For Zion's Sake...

McDonald’s Israel ad featuring President Obama*.

Signs going up across Jerusalem ahead of Obama’s arrival in Israel urging for the pardon of Jonathan Pollard.

Bibi's gift to Obama: Gold nanochip inscribed with US/Israeli Declarations of Independence

“During the working meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama this coming Wednesday, the Prime Minister will give the American President a symbolic gift: a nanochip with gold coating, in which the independence scrolls of both Israel and the U.S. are embedded side by side.

“The nanochip will be placed on a Jerusalem stone from the Second Temple period which is normally used for sealing pottery in which liquids and perfumes had been stored.”

Ahead of Obama's visit to Israel, Palestinians deface Obama banners

“Palestinians have vandalized a banner bearing President Barack Obama’s image just days before his visit.

The Palestinians tore down the banner, hurled shoes at it and spray painted it with swastikas. Associated Press TV video showed a taxi driving over the banner before it was set on fire in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Monday.”

Israel the only country in the West to reduce its debt

“Israel is the only country in the West which has managed to reduce its debt as a proportion of GDP in 2012.

“Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that the Israeli government’s debt in the past year (which is calculated this week and published soon) will total some 73.5% of GDP, compared to 74.1% of GDP in 2011 and 80% of GDP five years ago.

“Debt has increased in all Western countries in recent years, and in some it has even reached more than 100% of GDP.”

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio reaches for a water bottle along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu.

Artisan whiskey-making comes to Israel

“Modeled on the extraordinary success of the craft beer movement—which has revolutionized the beer industry in the United States by emphasizing small-scale specialty production—the micro-distilling revolution has similarly reshaped the landscape of American whiskey production with its emphasis on local authenticity and character.

“A British-born Israeli and his sabra partner are teaming up to bring this phenomenon to Israel by becoming Israel’s first-ever artisanal whiskey producer, the Milk and Honey Distillery.”

Apple to open new R&D facility in Ra'anana, Israel

“Following a successful hiring spree of former Texas Instruments employees in Israel, Apple is opening a new research and development center in the city of Ra’anana, reports Israeli business publication ‘Globes.’”

We’re number two!!

Cisco buys Israeli start-up Intucell for $475M

“Today, Cisco announced plans to buy Intucell for $475 million in cash, and BVP tells me it will take nearly half that sale price.

“Intucell’s technology helps mobile carriers dynamically adjust their cellular grid to maximize mobile traffic speeds and minimize dropped calls. Without SON software, a carrier’s service slows down and becomes less stable under heavy load or when users travel to the edge of a geographic block of the static grid. Any optimization had to happen manually, which was inefficient and inadequate.

“Intucell’s SON uses big data to assess the state of a network and lets a carrier’s towers communicate with each other. That way they can expand or contract their cells in real-time so customers on the fringes of a block get picked up by neighboring towers, and users in the center of that block get much better reception.”

The Israeli and American Dream: Elie Tahari - From J'lem orphanage to couture fashion designer

“With a name like Tahari you would expect nothing less than luxury. However you’ll find Elie Tahari’s luxury line in common department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s…

“Elie Tahari was born in Jerusalem and came from humble beginnings. Being raised in an orphanage, he was motivated to turn his life around and make a name for himself…

“When he got the opportunity, Tahari took the first flight he could find to New York; he was only 19 years old. Once in New York, Tahari had no home so he resorted to sleeping in the YMCA hotel or on benches in Central park. Tahari began working as an electrician but he knew that he had a passion for fashion and was determined to join the ranks of the fashion stylists of Manhattan. He started selling clothes in a small boutique in Greenwich Village where he expanded his knowledge of women’s fashion. He even went so far as to suggest clothing pieces to his store owner, picking out the ever so popular tube top. Tahari knew he had a gift.”

Iran threatens world war over NATO deployment of PATRIOT missiles to Turkey

Eight Nights, a Hanukkah mash-up song, done by the acapella group StandFour. StandFour includes four alumni of Yeshiva University’s acapella group the Maccabeats.

US to join other Western nations to "punish" PA over its recent UN bid

“Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on Congress to impose “severe economic consequences” for the U.N.’s ‘irresponsible’ action. She said the United States should cut the $600 million in annual funding for the Palestinian Authority as well as any funding for U.N. agencies that recognize Palestine as a state.

“And Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) offered an amendment to the defense bill that would cut off the almost $600 million the United States pays in U.N. dues every year.

“And Canada recalled its top diplomats in Israel and the West Bank as well as its U.N. representatives in New York City and Geneva in protest.”

Christian Zionists attempt to ban Hamas from Twitter

Over 12,000 have emailed Twitter in the first hour of the campaign’s launch.