David Friedman
Israel is now a “big brother” for the Jewish people around the world, U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on Wednesday.
“We in the diaspora need to give Israel a break,” Israeli daily Haaretz quoted Friedman as saying at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America held in Tel Aviv.
“Israel is no longer the little brother; Israel is the big brother now. It has the biggest Jewish community,” he added.
The U.S. envoy went on to describe himself as a “security hawk and an unapologetic right-wing defender of Israel”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America on Wednesday.
A staunch backer of Israel, Friedman has made frequent statements in support of Israel’s longstanding policy of Jewish settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
Israel allowed the entry of fuel shipments, including Qatar-funded fuel, into the blockaded Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to a Palestinian official.“Qatar-funded fuel trucks began to enter Gaza today,” the official, who works on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.He said four trucks of Qatar-funded fuel are scheduled to be allowed into the Palestinian territory on Wednesday.“Six other fuel trucks will cross into the strip today,” he added.On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman allowed fuel shipments into Gaza upon recommendations from security agencies, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.Ten days ago, Lieberman ordered a halt to fuel shipments into Gaza, citing violence along border with the Gaza Strip.Earlier this month, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that an agreement with Qatar was reached in recent weeks to finance the purchase of fuel for Gaza’s power plant.Since 2007, when Palestinian group Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from rival faction Fatah, the coastal enclave has groaned under an Israeli blockade that has deprived its two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.Israel Aerospace wins $777 mln India contract for missile defencePalestinian martyred by Israeli gunfire in West Bank
Israel resumes fuel shipments to Gaza
State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has won an additional, $777 million contract to supply LRSAM air and missile defence systems to seven ships in the Indian navy, the company said on Wednesday.The contract is with India's state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), which is the main contractor in the project, IAI said.The LRSAM, part of the Barak 8 family, is an air and missile defence system used by Israel's navy as well as India's navy, air and land forces.With this deal, sales of the Barak 8 over the past few years total over $6 billion, IAI said.Palestinian martyred by Israeli gunfire in West Bank"IAI's partnership with India dates many years back and has culminated in joint system development and production," IAI Chief Executive Officer Nimrod Sheffer said. "India is a major market for IAI and we plan to ... reinforce our positioning in India, also in view of increasing competition."Israel's and India's leaders have pledged to deepen ties and the countries have been increasing cooperation in fields like agriculture and advanced technologies. Israel is also emerging as one of India’s biggest suppliers of weapons, alongside the United States and long-term partner Russia.Last year, IAI struck a deal worth almost $2 billion to supply India’s army and navy with missile defence systems. This was followed by a $630 million contract with BEL to supply Barak 8 surface-to-air missile systems for four ships in the Indian navy.The Barak 8 was developed by IAI in collaboration with Israel's Defence Ministry, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the navies of both countries, Israel's Rafael and local industries in India and Israel. 
Israel Aerospace wins $777 mln India contract for missile defence