10/30/10

* Turkey policy paper: Israel's actions threaten Mideast Ankara's National Security Council names Israel as central threat to Turkey's security for first time since 1949, fails to mention Iran, Syria.

* US election won't impact Israel peacemaking Critics of Obama inside Netanyahu's inner circle discount view that likely reversals in next week's US midterms will benefit PMO's position.

* Ayalon: PA request to UN to declare state is idle threat Deputy foreign minister says Abbas' request to UN is bluff aimed at pressuring Israel, says this shows no real intention to resolve conflict.

* Gazan crowd chants 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel' Tens of thousands of Palestinians rally at event staged by terror group Islamic Jihad with Hamas support to voice opposition to peace talks.

* UK cargo plane device was bomb - British Government UK Home Secretary Theresa May has confirmed that a device found in a package sent from Yemen and found on a US-bound cargo plane could have exploded on board the jet.

* China reassures US on key 'rare earth' minerals China has reassured the US it has no intention of withholding "rare earth" minerals from the market, the US Secretary of State has said.

* Israel slams 'absurd' UNESCO decision on Jerusalem, West Bank holy sites UNESCO board adopted last week five proposals initiated by Arab member states regarding sites which are considered holy to both Jews and Muslims.

* Petraeus: Progress being made in Afghanistan The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, told CNN Saturday the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan has "broadly been arrested" in some locations.

* UPDATE 2-EU sets sights on treaty change, new safety net The European Union on Friday set in motion plans to amend the EU's main treaty to create a permanent system to fight financial crises, and said a summit deal on new budget rules would strengthen the euro.

* Hamas official: Those firing rockets at Israel are rebels During interview with 'Al-Hayat' Mahmoud Zahar claims group agreed to truce with Israel, says this kind of rebellion could lead to anarchy.

10/29/10

* Islamic Jihad leader: Israel must be wiped out of existence Organizers say up to 100,000 people attend largest Islamic Jihad rally in Gaza in several years; Hamas leader calls for unity against Israel.

* EU: Iran ready to restart nuclear talks with major powers EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton receives letter from Iran nuclear chief agreeing to meet with the six major powers at any time after Nov. 10.

* Assad: No indication Syria-Israel peace talks will resume soon Remark by Syrian president comes after recent war of words between Damascus and Washington amid U.S. attempts to sway Syria away from Iran's influence.

* 'Small, small, small' EU treaty change to deliver 'quantum leap' The Pandora's Box of referendums, as happened twice in Ireland, had to be avoided at all costs.

* Report: Revolutionary Guards to hold joint drills with Iranian military Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian military will hold a series of joint war games in the coming months, according to the Fars news agency.

* UN Org.: Rachel's Tomb is a Mosque The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted recently to officially declare Rachel's Tomb to be a mosque.

* Koreas exchange gunfire at land border North and South Korea exchanged gunfire across their heavily armed land border on Friday, despite an apparent thaw in tensions on the divided peninsula in the past few months.

* Most Popular British Name: Mohammed, Muhammed, etc. The most common name given to baby boys born in England in 2009 was none other than Mohammed, in its various forms.

* Settler numbers rise at almost 3 times nat’l average Central Bureau of Statistics figures show West Bank Jewish population at 303,900 in June 2010, up 7,200 in six months.

* Internet Reception Reaches Summit of Mount Everest Climbers at the top of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, will now be able to make video calls and surf the internet on their cell phones, a Nepalese telecom group claimed Thursday.

10/28/10

* PA FM says PA to declare state Aug 2011 Palestinian Authority PM tells Italian newspaper: "The youngest olive trees have deeper roots than the largest Israeli settlement."

* Obama Set to Offer Stricter Nuclear Deal to Iran The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing a new offer for negotiations with Iran.

* Jordan PM: Only Resolving Palestinian Issue Will End Terrorism Jordan’s Prime Minister, Samir Rifai, said on Tuesday that if serious efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue take place, the problems of terrorism and extremism will end.

* Egyptian Christians in Danger as Muslim Threat Grows Egyptian Muslim mobs are seething against the country's Christians following a Al-Jazeera television report that the Christians were aligned with Israel.

* Israeli Arabs and Arab Parties called 'Palestinian' in PA Paper The Palestinian Authority appears to be opening a new battle to define the terms of its conflict with Israel.

* U.S. intel: China still aiding Iran 'in clear violation of UN sanctions' The U.S. intelligence community has determined that China, despite United Nations sanctions, continues to support Iran's missile and nuclear programs.

* Saudi budget cut for global Islamic indoctrination Officials said the Saudi government has reduced funding for Islamic indoctrination abroad.

* Battle over treaty change divides Europe ahead of summit Just one year after the second Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty - one of the most bitter political battles in EU history - France and Germany are coming into an EU summit ready to pitch the idea of rewriting the legal pact.

