

The family of kidnapped IDF reservist Ehud Goldwasser said Saturday they believe he is still alive and that they will continue to believe so until they are told otherwise from an official and credible source.

Goldwasser and fellow reservist Eldad Regev were kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists in a cross-border raid and Katyusha rocket attack on northern Israeli communities last summer, igniting the Second Lebanon War.

The Lebanese newspaper an-Nahar quoted German intelligence officials in a report Saturday that one of the two captives is dead. “Security forces understood that one of the kidnapped soldiers is still alive; however, the other is dead," sources stated.

“This is cynical use of uncorroborated information,” said Goldwasser’s mother, Mickey. “It’s a psychological game. If they want to transmit credible information, they should do so through ordinary channels,” she said. “We will consider the information as founded only after the Red Cross visits them or after a tape is presented to us.”

The report offered the first concrete statement about the condition of the two hostages since they were kidnapped on July 12th.  Their captors have refused to divulge their whereabouts or condition despite numerous attempts by international envoys to obtain information about the soldiers from the kidnappers.

Israeli officials have not confirmed the report. The condition and whereabouts of the captives remain unknown, although initial reports last year indicated that one of the two soldiers was seriously wounded.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert originally vowed that Israel would not end the Second Lebanon War against Hizbullah until both Goldwasser and Regev were returned. As the war dragged on and Israel suffered heavy losses, the Prime Minister backtracked on his promise and accepted a ceasefire without achieving the stated objective of the war, which was bringing the missing soldiers back home.

Efforts to reach the soldiers via the Red Cross have failed despite the Israeli government's allowing the Red Cross to visit three Hizbullah prisoners captured by Israel.

IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in a cross-border raid in the south of Israel is also still missing in action, with no credible information available on his whereabouts and condition as well. At the time, Prime Minister Olmert declared that he would not speak with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and that there would be no negotiations or release of jailed terrorists in order to gain his freedom.

Last week on July 20, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert released 255 convicted Arab terrorists as a good will gesture to Abu Mazen. In addition, another 178 wanted Fatah terrorists were taken off of Israel's wanted list for the coming three months, unless they are found to be actively engaging in terrorism.  If they succeed in acting peacefully for the next three months, their names will then be taken off the wanted list permanently.

Six families celebrated the Sabbath together with dozens of other activists, including many youths, on the ruins of the former community of Homesh.

Homesh was one of four Jewish communities in Northern Samaria razed by Ariel Sharon's Disengagement plan two years ago, but its residents have never given up the idea of rebuilding it. The site of Homesh remains under IDF military control.

Protestors at the site were told by security forces on Friday that they would be removed by force due to an event in a nearby Palestinian Authority Arab village in which PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was set to participate.

However, no police or soldiers arrived at the former Jewish community, thus allowing the activists to enjoy a peaceful Sabbath on the breezy hilltop.

Activists have maintained a continuous presence at the site since last week, when almost a thousand Jews reached the former northern Samaria hilltop community. This Sabbath was the first time since the demolition of the town and the expulsion of its residents two summers ago that activists have succeeded in overcoming governmental attempts to stop them.

Dozens of people were arrested and hundreds of others were blocked last week as activists determinedly continued their efforts to reach the site before the fast day of Tisha B’Av, when approximately 100 people snuck around IDF roadblocks and arrived at the destroyed town.

Those that made it recited the Book of Lamentations and dirges (kinnot) upon the ruins of the Homesh synagogue, the first structure activists planned to rebuild with bricks they brought with them.

Within a day, several dozen of the protestors were removed by security forces, while others fled to the surrounding hills. Most of those who were evacuated cooperated in the process, although there were reports of others who were beaten by police. There were also reports of police removing their identification tags, confiscating cameras and destroying photo memory cards.

The daily perseverance of the Homesh supporters, despite intense heat and constant police harassment, startled security forces. One policeman confessed, "We do not have more strength left," according to the weekly B'Sheva newspaper.

Activists have been visiting the site periodically since last Chanukah (December 2006), and have vowed to rebuild the town.

A strong heat-wave in Israel brought about a third death from dehydration and a broad-sweeping response from Hareidi-religious rabbis over the weekend.

Menachem Shlomo Shapira, 15, a student at Bnei Brak’s Ponovezh yeshiva, died after fainting of dehydration and falling down a steep incline while hiking in Nahal Amud in the Galilee. He was rescued within minutes and treated for hours in a hospital intensive care unit. Nonetheless, he succumbed to his wounds.

Just a day earlier, 20-year-old Teshabin Yeshiva student Tzvi Miller lost his life while hiking in Nahal Ze’elim. Miller had embarked on the lengthy hike at dawn together with five friends, having packed food and drink. When the water ran out, the students had already descended the mountain but could not find additional water sources. Miller ran ahead to get help, but did not return and by the time rescuers reached the site, Miller had died of dehydration.

The temperatures in both areas have climbed over 115 (F) degrees in recent days. Authorities have recommended Israelis refrain from hiking during the severely hot weather.

Leading Hareidi-religious leaders Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Aharon Shteinman reportedly called on yeshiva students to avoid hiking altogether during “bein hazmanim” – the vacation time following the Fast of Tisha B’Av.  The announcement was issued Friday shortly after news of the second dehydration-related death was reported. The rabbis explained that hiking can be dangerous, and told students that “whoever listens to the advice of the elders will be blessed.”
 
A rescue team saved a dehydrated hiker near the Yehudiyah River in the Golan Heights Saturday.

Tragedy Thursday
Tragedy struck a Haifa-area family Thursday as a father left his eight-month-old infant in the car as he ran into his mechanic-shop to fix a tractor, thinking it would only take a minute. The man became engrossed, forgetting the child. When he remembered almost an hour later, he alerted rescue crews and ran to the car only to find it was too late and the child had died.

Police are considering charging the man with criminal negligence.

Electric Company Warns Against Peak Usage
Israel Electric Company (IEC) officials have warned consumers to set their thermostats to 25 C (77 F) and limit the use of major appliances from noon to 8 PM. The company warns that failure to do so could result in rolling blackouts.

The Globes business news service reports that the IEC has asked large customers to operate their generators in order to help the company meet the heavy demand.

The heat wave is expected to break Monday evening.