11/30/07

* Majority of Israelis think summit failed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak returned from Annapolis Thursday boasting of big successes.

* Olmert warns of 'end of Israel' Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said failure to negotiate a two-state solution with the Palestinians would spell the end of the State of Israel.

* 'Fatah, Hamas may join ranks' Fatah will fight alongside Hamas if and when the IDF launches a military operation in the Gaza Strip.

* EU and Iran in key nuclear talks EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is meeting Iran's top nuclear negotiator just hours before reporting to the UN on the Iranian nuclear issue.

* PA official: Olmert lying about Temple Mount Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statements on Wednesday that Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for negotiation are "false."

* Washington: There is no place yet for Syria in peace process U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said Thursday it is difficult to see how Syria can fit into the renewed peace process.

* EU-India talks follow China visit The European Union (EU) is expected to hammer out details of a proposed free trade deal with India at bilateral summit this week in Delhi.

* Serbia says U.S. holds key to Balkan stability The United States alone can choose whether the Balkans experience stability or lawlessness, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said.

* 3 New Outposts for the 5th Chanukah Light Land of Israel activists in Judea and Samaria said Thursday they planned to establish three new Jewish communities in the region during Chanukah.

* EU out of Mideast peace deal? One important but little-noticed feature of the Annapolis talks was that the Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations no longer seems to have much of a role.

11/29/07

* PM: Temple Mount not negotiable Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for discussion, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

* New term for civilian Musharraf Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been sworn in for a second term, this time as a civilian ruler, calling it a "historic day" for the country.

* Settlers respond to Annapolis statements with new settlements The right-wing Ne’emanei Eretz Israel movement announced Thursday that it plans to establish three new outposts in the West Bank during Hanukkah.

* 'Stop treating me like a pariah' "Stop treating me as a pariah," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Arab delegates at the Annapolis conference.

* Bush: Israeli, Palestinian leaders off to hopeful start in peace talks President George W. Bush, capping an intense flurry of diplomacy, said Wednesday the agreement by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume long-stalled peace talks was "a hopeful beginning."

* Unclear EU treaty provisions causing 'nervousness' Although the ink has barely dried on the EU's new treaty, analysts are already scratching their heads.

* Hamas demands UN rescind '47 partition Hamas on Thursday called on the UN to rescind the 1947 decision to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs.

* Kissinger in 1969: Israelis most likely to use nukes Former US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger vexed over the prospects of a Middle East arms race in late 1960's.

* Lebanese majority backs army commander as president Lebanon moved closer Wednesday to a long-sought deal for army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman to become the next president.

* Olmert: No concessions without Road Map compliance Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Israeli reporters in Washington Wednesday that Israel would not make any concessions unless the Palestinians comply.

11/28/07

* Ahmadinejad: Israel doomed to collapse Israel is doomed to "collapse" and the US-brokered Middle East peace conference was a "failure", Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

* Syrian Speech at Annapolis: Golan Never Belonged to Israel The Syrian and Lebanese delegates to the Annapolis conference Tuesday were provided a forum in which to express their countries' views.

* PM, Bush to hold private meeting on Iran Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will hold his second private White House meeting of the week with President George Bush on Wednesday.

* Musharraf gives up army uniform Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has handed over the command of the military in a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

* Lebanon Lawmakers Back Army Chief The largest bloc in Lebanon's deadlocked parliament has dropped its opposition to the army chief becoming president.

* Mid-East leaders in fresh talks Israeli and Palestinian leaders are set formally to begin a new round of peace talks at the White House.

* Vatican cardinal: Palestinians have right to return to homeland A senior Vatican cardinal said on Wednesday that all Palestinian refugees had a right to return to their homeland.

* Final Kosovo talks end in failure Serbs and ethnic Albanians have failed to resolve the future status of Kosovo at a final round of internationally-brokered talks.

* Arabs doubt Annapolis conference will bring peace Arab commentators on Wednesday dismissed the relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian talks as a U.S.-staged media event unlikely to lead to Middle East peace.

* EU-China summit to be overshadowed by trade rifts Chinese and European Union leaders will meet in Beijing on Wednesday (28 November) to discuss a wide range of trade issues.

11/27/07

* Bush issues rally call for summit US President George W Bush has said "a battle is underway" for the future of the Middle East as regional leaders gathered for a key peace summit.