* Rivlin: 'Settlements are not an obstacle to peace' In a meeting with his French counterpart, Knesset speaker says that settlement construction is just a "Palestinian excuse" to stop talks.

* The Hundred Year Starship: The Nasa mission that will take astronauts to Mars and leave them there forever The mission is to boldly go where no man has gone before – on a flight to Mars.

10/27/10

* Iran urges UN to condemn Israel's 'nuclear weapons' Iranian ambassador to the UN says Israel should stop ignoring international demands that it join non-proliferation treaty.

* Syria spurns U.S. bid to mend ties Syria's president has accused the United States of sowing chaos overseas.

* Kahane supporters: We'll destroy 'Ishmael state' Hundreds of Land of Israel Movement activists and supporters of the radical movement Kach held a memorial service.

* Iran's unlikely understanding with Saudi Arabia "Iran is not the enemy, Israel is the enemy," the head of the Center for Strategic Studies in Saudi Arabia declared.

* IDF Tank Shells Stop Three Gaza Terrorists; One Killed Islamic Jihad said one of their terrorists was killed Wednesday.

* British Chief Rabbi's song gets million hits on YouTube A special video recording of "Oseh Shalom" recorded by cantors was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel's establishment.

* Bin Laden tape warns French over veil Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden warned France on Wednesday that its ban on the veil in public places justified violence against its nationals.

* Vatican, Jewish world at odds The Vatican and the Jewish world are at odds over a U.S. bishop's rejection of a biblical rationale for Israel as a Jewish state.

* EU divided over plan for Lisbon Treaty change A new Euro-row is escalating over a Franco-German plan to rewrite part of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

* How Tariq Aziz's death sentence could drive a wedge into Iraqi politics Iraqis thirsting for vengeance as much as justice welcomed the death sentence Tuesday of one of Saddam Hussein's best-known officials, Tariq Aziz.

10/26/10

* Iran loads fuel into the Bushehr nuclear reactor Iran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant, state television has reported.

* Hawkish Israeli minister drafts nuclear Iran plan Hardline Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has commissioned a report on how to prepare for a nuclear-armed Iran.

* Russia's Jewish Population Fading Away? The Jewish population is slowly disappearing in Russia, with a demographic expert predicting as much as a 25 percent drop.

* PA, Hamas Invest in Jerusalem Schools In view of Palestinian Authority reports that it invested two million shekels in Arab schools in eastern Jerusalem, parallel reports of similar Hamas involvement are coming to light.

* PA Teaches Children to Fight, Not Learn A cartoon published last week in the newspaper that serves as the official mouthpiece for the Palestinian Authority continued Ramallah's campaign of incitement.

* Far-right 'lite' to push for EU referendum on Turkish accession Europe's far-right 'lite' parties are to push for a pan-European referendum on Turkish accession.

* Message to World: Jerusalem Gets Top-Priority Development Status The ministerial committee for legislation approved a bill that will grant special benefits to the capital.

* Dollar at Risk of Becoming 'Toxic Waste': Charts The dollar's slump could get far worse if the dollar index takes out last year's low, Robin Griffiths, technical strategist at Cazenove Capital, told CNBC.

* EU teams to patrol Greek border amid migrant surge Many of the illegal migrants claim to be from Afghanistan.

* German report reveals war-time diplomats' 'Nazi role' Germany's diplomats were more deeply involved in the Holocaust than previously known.

10/25/10

* New Terrorists Come From Within US The newest terrorists against America are potentially a bigger threat since they come from within.

* Catholic Cleric: Jesus Cancelled Biblical Chosen People The Creator’s promise in the Bible that the Promised Land belongs to the Jewish People is no longer valid.

* Ayalon: Vatican Synod is a forum for Arab propaganda Bishops demand that Israel accept UN resolutions calling for an end to "occupation" of Arab lands.

* Iraq parliament ordered to get back to work Iraq's Supreme Court has ordered the country's parliament back to work, more than seven months after inconclusive elections left Iraq in political limbo.

* IDF Rehearses for the Day Gen. Dayton's Forces Turn On It The IDF's Nachshon Battalion's recent training exercises have included simulated battles against Palestinian Authority security forces.

* Far-right parties oppose EU membership for Turkey Members said Turkey has no place in Europe and that citizens should be allowed to weigh in on the matter.

* Saudi prince: Israel is America's sewer in Mideast Riyadh's former ambassador to Washington accuses Obama Administration of "failing to curb brutal Israeli policy of collective punishment, arbitrary arrests and killings"

* Foreign Ministry drawing up options for Iran bomb threat Policy options considered for "day after" Iran gains nukes; official: Teheran with bomb would be disaster, but we must be prepared for it.

* Wikileaks reports could help halt Iran’s nuke drive Analysis: Israel hopes that reports exposing Teheran's involvement in Iraq will greatly firm up US determination to halt nuclear program.

* Jerusalem gets first grade national priority status New legislation gives capital benefits in housing, employment and education sectors.

