Free Republic

Jerusalem residents and environmental groups see a threatened ecological "disaster" in the plans for a series of major infrastructure projects to expand roads and build intersections west of the city, being promoted by the Jerusalem Municipality and the Transportation Ministry. The eight proposed projects, mostly for areas just outside the city, involve construction of a large park-and-ride lot with 1,000 spots at Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem and highways connecting the suburb of Mevasseret Zion, the Castel National Park area and the outlying neighborhood of Ein Karem. The largest plan, recently presented for members of the public to submit...

Stephen Harper will announce plans to visit Israel for the first time at a high profile dinner in his honour in Toronto being hosted by the Jewish National Fund Sunday, sources said. Mr. Harper is considered by many to be Israel’s staunchest ally but he has never visited the Holy Land.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has removed his name from a list of patrons of the UK branch of the Jewish National Fund - and pro-Palestinian activists have taken credit for the move. Cameron's decision to drop his link with the charity was explained by his office as simply having to do with "time constraints." In an e-mail, Downing Street reiterated the explanation without going into details. "The Prime Minister stepped down from a number of charities - including the JNF," the office wrote. Downing Street declined to comment on the fact that the Stop the JNF Campaign has actively...