Hi Friends,

It's a Saturday edition of the Blog!

Recently we've been talking a little about the protests of Reformed Jewish women wanting to worship their way down at the Western Wall.

Today it's the men's turn as we talk about Ultra Orthodox men protesting the likelihood of a law being changed to force them being drafted into the Israeli Army.

We had an estimated 30,000 male protesters dressed in their traditional black clothing and hats scuffling with police and saying prayers outside one of Jerusalem's main enlistment buildings.

Things got a bit out of hand when bottles, rocks and other objects were thrown at the police and trash bins were set on fire prompting the police to use stun grenades on the crowd as shouts of "the Torah above everything!" were continually ringing out.

There were a handful of arrests and 10 policemen hurt.

Some Ultra Orthodox men do serve to chose in the army – but the overwhelming majority do not, claiming they need to study the Torah.

National Service, whether in the Army or in some other social bracket, is compulsory for all men and women once they finish high school.

Since Israel's founding the Ultra Orthodox have been exempt form military service, but that issue was very much on the ballets this past January with the public voting that the law of exemption should be altered in order for them to 'share the burden' with the rest of the Israeli society.

Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the exemptions for the Ultra Orthodox from military service were unconstitutional. Since then the debate has intensified and drafts for a new law have been tabled.

The protests were seen as an assembly of power rejecting the notion of change by the Ultra Religious mass.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hello Friends,

It's being called "Bed-Gate".

Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his wife, on their five-hour flight to London for the funeral of the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, had a private sleeping compartment specially-installed that included a double sized bed. (The jet itself reportedly cost $300,000 before all this got started).

This cost for the Israeli taxpayer – $127,000.

His advisers said Mr. Netanyahu needed a good rest, and he has said he was unaware of the cost.

People are drawing the comparison of Mr. Netanyahu's cost with that of the President of the State of Israel Shimon Perez who recently flew 11 hours to South Korea for a State visit without any special arrangements – and he will soon be 90 years of age.

Today, two days later, the Netanyahu's are under more fire for 'living like kings in an ivory tower'.

Yesterday, information was released after a months long petition to the courts that the operating budget for the Netanyahu's official and private residences jumped around 80% from 2009 to 2012.

According to the figures, some $1,500,000 was budgeted for operating and maintenance costs for Bibi's official residence in Jerusalem and private residence on the coastal town of Caesarea in 2012 alone.

The Prime Minister's Office released a statement in response saying that the numbers included "the expenses for official events held in the prime minister's home and working expenses for the many meetings held there."

Many Israelis are amazed that no one in the Prime Minister's Office foresaw that, should this information get out, it would be damaging to Mr. Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office.

They are asking if the people working in Bibi's office are that much cut off from the public reality?

Or worse yet, are they afraid to speak up?

All this is happening as the State's budget is being reviewed, with public protest over programs being slashed, as austerity measures are being put into place to hold the Israeli economy up.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi Friends!

There was quite the show of passion down at the Wailing Wall today!

Thousands of Ultra Orthodox men, women, and girls showed up by the bus loads to protest and try to prevent a group of liberal Jewish women, the so-called Women of the Wall, who come to the Wall to pray monthly.

This time was special, because recently Israel's High Court ruled that they can not be prevented from carrying out organized prayer at the Wall, despite the fact that they (untraditionally) lead prayer, wear ritual articles of clothing, and carry sacred texts when they (the women) assemble to pray.

All of this breaks with the traditional expression of Jewish worship, particularly here in Israel.

They have often been met with harassment in the past, and some of the group have been arrested by police for their action.

Judaism is a multi streamed religion in it's expression. This dispute is a lot to do with power struggles and a desire for social change within Israel.

Un-Orthodox Jews have traditionally had no significant rights of service (especially women) before the ancient stones that encompassed Herod's retaining wall to the Second Temple.

This is due largely because the Ultra Orthodox have had a religious monopoly on all things Jewish since the State began.

Even in the political sphere they wield significant power and are often seen as the 'king makers' in Israeli society.

But outside of Israel the Ultra Orthodox are a minority, and Reformed and Conservative Jews are the majority in the US, England, Canada and elsewhere in the West.