10/23/10

* 'Vatican calls for end to occupation of Arab territories' Catholic bishops for the Middle East on Saturday called upon the United Nations and the international community to "put an end to the occupation of the different Arab territories."

* 'Hizbullah trained Iraqis how to kidnap soldiers' Inside the some 400,000 US military documents released by WikiLeaks on Friday, were stories of tense and deadly border incidents on the Iraqi-Iranian frontier.

* UN envoy: Settlements major obstacle to Palestinian state Israel's West Bank settlement construction has made the formation of a Palestinian state an almost impossible task.

* Israeli presence on Palestinian land 'irreversible' A UN human rights rapporteur has said continued settlement construction will probably make Israel's occupation of Palestinian land irreversible.

* Centcom report on enhanced U.S.-Saudi relations cites threat of a nuclear-armed Iran The U.S. military's Central Command has reported an expansion of cooperation with Saudi Arabia since 2008.

* G-20 Vows to Avoid Currency War and to Share I.M.F. Power Saying they needed to shore up the “fragile and uneven” recovery, officials from the world’s 20 biggest economies promised Saturday to refrain from a currency war.

* Israel's 'Lt.Gen Computer' Can Plan Military Operations One of the "Made in Israel" developments presented at the Israel Defense Expo (ISDEF) is TARGET - a combat-proven mission planning software for the military.

* EU, Russia prod Iran to hold nuclear talks in November European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton reissued an invitation to Iran on Friday to hold talks on its nuclear program next month.

* EU unlikely to expand into post-Soviet east in next decade Poland and Sweden have in a joint strategy paper indicated the EU is unlikely to invite any of its post-Soviet neighbours to join the bloc in the next 10 years.

* Iraqi PM: WikiLeaks release politically timed New documents detailing alleged prisoner abuse by Iraqi security officials prompted fresh doubts Saturday about Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's bid to remain in power for a second term.

10/22/10

* Israel warns of unilateral steps if PA seeks UN statehood Israel will pursue its own unilateral steps if the Palestinians do not return to the negotiating table.

* Why Israel silent on U.S.-Saudi new arms deal? U.S. plans to sell highly- advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia might trigger Israeli objections in the past.

* Iraqi leaders not following US advice on gov't American influence has so dwindled in Iraq over the last several months that Iraqi lawmakers and political leaders say they no longer follow Washington's advice.

* US to announce major military aid package for Pakistan The US is set to announce a significant package of military and security aid to Pakistan.

* "Islam Does Not Like Christians" Jewish Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein was reconfirmed this week as Vice President of Italy's Foreign Affairs Committee.

* Chechen Terrorists, Despite a Schism, Come Back Ferociously Right after three suicide commandos raided the parliament of Chechnya on Tuesday, the president of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, arrived to survey the building's courtyard.

* Moon's water is useful resource, says Nasa There are oases of water-rich soil that could sustain astronauts on the Moon.

* Chavez hopes one day to visit 'liberated Golan' Assad claims Israel "does not have desire to give anything for sake of peace".

* Scripture Through Jewish, Christian and Muslim Eyes A joint research project headed by Rabbi Mordechai Cohen of Yeshiva University and Professor Meir Bar-Asher at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University has launched a comparative study of early Biblical scholarship.

* Anti-Israel Conference in Montreal An anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Conference will be held at the University of Quebec in Montreal this coming weekend.

10/21/10

* Iran, Saudi leaders talk on phone after arms deal advances Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah conducted their second telephone conversation.

* 'Iran is secretly setting up banks in Muslim countries' Iran is secretly setting up banks in Muslim countries around the world under fake names in order avoid sanctions.

* CBS News Reporter Aims at Jerusalem's City of David CBS television network anchor Lesley Stahl is up in arms over Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood.

* Construction begins on 544 West Bank homes Settlers have begun building new homes at an extraordinary pace since the government lifted its moratorium on West Bank housing starts.

* Ahmadinejad and Chavez say united to change world order Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Venezuelan counterpart on Wednesday they would defeat their common foes.

* 41% of Palestinians support resuming the Intifada If direct talks fail, 41 percent of Palestinians support the resumption of an armed Intifada.

* Pentagon seeks tight ties with cyber contractors The department's use of top-level system integrators and entrepreneurs will continue to grow.

* Report links Mubarak to 'severe persecution' of Christians by Muslims The Egyptian regime of President Hosni Mubarak is said to be inciting the Muslim majority against the nation's Christians.

* Full speed ahead on EU diplomacy after Strasbourg vote The European Parliament on Wednesday (20 October) adopted by a crushing majority new budgetary and staff regulations for the European External Action Service.

* Clinton Urges Arab Financial Support for Palestinians U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Arab countries should provide more financial support to the Palestinian Authority.

10/20/10

* Qurei warns of possible 'armed resistance' if talks fail Ahmed Qurei, a senior PLO official and former Palestinian Authority prime minister, has said he does not rule out the possibility that the Palestinians will launch an "armed resistance" against Israel.