* Hard-liners oppose Mideast talks in US Tens of thousands of people in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip rallied Tuesday against the Mideast peace conference under way in the U.S.

* Sneh: Iranian missile threatens Moscow Iran's new ballistic missile not only increases the threat against Israel, but against European cities as well.

* Olmert to World Jewry: Israel Makes Sole Decision on Jerusalem Prime Minister Ehud Olmert informed American Jewish leaders Monday that Jews outside of Israel have no right to intervene in any decision regarding the status of Jerusalem.

* Syrian summit attendance surprises Iran Iran was caught by surprise when Syria decided to send its deputy foreign minister to participate in the Annapolis conference.

* Fatah fears Hamas takeover in West Bank The Palestinian police in Ramallah forcefully dispersed Tuesday a rally against the Annapolis Conference.

* 'Israel maintains contact with Syria' Israel maintains contact with Syria and transfers messages both overtly and covertly.

* Annapolis conference widens Arab rifts Opposition to the Annapolis Middle East conference was growing in the region Monday amid fears that the Maryland meeting would deepen internal divisions and crises.

* Turkish army urges Kurds to surrender The Turkish military, massed in increasing numbers for a possible assault on Kurdish rebels in Iraq, has begun dropping leaflets urging rebels to surrender and "be welcomed with love."

* Musharraf bids farewell to troops President Pervez Musharraf has visited the army headquarters to bid farewell to troops a day before he is due to stand down as head of Pakistan's army.

11/26/07

* J'lem sources: PM to call for road map implementation in Annapolis The implementation of the road map peace plan is imperative, and terminating terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the plan's first stage.

* Putin says US behind poll boycott Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of pushing Western observers into boycotting Russian elections.

* Ya'alon warns against east J'lem pullout An Israeli withdrawal from Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem as part of a peace treaty with the Palestinians would put the whole city within range of Palestinian rocket fire.

* Haniyeh: Annapolis deal won't be binding Hamas parliamentarians in Gaza signed a petition declaring their opposition to Palestinian "concessions" in Jerusalem and on the refugee issue, Israel Radio reported.

* PM to discuss Iran with Bush during U.S. visit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. President George W. Bush will on Wednesday discuss ways of stepping up efforts to thwart Iran's nuclear program before Bush's term in office ends in the coming year.

* Syria: US assured us Golan is on table Syria's decided to attend the Annapolis conference because it had received a promise that the issue of the Golan Heights would be raised in the talks.

* Giant Israeli flag breaks world record for largest in world Beneath the ancient Jewish desert strongpoint of Masada, the world's largest flag was unfurled Sunday, covering a large stretch of sandy hinterland.

* Warning of Darfur Arab rebellion Arab groups in Sudan's Darfur region could start their own rebellion, a leading think-tank has warned.

* China hails moon mission a success China's leaders have unveiled an image of the moon taken by the country's first lunar satellite.

11/24/07

* Hamas 'shocked' by Arab participation in ME conference Hamas expressed dismay Saturday at Arab foreign ministers' unanimous decision to participate in next week's Middle East peace conference in the United States.

* Lebanon faces power vacuum threat Lebanon is facing a potential power vacuum after its president left office with no elected successor, and rivals argue over who will now take control.

* Olmert discusses Annapolis with Merkel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stressed his "great interest" in a successful outcome to next week's Middle East peace conference.

* Musharraf confirmed as president The election of Pervez Musharraf as Pakistan's president has been confirmed by the country's election commission following a high court ruling.

* Israel, PA fail to draft joint statement Israel and the Palestinian Authority have failed to draft a joint statement to be presented at next week's US-sponsored Middle East conference.

* Dollar Drops to Record Low Against Euro The dollar hit a new low against the euro in thin trading Friday as speculation continued that the American credit crisis will lead to another cut in interest rates in the U.S.

* Arab League: Discuss Golan at Annapolis conference A senior Arab diplomat said Friday that the Arab League would demand that the US include a discussion on the future of the Golan Heights.

* A nuclear wake-up call The sharp criticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad by an Iranian newspaper close to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei has understandably attracted world-wide attention.

* Danish government wants second referendum on euro The recently re-elected Danish government has announced a referendum on scrapping one or more of the country's four EU opt-outs from 1993.

