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Denmark Ramps Up Protection of Israeli, Jewish Sites with Military’s Support

Illustrative. Danish police. Photo: CBS News screenshot.

i24 NewsDenmark ramped up protection of the country’s two synagogues, Jewish school, and Israeli embassy, bringing back the military to assist the police amid increased threats of terrorism and an “upsurge” of antisemitism.

“The situation in Israel and Gaza is a major drain on police resources,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement, announcing “Partly because of this, it has been decided that the Danish Armed Forces will support the guarding of Jewish and Israeli sites in Copenhagen.”

In a joint statement, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said, “We are in a situation where the terrorist threat to Denmark is serious.”

“At the same time, we have recently experienced daily demonstrations in our streets. And the conflict in the Middle East has led to a completely unacceptable upsurge in antisemitism and uncertainty among Jews in Denmark,” Hummelgaard stated.

During this “uncertainty,” Denmark’s Jewish community had almost canceled the 85th anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass [Kristallnacht]. The event was allowed at the last minute with increased security, as well as being attended by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and other senior government members.

The changing of the guard was expected as soon as Wednesday, as police resources were stretched thin amidst daily demonstrations and efforts to normalize terrorism in what was described as a “complex threat picture.”

“The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) – as a result of the conflict in Israel and Gaza – has prepared a number of operational recommendations for the police, including increased attention to the security of Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian interests and activities,” the statement added.

What do those flags mean?

Denmark.
pic.twitter.com/jqYYHAP35X

— Kat Kanada (@KatKanada_TM) December 3, 2023

The Danish Armed Forces had previously assisted the police with these guarding tasks, but the cooperation was put on hold in early 2022 due to the security situation in Europe.

In a 2015 terrorist attack, a Palestinian-Jordanian extremist killed film director Finn Nørgaard at a cultural event; and Dan Uzan, a Jewish community member on security duty, at Copenhagen’s Great Synagogue. During the shooting attacks, five police officers were wounded.

With a total population of 6,400 Jews and approximately 1,800 members in the Jewish community, it already been a challenge to recover to pre-Covid participation in religious and community activities. Now, the situation became even more isolating with increased antisemitism and terrorism threats.

While the synagogue, Jewish school, and the embassy received extra protection, individual Jews were still afraid for their safety at workplaces and on the street. Even if a person never identified with the religion, not to mention Israel, merely being born to a Jewish mother or father was enough to instill what the Justice minister had described as “uncertainty.”

The post Denmark Ramps Up Protection of Israeli, Jewish Sites with Military’s Support first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Israel Receives Shipment of Heavy Bombs Cleared by Trump

US President Donald Trump looks on as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, Jan. 31, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Israel has received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States, after US President Donald Trump lifted a block imposed on the export of the munitions by the administration of predecessor Joe Biden, the defense ministry said on Sunday.

The MK-84 is an unguided 2,000 pound bomb, which can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.

The Biden administration declined to clear them for export to Israel out of concern about the impact on densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

The Biden administration sent thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas terrorists from Gaza but later held up one of the shipments. The hold was lifted by Trump last month.

“The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump Administration, represents a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said late on Saturday.

The shipment arrived after days of concern about whether a fragile ceasefire in Gaza agreed last month would hold, after both sides accused each other of violating the terms of the deal to halt fighting to allow the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.

Washington has announced assistance for Israel worth billions of dollars since the war began.

The post Israel Receives Shipment of Heavy Bombs Cleared by Trump first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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US Mideast Envoy Says Phase Two Gaza Talks to Continue This Week

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that talks on phase two of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian terrorists Hamas would continue this week “at a location to be determined” to figure out how to reach a successful conclusion.

He told Fox News that he had “very productive and constructive” calls on Sunday with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s director of intelligence.

Witkoff said they spoke about “the sequencing of phase two, setting forth positions on both sides, so we can understand… where we are today, and then continuing talks this week at a location to be determined so that we can figure out how we get to the end of phase two successfully.”

The post US Mideast Envoy Says Phase Two Gaza Talks to Continue This Week first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Arab States to Reveal 5-Year Plan to Rebuild Gaza: No Hamas or Relocation

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Arab summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed/File Photo.

i24 NewsArab countries will unveil their plan for the reconstruction of Gaza on February 27 in Cairo. This initiative, developed by the Palestinians and handed over to the Egyptians for implementation, will be presented to the leaders of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The plan provides for reconstruction over three to five years, without the displacement of the Palestinian population and without Hamas control. The funding, estimated at several hundred million dollars, will come from Gulf countries. The work will be carried out by Egyptian companies, representing a significant source of income for Egypt, which is strongly opposed to any migration of Palestinians out of Gaza. The workforce will consist mainly of local Palestinians.

“The goal is to marginalize Hamas so that it understands that it has lost control of Gaza, and to completely eliminate the terrorist organization’s grip on the population and the territory within 5 years from the start of reconstruction,” a source involved in the plan said.

An independent “Palestinian administration,” separate from the Palestinian Authority but relying on it, will oversee the reconstruction. This power structure is designed to get the approval of Israel and the United States, who refuse direct management by the Palestinian Authority.

Arab countries fear a resurgence of fighting by Israel, which could, in their view, favor US President Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians to neighboring countries. The former US president said he wanted to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab countries welcome more displaced people from Gaza, so that the war-torn area can be “cleaned up.”

According to analyzed satellite images, approximately 65% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed during the war. Experts estimate that reconstruction could take more than a decade and cost several hundred billion dollars.

The post Arab States to Reveal 5-Year Plan to Rebuild Gaza: No Hamas or Relocation first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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