* US military accepting gay recruits The US military has started accepting gay recruits after a California judge last week struck down the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring openly gay people from serving.

* Iraq PM takes foreign gamble to win over rivals A March parliamentary election yielded no outright winner, leaving Iraq in limbo and raising fears that insurgents would exploit the vacuum to stir sectarian tensions.

* Russia 'considering' proposal to join missile shield But speaking after talks with the French and German leaders, Mr Medvedev stressed the Nato bloc needed to make clear how Russia would be involved.

* Ban warns against European intolerance of Muslims UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned against a "dangerous trend" of intolerance toward Muslim immigrants in Europe.

* New Survey Indicates Large Oil Field Buried Under Negev Sand A new preliminary geological survey indicates 26 million barrels of recoverable oil—worth $2 billion—may be sitting underneath the sandy soil in the area of two kibbutzim in the Western Negev.

* Dead Sea Scrolls Go Public and Digital The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) is cooperating with Google Israel on a huge project: the creation of an online digital library that will finally display the Dead Sea scrolls.

* Digital World: Israel, the telecom 'continent' To the many feathers in Israel's hi-tech cap, you can add telecommunications: the business of connecting people on the phone.

* Carter in Syria: Israel must fully lift Gaza blockade Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday, called for Israel to lift completely its blockade on the Gaza Strip.

* Intel: Iran banks use growing trade with Turkey to bypass sanctions Turkey and the United States are discussing the legality of Ankara's use of banks in neighboring Iran.

10/19/10

* Palestinians plan UN resolution calling for settlement evacuation The Palestinian leadership, in conjunction with Arab states, plans to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council stating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

* 'If oil hits a certain price, world will no longer want Israel to exist' "If oil reaches a certain price, the world will no longer want Israel to exist".

* 'Iran's nuclear program poses a major risk to Mideast stability' The United States and Israel on Monday said Iran is among the greatest challenges to stability in the Middle East.

* Meet the New Israeli Assault Rifle Israel National News TV takes a look at two Israeli developments at the annual Israel Defense exhibition (ISDEF 2010).

* Al-Qaida Returning to Afghanistan for New Attacks Al-Qaida militants are moving back into Afghanistan to plot new attacks here.

* Killings in Nigeria Are Linked to Islamic Sect A radical Islamic sect thought to have been crushed by Nigerian troops last year has been revived.

* Turkish PM says won't talk with Netanyahu Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan does not want to talk with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* 'We Are Destroying Life on Earth,' UN Conference Claims A U.N. biodiversity conference aims to address a simple problem: "We are destroying life on Earth."

* American Muslims Gather on Capitol Hill The second annual "Islam on Capitol Hill" event was held last Friday.

* Spectre of treaty change accompanies new eurozone agreement Eurozone finance chiefs have backed new rules for stricter fiscal discipline.

10/18/10

* Netanyahu: Terrorists in Gaza have anti-aircraft missiles Speaking at a Likud meeting, PM expresses concern over weapons in the Strip "that can take down an aircraft en route to Ben Gurion airport"; calls settlement building an "artificial obstacle."

* Saudi intelligence issues EU terror alert "If this information is coming indeed from the Saudis, one can expect that it is serious and reliable."

* Abbas: I won't resume talks until building freeze renewed PA president says the "whole world" is saying settlement moratorium must continue, why can't I?

* Iraq's Allawi charges Iran destabilizing Mideast The leader of the Iraqi bloc that came first in elections accused Iran on Sunday of trying to destabilize Iraq and manipulate the political process as he jeered at rival politicians seeking Tehran's blessing for forming the next government.

* Ahmadinejad: Israel and its allies are all on their way to hell Remarks come in the wake of Iranian President's recent visit to Lebanon, where he voiced what he termed as his support of Lebanon's resistance of Israeli aggression.

* EU Struggles with Immigration Germany's multicultural approach to immigration “has failed, utterly failed,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel.

* Algerian Paper Claims Torah Scroll Includes Name of Mohammed A new Muslim claim surpasses all boundaries: an Algerian paper reports that an old Torah scroll found near Temple Mount includes the name of Mohammed.

* Paris Peace Summit Postponed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office announced on the weekend that a planned peace summit between Israel and Palestinian Authority, that was to be held in Paris by the end of the month, has been rescheduled.

* Israel Builds World's Largest Underground Hospital A critical phase began last week in the construction of a massive underground hospital at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.

* EU 'lacks vision' on Turkish accession, president says Turkish President Abdullah Gul has hit out at European politicians, saying they lack a strategic vision for Turkey's membership of the European Union.

10/16/10

* Abbas: We'll never sign deal demanding recognition of Israel as Jewish state Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that under no circumstances would the PA sign an agreement with Israel which required the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

* Arabs states may ask UN to recognize Palestinian state if settlements continue Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Friday that Arab nations may seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state.