* High price of failure raises urgency of Mideast peace conference Next week's Mideast peace conference is unlike any previous U.S. attempt to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

11/23/07

* Moussa: 'No normalization for free' Arab League Secretary General said early on Friday that Arab countries would not offer Israel "normalization for free".

* PA Negotiator: Go Back to 1947 Partition Plan In the course of recent negotiations, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni asked the head of the Palestinian Authority's negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala), to accept Israel as a Jewish state.

* Analysis: A Mideast nuclear war? Anthony Cordesman may be the most influential man in Washington that most people have never heard of.

* Arabs seek to justify joining Annapolis Arab leaders were scurrying in Egypt Thursday to formulate a united Arab position at the U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference in Annapolis next week.

* Olmert Plans to Evict Hevron Jewish House, Community Defiant Senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials say they have been guaranteed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Jews will be evicted from Hevron’s Beit HaShalom.

* Lebanese fail to elect president Lebanese MPs have failed to convene to elect a new president as the term of the incumbent, Emile Lahoud, expires.

* Israel Becoming Less Secular An Israel Democratic Institute (IDI) demographic survey finds religious growth and secular decline - but most significant is that the proportion of religious in the public is highest among the youth.

* UN uncertainty over nuclear Iran Iran's track record of hiding nuclear activities means the UN cannot be sure about what Iran is doing now, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said.

* Barroso considered resigning as commission chief European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has admitted he considered resigning from the top Brussels job.

* Pakistan suspension 'unjustified' Pakistan says the Commonwealth decision to suspend it from the body because of the imposition of emergency rule is "unreasonable and unjustified".

11/22/07

* US will try to close Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by 2009 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the United States will try to close a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians before President George W. Bush's term ends in January 2009, but she cautioned there is no guarantee of success.

* Egypt to host Arab leaders ahead of Annapolis talks In a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of a key US-sponsored Mideast conference, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Wednesday he will be holding talks with the leaders of Jordan and the Palestinians in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheik.

* Court upholds Musharraf election Pakistan's new Supreme Court has - as expected - dismissed the final legal challenge to the recent re-election of President Pervez Musharraf.

* Iran: Middle East security at risk Iran's chief nuclear negotiator warned on Thursday that any threat against Tehran would undermine the stability of the entire Middle East.

* PA government weak, but seeks peace, says Olmert Prime minister meets Kadima's Young Guard, says current Palestinian leadership unable to control terror, enforce its authority, but it is first government to state it's interested in peace with Israel.

* Tehran paper attacks Ahmadinejad In a rare attack on Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardline newspaper has accused him of behaving immorally towards his political rivals.

* Putin attacks 'jackal' opponents Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused opposition politicians of scavenging like jackals for funds from foreign embassies.

* Oil Hesitates on Drive to $100 a Barrel It didn't happen Wednesday, it may not happen Thanksgiving day, but the price of oil seems destined to burst through the $100 mark sometime soon, leaving higher pump prices and rising heating fuel costs in its wake.

* Syria: 'Thanks but No Thanks' to Annapolis Invitation Syrian officials said Thursday the country will not be sending any representatives to next week's Annapolis summit. Tuesday, it said it would.

* 'Israeli Jews classified as traditional' Jewish observance in Israeli society can be classified as traditional and this traditionalism has held steady over the past three decades, according to findings of a survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute on Thursday.

11/21/07

* 'Olmert lubricating wheels of terror with his bare hands' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is lubricating the wheels of terror with his bear hands and selling the Israeli citizens' security for nothing.

* 'One Jerusalem' Campaign to Fill J'lem with Gold "One Jerusalem," a high profile organization created following the Camp David summit of 2000 to mobilize international grass roots support for keeping Jerusalem united under Israeli sovereignty.

* US confirms Mid-East peace talks The US has confirmed it will host a conference on Middle East peace next week aimed at relaunching negotiations to create a Palestinian state.

* PKK warns US, Iraq not to help Turkey A senior Kurdish rebel commander has warned US authorities and Iraqi Kurds against helping Turkey in a possible cross-border offensive.

* Putin attacks 'jackal' opponents Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused opposition politicians of scavenging like jackals for funds from foreign embassies.

* Syria, Saudi Arabia invited to Annapolis Israel and the Palestinian Authority received official invitations to the Annapolis peace conference Tuesday.

