 PNINA RECEIVES A LIFE-THREATENING CALL
 In a new wave of persecution against her, Pnina Comforti, owner of Pnina Pie bakery received a life-threatening call.
WATCH VIDEO reinacting the call, and Pnina's personal message. Just like all of us are called to do during times of trouble and persecution, Pnina remains steadfast in her faith, running for protection to the only safe place she knows - the arms of her loving father.
If you would like to help Pnina and other Israeli believers persecuted for their faith, you can support them with your prayers and your gifts to our fund for Persecuted Believers.
GILO WILL BE EXPANDED DESPITE U.S. PRESSURE
 American pressure against construction in east Jerusalem continues to mount, but Israel shows no signs of folding. On the backdrop of the new American demand to freeze construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, the regional committee for planning and construction on Tuesday approved a motion to expand Gilo and south Jerusalem and build 900 new housing units in the neighborhood.
Israel's daily newspaper, Yedioth Ahronot, reported about the new dispute on Tuesday morning, following a demand made Monday evening by US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emissaries.
Mitchell demanded an immediate stop to the construction in the neighborhood, which is located beyond the Green Line, after receiving information about the expected approval.
An official at the Prime Minister's Office told the newspaper in response that "this is a routine procedure being held at the regional committee," stressing that "the Gilo neighborhood is an integral part of united Jerusalem, and there is no difference between building there and building in Tel Aviv or Haifa." (Extracted from Ynet News, 11/17/09)
NETANYAHU WARNS ABOUT IRAN... ANYONE LISTENING?
 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned about the dangers of a nuclear Iran after touring a submarine believed capable of firing nuclear-tipped missiles.
Netanyahu also visited a missile ship that led the seizure earlier this month of a ship which was loaded with Iranian weapons bound for Hizbullah.
Netanyahu told sailors aboard the ship INS Eilat "the threat that Iran poses is very grave for the state of Israel, for peace in the Middle East and the whole world." He said Israel would undoubtedly be the "first target, but not the last" in case of an Iranian attack.
Also Tuesday, meanwhile, Iran's nuclear envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh denied that the UN inspectors tour of its recently revealed uranium enrichment site turned up any evidence that the Islamic republic is seeking nuclear weapons.
The International Atomic Energy Agency report offered no estimate of the facility's capacity, but analysts say it appeared to be capable of producing enough material for a warhead but too little for a civilian reactor. (JPost, 11/17/09)
ANCIENT COINS GO ON DISPLAY
 A very special exhibition opened Wednesday at the Davidson Center in the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden. For the first time, the general public will be able to be see all of the different kinds of coins that were uncovered in excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount - the most ancient of which are more than 2,000 years old.
The coins, which were uncovered in the numerous excavations there and are on display in the exhibition, are a living tangible testimony of Jerusalem’s rich history and it being a focus of pilgrimage for thousand years.
Among the many artifacts on display are a rare collection of 2,000 year old coins that were burnt during the Great Revolt by the Jews (in which the Second Temple was destroyed), unique coins that were minted in Jerusalem during this period, as well as those that were found in different excavations in the region and have a wide geographic provenance (from Persia, via North Africa and as far as France), a fact that attests to the centrality of Jerusalem for all of the people who visited it thousands of years ago while leaving behind a “souvenir” in the area.
Another interesting aspect presented in the exhibition is the difference between the Jewish coins and the rest of the coins. Contrary to pagan coins, the ruler was usually not depicted on Jewish coins due to the Jewish abstention from portraying images (“You shall not make for yourself a graven image or likeness of anything…”). For that reason, a variety of inanimate symbols, such as a wreath, scepter and helmet, appear on many Jewish coins. (Extracted from Ynet News, 11/15/09)
ACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED POSSIBLE CANCER CURE...
 An Israeli research scientist has accidentally discovered a chemical compound that eradicates cancer cells without harming normal cells in the process. The substance may prove to be the long sought-after "holy grail" in the wider field of cancer treatment. For now, it shows promise as a specific weapon against breast cancer.
Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon, a biochemist at Tel Aviv University, says that the compound is a component of a family of drugs developed 10 years ago, found to be inappropriate for their intended use. Cohen-Armon and her team of researchers began working with the drugs, and stumbled upon the amazing discovery.
"We found that those drugs somehow turn on a mechanism in cancer cells that causes them to die within 48 to 72 hours without harming normal tissue," explains Cohen-Armon, a professor in the Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine. "In fact, the normal cells continue to proliferate even in the presence of the drug."
In experiments with female mice, the compound was injected with several types of cancerous tissue, particularly breast-cancer cells. Cohen-Armon was amazed to discover that the substance suspends cell division in both cancerous and normal body cells - but while cancer cells never recover, normal cells are back in business within 12 hours.
At present Cohen-Armon and her team are restricted to exploring the effects of this drug on breast cancer alone as the drug is patented to a US pharmaceutical corporation until 2017. (Extracted from israel21c.org, 11/12/09) READ THE FULL STORY
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