* US: Building is contrary to efforts to resume negotiations The US expressed disappointment Friday at the 240 new housing units reportedly approved in Ramot and Pisgat Ze'ev.

* Exhibit explores how Hitler taught a nation to hate Playing cards with images of Hitler. Toy fuhrers. And a lamp and church tapestry with swastikas emblazoned across the front.

* Russia agrees to build nuclear plant in Venezuela Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reached a deal with Russia on Friday to build the South American country's first nuclear plant.

* 'Erdogan: Israel to stay isolated if doesn't apologize' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized what he called the "double standards" of the United States at the end of this week.

* This week in history: Revival of the Hebrew language The process of the Hebrew language revival began on October 13th 1881, as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his friends agreed to exclusively speak Hebrew in their conversations.

* President Medvedev picks PM Putin's aide to run Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, aged 52, was picked to replace Yuri Luzhkov who was sacked last month by Mr Medvedev.

* Yes, young Kim Jong-Un was on parade, but what about those missiles? The luminaries reviewing the big parade in Pyongyang last Sunday were a sight to behold for the watchful eyes of experts gazing on videos of the extravaganza.

* Petraeus: NATO has facilitated Taliban movement Commanding Gen. David Petraeus confirmed Friday that coalition forces have allowed Taliban representatives to travel to Kabul.

10/15/10

* Ahmadinejad: Zionists will not last long Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in the southern Lebanon city of Bint Jbeil.

* PM: Lebanon's turning into Iranian satellite tragic As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon draws to an end, Israel remains wary of the latter's strengthening ties with Tehran.

* U.S. Uses Atacks to Nudge Taliban Toward a Deal Airstrikes on Taliban insurgents have risen sharply here over the past four months.

* Google Earth spots Scud missile base near Damascus A Scud missile base has been detected near the Syrian capital.

* 'European Jewish communities are in serious danger' European Jewish Congress calls on governments to launch campaign against intolerance, anti-Semitism to remember "Never Again" concept.

* Iran to hold Opec presidency for first time in 36 years Iran will assume the presidency of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) for the first time in 36 years.

* Hitler's relationship with Germany explored The title is important: Hitler and the German People. The first ever big exhibition in a major German museum to focus on Hitler.

* Ahmadinejad taunts Israel from border with Lebanon Iran's president taunted archenemy Israel on Thursday from just across the tense border in Lebanon.

* 'Abbas, Netanyahu want to be leaders who resolve conflict' Secretary of State Clinton says parties need to hold “very serious negotiation;" claims lots of evidence sanctions against Iran are working.

* IAF Adding Third 'Arrow' Missile Defense Battery The Israel Air Force is stepping up its preparations for a possible missile war with Iran and its proxies.

10/14/10

* Ahmadinejad heads to Lebanon's border with Israel Hezbollah supporters rallied crowds in southern Lebanon Thursday ahead of a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Ahmadinejad: Lebanon is a university for Jihad Iranian leader speaks at Hizbullah rally in his honor, Nasrallah calls Ahmadinejad "strong support for the opposition" in televised speech.

* US State Dept. encouraged by PA borders proposal Crowley says "right conversation for 2 sides" after PLO chief quoted as saying willing to recognize Israel if US, Israel recognize pre-1967 lines.

* IDF Holds Complex Joint Combat Exercise Demonstration The IDF's Joint Combat Exercise held a demonstration on Tuesday at the Shizafon base, which is located in the Negev.

* Poll says 10 percent of Germans want a new 'Führer' Germans reportedly want leader to "send foreigners home"; over 58% say "religious practice for Muslims in Germany should be seriously limited."

* About the 'currency war'...it has already broken out Annual Washington jamborees of those monuments to post-World War II international economic cooperation.

* Afghan peace council chief: Taliban ready to talk A former Afghan president who heads a new peace council said Thursday that he's convinced the Taliban are ready to negotiate peace.

* Hitchens, Blair to debate role of faith One is a prominent atheist, the other a devout Roman Catholic. Both share mutual admiration for each other.

* Foreign Ministry launches 'Israel' YouTube channel The Foreign Ministry launched its official YouTube channel on Wednesday.

* PA Celebrates Jericho's Birthday, Ignores Jewish Connection At the beginning of the week, the birthday of one of the oldest cities in the world, Jericho, was celebrated in the Palestinian Authority.

10/13/10

* Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 'backs united Lebanon' Crowds greeted Mr Ahmadinejad on his arrival in Beirut, mostly at the urging of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.

* Saudi King, Ahmadinejad talk politics on phone Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah discussed regional affairs by telephone.

* Chinese warplanes refueled in Iran enroute to NATO exercise in Turkey Iran has joined Turkey in military cooperation with China.

* US backs PM: Israel is Jewish state The US State Department said Tuesday it supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

* Al-Qaeda magazine published 'tips on how to kill Americans' A magazine run by the Yemeni group al-Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula has published a list of tips on how to kill Americans.