* Ahmadinejad: Annapolis conference will hurt Palestinians The Annapolis peace conference is doomed for failure and will only harm Palestinian interests, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

* Russia to provide Egypt with nuclear expertise Russia has agreed to provide nuclear know-how and technical expertise to Egypt to help Cairo with plans to build civilian nuclear power stations to meet growing energy needs.

* EU-Turkey membership talks to move a step further in December The EU is planning to open two new chapters of its accession negotiations package with Turkey in December.

* Iraqis return home 'in thousands' An estimated 1,000 people a day are returning across Iraq's borders having previously moving abroad to escape the violence, Iraqi authorities say.

11/20/07

* American Jewish Orgs.: Fatah Charter Calls to 'Eradicate' Israel The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is deliberating a proposed statement calling on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to change the Fatah charter.

* Mubarak: Syria will attend Annapolis Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday he believed Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem would attend the upcoming Annapolis peace conference.

* U.S. troops deploy new weapon in Iraq U.S. forces in Iraq are using a high-resolution, thermal/infrared sensor system that turns night into day.

* Putin: Russia will respond to NATO "muscle-flexing" near borders Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia's decision to suspend its participation in a key arms control treaty was a necessary response to NATO "muscle-flexing" near its frontiers.

* Blair unveils Palestinian schemes The envoy of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators, Tony Blair, has announced a series of economic projects to help boost the Palestinian economy.

* 'Joint statement has been drafted' Agreement has been reached on a draft for a joint Israel-Palestinian statement ahead of the Annapolis conference.

* Venezuela's Chavez visits Iran Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made his fourth trip to Iran in two years on Monday.

* Musharraf 'to quit army by end of the week' President Musharraf of Pakistan has decided to resign as Army chief by the end of the week, it emerged today.

* Former guerilla leader wins Kosovo elections Former Kosovar guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the legislative elections.

* Earthquake felt across Israel Two earthquakes, measuring 3 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, were felt across Israel on Tuesday morning.

11/19/07

* PM: We'll freeze settlements, remove outposts Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet on Monday that Israel will not establish any new settlements in the West Bank and will begin to dismantle existing illegal outposts.

* Turkish Soldiers Continue to Deploy at Iraqi Border Turkey is still massing tens of thousands soldiers on the Iraqi border, a response to a series of attacks by Kurdish militants that have claimed the lives of more than 50 soldiers and civilians.

* Army on high alert ahead of Annapolis The IDF is in a heightened state of alert ahead of the Annapolis summit next week, out of fear that Hamas and Islamic Jihad will try to perpetrate a large-scale terror attack to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* 'Egypt allowing Hamas to amass arms' Thirty years after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's historic visit to Israel, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter accused Egypt on Sunday of knowingly permitting smuggling that strengthens Hamas.

* Hamas on the Way to Building an Army The Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza is two to three years away from becoming a real army and reaching the same capabilities of Hizbullah today.

* Iran leader dismisses US currency Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has suggested an end to the trading of oil in US dollars, calling the currency "a worthless piece of paper".

* Survey: Americans see Israel as ally A large percentage of Americans continue to support the State of Israel, especially in relation to the Palestinians and the "war on terror".

* Court Upholds Musharraf Election The newly formed Supreme Court of Pakistan, which was appointed after emergency rule was imposed two weeks ago, today dismissed the main outstanding challenges to Gen. Pervez Musharraf's election for another presidential term.

* Analysis: Iran's secret Syrian plan Israel has been providing intelligence and satellite images to the U.S. about a secret Syrian nuclear program for several months.

* OPEC 'upset at dollar,' Ahmadinejad says Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday OPEC heads of state were annoyed about the decline in the dollar and asked their finance and oil ministers to study the issue of pricing oil.

11/17/07

* Palestinians seek pre-conference settlement freeze The Palestinians have told the United States they will accept nothing less than a total freeze in Jewish settlement building.

* US seeks to end Pakistan crisis A senior US envoy has met President Pervez Musharraf to discuss Pakistan's deepening political crisis.

* Rice rules out visit to the region before Annapolis conference U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won't return to the region before the Mideast peace conference at the end of the month in Annapolis, Maryland.

* Abbas 'pessimistic' about Annapolis Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voiced pessimism about the prospects of the upcoming US-led peace conference.

* 'Vatican-Israeli ties worsening' A senior Vatican diplomat who served as papal envoy to Israel has described Vatican-Israeli relations as worsening.

