Originally posted 2008-11-12 09:54:00.

It was a fantastic trip and we recommend anyone to go, But rent a car and see your own sights.

We saw tour buses everywhere, packed with Russians, Americans, Germans and Britons. They really looked wore out and grouchy!

Example: At Dead Sea, many tor buses stopped and gave the people 45 minutes: to change clothes and float in the Dead Sea and get out take a shower and get dressed again and leave to the next destination. (Not Fun)

Hope everyone enjoyed the pictures and if you have any questions just ask.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Last week Turkey made a statement that Israel will not get any gas from them but Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus will. This was pertaining to recent issues and the completion of the Blue Stream 2 pipeline.

Putin is in Turkey on business and has concluded some finalization of deals. The word is official that:

Russia is committed to the second stage of the Blue Stream gas pipeline, but it won’t extend to Israel, according to Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, speaking in Turkey.

The decision to halt Blue Stream before it reaches Israel, would be consistent with Turkish calls for sanctions against the country. But it would also trim the economic scale of the pipeline – first proposed in 2002.

Interesting! What might come up in the future as more pressure is applied to world situations to circumvent Israel?

Windows to Russia!

Today the pressing news in Russia is the S-300 air defense missile systems that Iran wants delivered by Russia. Iran is even saying (according to TV station 1) that they can sue in the International court of law to get the contracted S-300 air defense missile systems.

We all know that Israel and the USA have tried and are putting pressure on Russia not to deliver these state of the art air defense missiles…

With all the hoopla about Israel wanting to attack Iran and trying to get permission from Obama to overfly Iraq, the installment of these Russian S-300′s would virtually assure Iran of a unbeatable defense to Israel attack.

Why is the S-300 air defense so important to Iran?

Well look at what Wikipedia says:

The S-300 is also capable of destroying ballistic missile targets, and is regarded as one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems currently fielded. Its radars have the ability to simultaneously track up to 100 targets while engaging up to 12. S-300 deployment time is five minutes. The S-300 missiles are sealed rounds and require no maintenance over their lifetime. An evolved version of the S-300 system is the S-400 (NATO reporting name SA-21), that entered service in 2004. (Link)

This would allow Iran to virtually “mop up the air” on Israel jets that attack the nuclear sites in Iran…

So while Iran is being lambasted with reports from Western press that Israel wants the OK from Obama to attack and get Americas help.

Iran needs that protection and now! (Israel says threat of attack on Iran, no bluff ” If no crippling sanctions are introduced by Christmas, Israel will strike,” Sneh said. “If we are left alone, we will act alone.” )

Should Russia send the contracted S-300 air defense missiles to Iran?

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

That is all for today: Come back tomorrow and I will try to post another round of pictures!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/11/trip-to-israel-was-blast-photo-set-1.html

While Svet and I traveled Israel this time we went to the Lebanon border and saw the grottoes! As always Svet loves to take pictures and movies. I picked this movie because it shows not only the star attraction of this article but some of the beautiful landscape that is around the area. While you watch the movie remember that the tiny little creatures that are shown in the film are a relative of the Elephant – Yes an Elephant…

Called a hyrax (from Greek ὕραξ “shrewmouse”) is any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea: The Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis, the Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei, the Western Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis, and the Southern Tree Hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus. They live in Africa and the Middle East.

Hyraxes are sometimes described as being the closest living relative to the elephant. This is because they may share an ancestor in the distant past when hyraxes were larger and more diverse.

Hyraxes are well-furred rotund creatures with a short tail. Most measure between 30–70 cm long and weigh between 2–5 kg. From a distance, a hyrax could be mistaken for a very well-fed rabbit or guinea pig. (Link)

My first reaction was that they are rodents but after closer examination of the creature I have discovered that they are very interesting and considered very important to the ecology of the Middle East.

So hope you enjoyed our little Israel tidbit of information today?

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/11/trip-to-israel-was-blast-photo-set-1.html