* Ahmadinejad huddles with Hizbullah in Lebanon, plans visit to Israel's border Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intends to confront Israel during his visit along the southern Lebanese border with the Jewish state.

* Hareidi Religious Rabbis Flock to Temple Mount The hareidi religious community has been visiting the Temple Mount in larger numbers than ever.

* China stakes claim to S. Texas oil, gas State-owned Chinese energy giant CNOOC is buying a multibillion-dollar stake in 600,000 acres of South Texas oil and gas fields.

* Hamas Censors Arab Media in Gaza, Closes PA Union HQ Hamas forces in Gaza raided the offices of the Palestinian Journalists’ Union, effectively closing down the organization.

* Bishops blame Israeli-Palestinian conflict for spurring Christian exodus from Mideast Bishops summoned to the Vatican to discuss the flight of Christians from the Middle East have blamed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for spurring much of the exodus.

10/12/10

* Ya'alon: 'No chance of peace with Palestinians' Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon on Tuesday voiced pessimism regarding peace talks with the Palestinians.

* Palestinian official: PA will never recognize Israel as Jewish state The Palestinian Authority will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

* U.S. Alarmed by Harsh Tone of China’s Military Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, in Vietnam on Monday.

* Papal Session on Muslim Terror Starts By Blasting Israelis Pope Benedict XVI convened a synod (meeting) of Middle Eastern bishops to discuss the attacks on the Catholic church in Muslim lands.

* Muslim Brotherhood slogan in Egypt elections: 'Islam is the solution' The Islamic opposition intends to expand its participation in Egypt's parliamentary elections.

* EU opposition to Turkish accession is 'racist,' Chomsky says The real reason for the EU rejecting Turkey's membership is "racism," US linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky has told a Turkish newspaper.

* Chilling tips in al-Qaeda magazine Al-Qaeda's offshoot in Yemen has launched the second edition of its online, English-language magazine.

* New record: 2.5 million tourists in Israel since January Tourism Minister Stas Meseznikov announces determination to target new markets to bring tourists to Israel, including Muslim ones.

* Dollar falls as 'currency war' concerns linger The dollar fell against the euro and yen on Monday after the world's top finance officials failed to reach a consensus.

* Fossils of earliest land plants discovered in Argentina The earliest plants to have colonised land have been found in Argentina.

10/11/10

* PM: Moratorium for PA recognition of 'Jewish State' At Knesset winter session opening Netanyahu says Palestinian state may be a source of continued conflict if irresponsibly handled.

* Fearing civil war, Lebanese citizens arm themselves Volatile probe into 2005 murder of Ex-Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri, upcoming Ahmadinejad visit, could easily set off a country on verge of explosion.

* Abbas Turns Down Calling Israel ‘Jewish’ in Return for Freeze The Palestinian Authority Monday swiftly turned down Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s offer for a renewal building freeze if PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas were to recognize Israel as Jewish.

* "In the ME, the weak do not survive, only the strong" At Israel Beiteinu meeting, FM Lieberman says Israel-Palestinian conflict far from being central to world or most ancient in the world.

* Israel: Fix Kosovo first before telling us what to do Israel's foreign minister has bluntly told the foreign ministers of Spain and France to fix problems in Europe before telling Israel what to do.

* Gates Urges China to Improve Military Ties With US Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with his Chinese counterpart to make a case for restoring military-to-military relations.

* Manned flight around Moon considered The possibility of using the space station as a launching point to fly a manned mission around the Moon is to be studied by the station partners.

* 420 banks demand 1-world currency International finance group seeks remedy to looming exchange wars

* Spanish FM: Europe has vital role in Middle East French, Spanish foreign minister brush-off Avigdor Lieberman's suggestion that they focus on solving Europe's problems before meddling in Mideast affairs

* US call for Nato cyber-strike capacity causes division Nato countries do not agree on the Alliance being allowed to wage cyber wars

10/09/10

* Abbas may circumvent Israel, ask U.S. to recognize Palestinian state Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told Arab leaders he may seek U.S. recognition for a Palestinian state.

* State Dept. welcomes Arab League backing for more time Arab League agrees to give US one month to revive talks, backs Abbas decision to stop negotiations if West Bank building continues.

* Nasrallah: Iranian money helped rebuild Lebanon after war Money that Hizbullah received from Iran helped rebuild Lebanese houses destroyed by Israel in the Second Lebanon War.

* Iran acknowledges espionage at nuclear facilities Iran revealed for the first time Saturday that some personnel at the country's nuclear facilities were lured by promises of money to pass secrets to the West.

* Nato to reach out to Russia on missile defence Instead of criticising a new security treaty between Europe and America, Russia should consider coming under the umbrella of a Nato missile defence shield.

* Pakistan 'to reopen key Nato Afghanistan supply route' Pakistan will reopen a crucial overland supply route for Nato forces in Afghanistan with immediate effect, the country's foreign ministry has said.