These groups often find the tradition, that has often been credited with holding the Jewish Diaspora together for millennia, as dragoman for today's modern society.

In Israel over the last two years there has been a serious push to level the playing field between the sexes, Jewish religious factions, and opportunities for all Jews.

Many Jews are tired of the old ways that breed inequality – both in politics and society in this relatively new nation within an ancient land.

Today's scuffles at Judaism's Holiest Place, monitored by well over 1000 police and soldiers, demonstrate that there may have to be a bit more patient and communication on the subject of freedom of expression and religious tolerance here in the Holy Land.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi Friends,

Let's discuss the events of recent days in Syria and Lebanon.

Israel believes is that both Iran and Hezbollah are using the area around the Syrian capital of Damascus as a staging and playing field.

There may be some legitimacy to the argument that Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime is surviving with the aid of the Hezbollah fighters.

Mr. Assad has Iran to thank for foreign aid that keeps the fight funded.

But this puts Assad into a bit of a pickle. It appears that he may not be able to prevent the transfer of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon – across the Syrian frontier.

With Israel's airstrikes that allegedly targeted weapon shipments for Hezbollah Israel has given notice that Assad must stop the transfer of weapons or risk further attacks in his capital.

Israeli media is reporting that Israel diddsent word to Assad that it was not trying to alter any situation in Syria – but to prevent Hezbollah from upgrading their weapons capabilities.

Media today is also saying that Syria and Hezbollah will not respond to the Israeli strikes.

This is because Hezbollah owes it to Iran to keep it's arsenal in tact as a deterrent to an Israeli attack upon Iran, and Syria can't afford to open up hostilities with Israel.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi Everyone!

I hope you have been taking advantage of our special programming this week with it's great teaching and exposure to all the different ministries of LeSEA.

It's wonderful to see in our broadcasting – that there is something for everybody wherever you are!

Don't forget that if you want to learn more about a particular aspect of LeSEA, you can go to our website at: www.lesea.com

Lastly – we love hearing from you!

If this week has brought something special to you, tell us about it – we want to know!

And lastly, if you would like to pray with someone, our prayerline is always open: 1-800-365-3732

See you next week on The Harvest Show!

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi Everyone!

Let's talk about yesterday afternoons developments as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down off the coast of Haifa.

This is the second time in six months that there has been an incursion into Israeli airspace.

The drone allegedly was tracked by Israel's air defense system after taking off near Sidon in Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force dispatched both warplanes and helicopters to observe that the vehicle was indeed a drone and unmanned after which it was shot down at roughly 6ooo feet about 8 – 10 miles of the coast.

Hezbollah has denied sending the craft.

In the previous drone incursion it was determined that Iran had a role to play as that vehicle's flight path took it toward the area of Israel's nuclear facility in Dimona. This drone was carrying camera equiptment.

This time the determination of what the drone was up to will take a little longer as the Israeli Navy seeks to recover the debris (and there may not be that much of it) off the floor of the Mediterranean.

Why did Hezbollah do/allow for this to happen now?

Assuming they were behind this, they may just be letting the people of Lebanon know that they are still actively defiant towards 'the occupiers of Palestine' – effectively a publicity stunt to claim that Hezbollah is the defender of Lebanon.

If it turns out that weaponry was indeed onboard this UAV, Israel will be calculating a response.

Israel does fear the use of drones as a mechanism for a 'Kamikaze' type suicide attack on it's soil.

It may be that this drone was gathering pictures and information – or at the very least, a tool of psychological warfare.

If, after what debris can be collected, that it is determined that Iran assisted in this operation in a material way, this will be serious – because the military is asking this question;

Was it purely coincidence that this UAV flew into Israeli airspace at the same time Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was flying in a Helicopter flying north to a Druze village near the Galilee – or has Hezbollah's or Iran's intelligence gathering capabilities improved?

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi Everybody,

Not necessarily a pleasant thing to comment on – but Israel today has said it has evidence that Syrian Government forces have used chemical weapons in their fight against rebels.

US President Barak Obama has said that if President Bashar Assad were to do such a thing that there would be serious consequences - but can he deliver on that?