* Saudi minister warns of dollar collapse The dollar could collapse if Opec officially admits considering changing the pricing of oil into alternative currencies such as the euro.

* Russia readies nuclear fuel bound for Iran Russia on Friday gave the clearest indication yet that it was ready to send uranium to fuel Iran's first atomic power station.

* Ahmadinejad: OPEC being pressured Iran's president said Saturday that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is "under heavy economic and political pressures".

* EU must improve military capabilities, UK says UK foreign secretary David Miliband called for a strengthening of the EU's military capacities.

* 'Israel is destroying Muslim artifacts' The Turkish envoy that visited Jerusalem in March to inspect the excavations at the Mughrabi Gate outside of the Temple Mount has concluded that the work is destroying artifacts from different Muslim historical periods.

11/16/07

* Israel: IAEA's report 'unacceptable' Israel dismissed a report issued by the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Thursday as "unacceptable."

* Palestinian poll: Annapolis no, peace yes A September 2007 poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion revealed 57.1 percent of Palestinians oppose at various degrees the participation of their leadership in the Annapolis peace conference.

* Russian parliament votes for suspending European arms treaty Russia's upper house of parliament voted Friday to suspend participation in a key European arms control treaty.

* Rice and Ramon Read it Wrong: Israelis Oppose Land Concessions U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice incorrectly estimated this week that most Israeli citizens are willing to hand over Judea and Samaria to the Palestinian Authority.

* EU 'should expand beyond Europe' Foreign Secretary David Miliband has suggested the European Union should work towards including Russia, Middle Eastern and North African countries.

* Russian loophole offers Putin chance of third term Russian President Vladimir Putin could run for re-election in next year's presidential vote if he resigns early to get around a ban on serving three consecutive terms.

* Erekat: PA baffled over 'Jewish Israel' Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat appeared to soften his position Thursday but still rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's call for explicit Palestinian recognition of Israel as "the Jewish state."

* Doomsday vault begins deep freeze Engineers have begun the two-month process of cooling down a "doomsday vault", which will house seeds from all known varieties of key food crops.

* Olmert Considering Re-Opening Orient House to PA Palestinian Authority sources in Jerusalem say they have received signs that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is seriously considering approving Abbas's request to re-open a PA office in Jerusalem.

* Turkish mission to call on Israel to stop Mugrabi dig A Turkish mission sent to Israel to inspect controversial work by Israeli archaeologists at the Mugrabi Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem will advise that all work should stop immediately.

11/15/07

* Palestinians harden refusal to accept a 'Jewish state' Opposition from Palestinian leaders to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the "state of the Jews" intensified.

* Abbas urges 'bring down Hamas' Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for Gaza's Hamas rulers to be "brought down", his strongest call yet for their removal.

* ANALYSIS: Lebanon risks civil war Lebanese presidential elections have been rescheduled once again, this time moved from November 12 to 21.

* Musharraf 'will quit army soon' Pakistan's attorney general says he expects President Pervez Musharraf to resign as army head before 1 December.

* Jerusalem says Solana could trump ElBaradei Two weeks before he is due to deliver a report on the Iranian nuclear program to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana remained tight-lipped.

* Darfur mission may fail, warns UN The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission to Darfur may fail unless countries can provide helicopters and lorries, a top UN official says.

* Israel urging Disney to sue Hamas The Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, California recently appealed to the Walt Disney Company to examine whether or not Hamas infringed upon its copyright on the character of Mickey Mouse.

* EU seeks 'status neutral' way out for Kosovo As diplomatic efforts on the fate of Kosovo look set to reach a dead end, the European Union's mediator has suggested a status neutral solution for Serbia's breakaway province.

* China calls for Tehran to work with IAEA China supports Iran's right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes but wants Tehran to allay international suspicions about its nuclear program.

* Several dead in Kirkuk blast A suicide car bomber has struck in Iraq's northern oil city of Kirkuk, killing seven people and wounding 20.

11/14/07

* Bhutto Says Musharraf Must Give Up Power Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto demanded the resignation of U.S.-backed President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

* Rice to GA: Mideast future at stake "The future of the Middle East is at stake," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the General Assembly in Nashville of the United Jewish Communities.

* Solana: Iranian issue must not be ignored EU foreign policy chief meets with Minister Mofaz in Jerusalem.