* In walkup to G-20, a game of nuclear chess on the Korean peninsula North and South Korea are playing a dangerous game of nuclear chess in which it’s hard to tell what’s more likely: another nuclear test or fresh talks on North Korea’s nukes.

* Syria: Sale of stealth fighters to Israel security risk A couple of days after Israel signed a $2.75 billion deal for the purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, Syria said the agreement poses a threat to security in the Middle East.

* Iran ready to hold talks with US in Oct or Nov Iran says it is ready to hold talks over its nuclear program with the United States and other major powers in late October or early November.

* Karzai appeals to Taliban in Kandahar heartland Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar on Saturday.

10/08/10

* Abbas to Mitchell: I will resign if settlement construction continues Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informed U.S. envoy George Mitchell last week that the renewal of settlement construction will not only bring about the collapse of peace talks but it will also induce his resignation.

* Hezbollah militants training in Syria missile base, satellite images show The Syrian army has a Scud missile base near Damascus, according to recent satellite photos.

* North Korea talks up Kim Jong-un as likely successor A top North Korean official has made the first public comments that leader Kim Jong-il is likely to be succeeded by his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.

* Abbas to consult Arab League on quitting Mid-East talks Mr Abbas has arrived in the Libyan city of Sirte, where the Arab League will hold two days of meetings.

* Israeli military 'stronger than ever' despite threat of 5-front missile war Israel's intelligence community has assessed that the Jewish state was equal to the task of confronting a five-front missile war.

* US cautions Egypt against doing business with Iran Washington has expressed its regret over Egypt's recent decision to renew direct flights between Cairo and Tehran, after more than 30 years.

* Netanyahu: Israel protects the rights of all citizens, Jews and non-Jews Israel is a Jewish and democratic state that protects the rights of all its citizens.

* A View From Israel: Madman or prophet? While many regard controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders as alarmist, others say he has deep perception of perils of radical Islam.

* Nobel Peace Prize awarded to China dissident Liu Xiaobo Making the announcement in Oslo, the head of the Norwegian Nobel committee said Mr Liu was "the foremost symbol" of the human rights struggle in China.

* Security and Defense: Nuclear worming In April 2007, Estonia came under attack. Not by terrorists, fighter planes or tanks, but by computers.

10/07/10

* Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel and U.S. The United States and Israel are watching with concern the growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran.

* Israel's Netanyahu backs Jewish loyalty oath Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has re-introduced a proposal to require any non-Jew taking Israeli citizenship to swear allegiance to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state".

* Vatican's 'Special Middle East Assembly' set to begin An unprecedented Vatican Synod of Bishops - a "Special Assembly for the Middle East" – will be held in Vatican City from October 10 to 24.

* Iraqis trains Kurds for security duty near Turkey Kurdish forces have been training with the Iraq Army for security operations near the border with Turkey.

* Did Israel ever consider using nuclear weapons? Media outlets around the world have reported that state archive documents declassified this week showed that Israel's leadership considered using "drastic means".

* French, Spanish foreign ministers heading to Israel to push Sarkozy's peace summit French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos are to arrive in Israel Sunday.

* Jerusalem mayor would 'welcome' Palestinian embassy, but not partition Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat said Wednesday that he would welcome a Palestinian embassy in Jerusalem.

* EU-China summit ends in discord An acrimonious EU-China summit on Wednesday (6 October) ended with a cancelled press conference.

* Is Hizbullah trying to take over Lebanon with Iran's help? Hizbullah and Iran now have a common interest in escalating tensions in the Middle East.

* 'Palestinians accept 2-month freeze extension proposal' The Palestinians have accepted a US proposal calling on Israel to extend a West Bank settlement slowdown for another two months.

10/06/10

* Uncertainty over US plans as war enters 10th year It's make-or-break time in Afghanistan. The war enters its 10th year Thursday, and this is no ordinary anniversary.

* Hamas threatens retaliation against PA The armed wing of Hamas and its allies said Wednesday they would retaliate against the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

* Taliban set preconditions for formal peace talks Taliban officials have engaged in periodic, discreet contacts with Afghan and U.S. officials for months.

* Syria celebrates anniversary of 1973 war with Israel Wednesday saw the 29th anniversary of the 1973 conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors and was marked with celebrations in Syria.

* Geert Wilders in Berlin: 'Tear down this wall . . . of denial and ignorance' about Islam I am very happy to be here in Berlin today. As you know, the invitation which my friend René Stadtkewitz extended to me, has cost him his membership of the CDU group in the Berlin Parliament.

* National interests creating tension in EU commission A group of EU commissioners from smaller member states is growing increasingly angry with a number of their larger-state colleagues.

* Risks and Advantages in U.S. Effort in Mideast When President Obama reopened face-to-face talks between the Israelis and Palestinians last month, he pledged that his administration would hold their hands.