Yesterday I reported on the Harvest Show about Jordan being rumored to have opened their skies for drones to be able to fly over in route to Syria to monitor the more than 50 believed sites of storage.

All in all, Syria is believed to have around 1000 tons of Chemical weapons.

These are believed to be mostly nerve agents such as sarin and mustard gas – but there are some who say Syria has invested in the past in creating more potent agents such as VX. These weapons have been made mainly to be delivered by air, missiles, or artillery shell.

The sheer volume of deadly chemical – spread around so much, increases the likelihood that an amount can fall into the hands of terrorists and used against Israel or the West.

Syrian Government forces allegedly guard these locations right now. What happens if they get overrun by rebels – what happens then?

By the time this would be understood, there would be little chance of any foreign power dropping in to secure the highly sensitive material – or what would be left of it. As Chuck mentioned in the news today – there is little chance of NATO getting involved, and America wont open another front in the Middle East in what is a very challenging and complicated situation.

And then there is the whole question of if the rebel army does bring a new governance in Syria – who is to say that they will not want to keep them?

Syria is not part of any Chemical Weapons treaty now, so the rebels may want to use the whole issue as a way to blackmail the West for their wants.

And this leads us back to Israel.

Nobody knows what the face, or faces, of Syria may turn out to be should the Assad Regime go.

Some argue that a new Syria could become a hotbed for radical Islam – right on Israel's doorstep.

Israel is largely believed to have nuclear capabilities, and a new government (like the old regime) will see Chemical weapons as a form of determent against the Jewish State.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hi All,

We're are all watching anxiously while the situation outside of Boston unfolds.

May God grant protection to the authorities and the innocent.

We are also remembering those folks in Texas after that terrible tragedy there.

This weekend we are having a visit from US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

You may have seen that there is a huge military arms deal coming here to the Middle East.

It involves Israel, who will be the first to receive some advance technology items to keep it's qualitative edge.

The other big recipients are the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates.

All three countries are of course worried about Iran and it's potential for going nuclear – and this military aid offers a deterrent against aggression.

Secretary Hagel will hold meetings with President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and other top brass of the Israeli Armed forces.

His discussions are being described as working meetings on diplomacy and security working

This means he will discuss the major security and diplomatic issues in the region.

On the agenda will be the Iranian nuclear program, the ongoing situation in Syria, the security of Syrian Chemical weapons, the Arab Spring fallout, instability in the Sinai, the Lebanese border, and of course the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Seems like a lot of ground to cover... and Israel will of course put forth other issues regarding it's security.

Mr. Hagel was preceded by Secretary of State John Kerry – who himself was preceded by President Obama – all within one month's time.

That is a definite indicator that things are afoot – most likely on the issue of Iran.

Israel's new head of the IDF, Benny Gantz, has said a few times this past week that Israel has the ability to strike Iran on it's own.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has also reiterated that Iran is moving closer to his now famous 'Red Line' – made at his UN General Assembly speech.

America does not want Israel to carry out a military operation against Iran – and the Israelis may well be upping the pressure upon the US to take greater steps.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting

Hello All,

My heartfelt prayers and concern goes out to those effected by yesterday's sad occurrences in Boston.

America will find out who was behind this act, however long it may take.

Even here in Israel, where security is a way of life, potential for such things happening is there – and I encourage America's great citizens to keep an eye out, all the time and everywhere, for suspicious activities.

This was planned, and the lesson to learn is that observing awkward things and reporting them to the authorities can potentially prevented an event like this from happening with all it's suffering and shock.

Today is Israel's 65th Day of Independence.

The weather here is not what it was suppose to be – it turned cold and windy with the possibility of showers!

That hasn't entirely dampened Israeli's knack to get out and bar-b-que – people are still in the parks.

Today the country celebrates it's freedom.

It also celebrates the building of a country, with institutions, an economy – sciences, education, and of course culture.

It is a remarkable accomplishment in a region that sometimes seems stuck in time.

The people here have much to be proud of, much has been accomplished – and more is on the way.

There are also things to work on – but today is a time to be with family and friends and enjoy – enjoy the company and dwelling of a country rich in history and potential.

Brian Bush Middle East Correspondent LeSEA Broadcasting