* Settler leaders: Olmert halting W. Bank construction Settler leaders charged on Tuesday that a deal had been struck with the United States and the Palestinians to freeze new construction in the settlements before the Middle East peace conference.

* Majadle Justifies Destruction of Temple Remains The Jewish State's first Arab minister, Raleb Majadle, declared Wednesday that as far as Jerusalem's Temple Mount is concerned, Israeli sovereignty is nonexistent and Islam rules.

* Most Israelis want Olmert ousted as PM A majority of Israelis believe that the Knesset should suspend or topple Prime Minister Ehud Olmert due to the criminal investigations against him.

* 'Russia plans missiles in Belarus' A senior general warned Wednesday that Russia could deploy short-range missiles to Belarus.

* US moves closer to space-based combat The US is developing a new space vehicle which could attack targets anywhere in the world within minutes.

* Knesset Advances Jerusalem Protection Law The Knesset passed the first reading of a bill initiated by Likud Knesset Member Gideon Sa'ar.

* Darfur: The devil came on horseback In Sep. 2004 former U.S. Marine Corps Captain Brian Steidle arrived in the whirlwind of Darfur.

11/13/07

* Abbas to Peres: Israel can live in sea of peace Abbas spoke at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

* Turkey 'bombs PKK Iraq targets' Turkish military helicopters have bombed suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq, Iraqi officials have said.

* Israel to hold major war games in West Bank The Israeli army said on Tuesday it is to launch a major military exercise across the occupied West Bank simulating its response to an outbreak of Palestinian violence.

* Bhutto calls on Musharraf to quit Pakistan's detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has called for President Pervez Musharraf to step down.

* President Peres: 'Turkey arouses trust, Iran arouses fear' "Turkey arouses trust, Iran arouses fear," said President Shimon Peres in an address to Turkey's parliament.

* Saudi oil minister rejects Opec raise Saudi Arabia on Monday made clear Opec would not announce a production increase at this weekend’s Riyadh summit.

* Bishops barred from Western Wall No crosses at the Western Wall was the message sent by a rabbi to a group of Austrian Catholic bishops who refused to hide their Christian crosses before entering the courtyard of the Western Wall.

* Putin says December poll will give him more clout President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he expected a parliamentary election on December 2 to give him a "moral right" to influence Russian politics.

* Settlement Freeze: Not Just a Tactic, But Full-Fledged Policy Prime Minister Olmert, for the first time since entering office, met this afternoon (Tuesday) in Jerusalem with top Yesha Council representatives.

* French EU presidency to push for defence integration France will next year push for a Europe of defence, proposing Brussels-based EU planning staff, exchanges between professional soldiers and a harmonization of military education.

11/12/07

* Steinitz: Egypt letting Hamas build an army Egypt effectively condoned Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, and has since stood by and allowed Hamas to build an army.

* Alternative 'Jewish Sovereignty' Summit Planned A dozen Jewish organizations have united to hold a "summit" calling for Jewish sovereignty over all of the Land of Israel.

* Erekat: We won't accept Jewish Israel Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Monday rejected Israel's demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state.

* Israel on alert for Syria airstrike The defensive missile shield around Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor was placed on red alert 30 times last week amid fears of an airstrike by Syria.

* Peres, Gul at odds over Iran nuke threat President Shimon Peres met his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul for several hours on Monday and the two discussed a wide range of issues, including the Iranian nuclear threat, the fate of Israel's captured soldiers, Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and the upcoming peace conference due to take place in Annapolis.

* Five dead in Gaza rally shootings At least five people have been killed and about 100 are reported to have been wounded after gunfire broke out at a rally attended by Fatah supporters in Gaza.

* Iran president attacks 'traitors' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denounced as "traitors" those in Iran who have criticised its nuclear programme.

* Cloning: a giant step For the first time, scientists have created dozens of cloned embryos from adult primates.

* Intel to Unveil Chips for Improving Video Quality on the Web Intel plans to announce a family of microprocessor chips on Monday that it says will speed the availability of high-definition video via the Internet.

* Muslim's party could decide Danish vote A campaign poster for this week's national elections evoked some of quiet Denmark's most turbulent days.

11/10/07

* Hamas: Terrible surprises await IDF should they invade Gaza Many terrible surprises await the IDF should Israel launch a wide-scale operation in the Gaza Strip.

* Arafat mausoleum opened by Abbas Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has unveiled a mausoleum to former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

* Report: Israel-Syria summit in 2008 At the beginning of 2008 there will be another international conference similar to the one which will take place in Annapolis in the coming weeks.

* Turkey approves building nuclear plants Turkey's parliament approved a bill Friday allowing for the construction of nuclear power plants in the country, despite opposition from environmental groups.

* Malki: PA won't disband terror groups Palestinian Authority Information Minister Riad Malki denied late Friday reports circulated by Israeli sources that Palestinian negotiators had agreed in a meeting with Israeli representatives.

* Abbas: Israel reneging on its promises Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to update her on preparations for a US-hosted Mideast conference.

* EU economy strong, but clouds gathering, Almunia warns Recent financial turmoil, the US economic slowdown and soaring oil prices are taking their toll on the EU economy.

* Defiant Bhutto vows more protests Benazir Bhutto has vowed to go ahead with a planned rally next week to protest against the emergency rule imposed by General Pervez Musharraf.

* 'Israel and US sharing intel on Iran' An Israeli team headed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz met Thursday with a US team headed by Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.

* Lebanon postpones presidential poll Lebanon's presidential election has been postponed from November 12 to November 21.

11/09/07

* 'Mideast atomic programs apocalyptic' Egyptian and Saudi Arabian intentions to begin or revive their nuclear programs in the face of Iran's continued race toward nuclear power present an "apocalyptic scenario" for Israel as well as for the rest of the world.

* Hizbullah: We're preparing for upcoming war Naim Kassem, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's deputy, described a training exercise the group conducted at the beginning of this week as preparation for the next war with Israel.

* 'Israel planning large Gaza operation' Israel has informed PA authorities in Ramallah of its intention to send the IDF into the Gaza Strip in order to regain control of the Philadelphi Corridor.

* Top Hamas official: We'll seize control of West Bank if Israel withdraws Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, would take over the West Bank if Israel pulled out of the territory.

* PA agrees to disband terrorist groups before statehood Israeli negotiators on Friday reported significant progress in talks with Palestinians Friday.

* Interfaith Leadership Council Acknowledges 'Occupation' U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has received a special blessing from religious leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths.

* 'Israel may strike Iran' – US Wednesday's statement by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran has 3,000 working uranium-enriching centrifuges could trigger an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

* Israel escalates campaign against IAEA Israel escalated its campaign Thursday against the winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the international nuclear watchdog, by describing him as a “danger to world peace”.

* Frattini seeks to apply new EU treaty rules before 2009 Although the EU's new Lisbon Treaty is meant to be ratified only by 2009, justice commissioner Franco Frattini has said he wants to act as if the treaty is already in force.

* Russia 'slow' to act on anti-Semitism A leading US-based Jewish organization criticized Russian authorities Friday for a "slow" response to xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

11/08/07

* US fears Israeli strike against Iran over latest nuclear claim A claim by President Ahmadinejad that Iran has 3,000 working uranium-enriching centrifuges sent a tremor across the world yesterday.

* IDF Chief: Jerusalem is Why We're Here At a ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem this week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said that Jerusalem is the "raison d'etre" of our national existence in Israel.

* Mehdi Army accused of killing spree in Iraq shrine city Police Thursday accused the Mehdi Army militia of radical cleric Moqtada Al Sadr of carrying out a four-year killing spree in Iraq's central shrine city of Karbala that left hundreds dead.

* Musharraf vows polls in February Pakistan will hold elections before 15 February, President Pervez Musharraf has announced.

* Ben Eliezer: 'The disengagement from Gaza was a big mistake' The disengagement from Gaza "was a mistake" National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer told Non-Stop Radio (Radio Lelo Hafsaka) on Thursday.

* Israel minister: Sack ElBaradei A senior Israeli minister has called for the sacking of Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.

* Israeli intelligence: Abbas is too weak Army Radio reported Thursday morning that Israel's intelligence community considers Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a powerless leader.

* New 'disaster' movie warns world of oil apocalypse Oil is 'the bloodstain of the earth's economy' and will soon trigger a global conflict that will cost millions of lives.

* Olmert voted most corrupt politician Even after sharing his personal health problems with the general public, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is still seen as the country's most corrupt government minister.

* China angrily denounces Games "Bible ban" report China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year's Beijing Olympics.