* Obama upset over intelligence leaks President Barack Obama is upset over a rash of intelligence leaks in Washington.

* PA: Upgrading Western Wall Plaza Aimed at 'Seizing' Jerusalem Palestinian Authority officials have lambasted Israel’s plans to renovate and upgrade the historic Western Wall plaza area.

* Iran Extends Ties with Lebanon and Egypt The Islamic Republic of Iran is strengthening its ties with its area neighbors, particularly Lebanon and Egypt.

10/05/10

* Egypt president warns of 'global terror' if Mideast peace talks fail Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has warned that a failure in Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations would lead to "violence and terrorism" across the world.

* Counter-terrorism officials: More than 100 'dangerous Islamists' in Europe Hundreds of "dangerous Islamists radicals" are suspected to be based around Europe.

* Most PA Arabs Back Recent Murder of Israeli Civilians A majority of Palestinian Authority Arabs supported a recent murderous terror attack against Israeli civilians.

* CBS Poll: Israel Can't Count on US Public If Iran Attacks Israel would find it itself without widespread support from the American public for United States reprisals against Iran if Tehran attacks the Jewish State.

* Turkey invited China to join NATO air exercise after U.S. withdrew China was secretly allowed to participate in a Turkish-sponsored combat air exercise reserved for NATO allies.

* Coding of Virus Attacking Iran May Refer to Queen Esther Iranian Intelligence Minister Heider Moslehi said Sunday that his country is under cyber attack, and blamed the United States and Israel.

* Europe pressures China as fears grow of forex 'war' Europe piled pressure on China on Tuesday to let the yuan rise in value, as leaders locked horns with Asian giants and fears rose of a global "war" on currency exchanges.

* Chief scientist who questioned evolution theory fired The Education Ministry's chief scientist, Dr. Gavriel Avital, was dismissed on Monday following a scandal-filled trial period of less than a year.

* The iPhone's 'Israeli Embassy' After years of not knowing how to handle it, the Israeli government has finally "gotten" tech.

* NASA: Collaboration with Saudis a 'cornerstone' of U.S. policy Saudi Arabia and the United States have agreed to expand space cooperation.

10/04/10

* Mass European Rally for Israel A mass rally-demonstration entitled "For the truth, for Israel" will be held in Rome this Thursday.

* Iraq increases oil reserves by 24% Iraq has raised the level of the oil reserves it claims to own by 24% in its first revision since Saddam Hussein fell from power.

* Netanyahu: Stop Picking on Settlers; They Deserve a Normal Life Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu voiced support for one of the most viciously maligned populations in the world – the Jews who live in Judea and Samaria.

* Iraq's Sunni-backed bloc united against al-Maliki A Sunni-backed bloc that came first in elections seven months ago is united against the bid by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to remain in office.

* Ex-Moscow Mayor Mocks Russian Democracy, Vows to Fight Yury Luzhkov, whom President Dmitry Medvedev fired as Moscow mayor last week, disparaged the state of democracy in Russia.

* IDF Chief of Staff Visits Bethlehem IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Asheknazi visited the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Bethlehem on Sunday and met with senior commanders of the PA armed police forces.

* Muslim Journalist: Jerusalem Arabs Prefer Israeli Sovereignty Jerusalem’s Arab population prefers Israeli sovereignty to the prospect of living under Palestinian Authority rule.

* Japan joins US, UK in issuing Europe travel terror alert In blow to fragile European tourism, Foreign Ministry in Tokyo warns citizens to be cautious in public due to possible terror attack by al-Qaida.

* Behind the Crisis in Obama's Middle East Peace Effort US diplomats scurried around Middle Eastern capitals over the weekend as President Barack Obama's efforts to broker a Middle East peace agreement risked collapse.

* Lebanese See Ahmadinejad's Visit as Jab at 'Peace' Talks Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to make his first official visit to Lebanon as Iranian President on Wednesday, October 13.

10/02/10

* Palestinians say no peace talks without settlement curbs Israel must halt settlement building on occupied land if peace talks are to resume.

* Assad, Ahmadinejad: Israel's actions prove it doesn't want peace The leaders of Iran and Syria, during a meeting in Tehran Saturday, expressed hope of expanding the anti-Israeli bloc in the region.

* Yesha Council chair: Obama's offer – a poisonous pill One week after the settlement movement marked the end of the West Bank construction freeze, the movement on Saturday commended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusal to compromise on the matter.

* Assad: Peace talks boost Obama's image Syrian President Bashar Assad said Saturday that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are aimed at bolstering Obama's political image.

* Iraq breaks record for time taken to form a government Political parties in Iraq have broken the world record for the amount of time taken to form a new government.

* Fears of Chinese land grab as Beijing's billions buy up resources China is pouring another $7bn (£4.4bn) into Brazil's oil industry.

* Israeli Arab MK: Racism in Israel has reached frightening levels Some 6,000 Israeli Arabs marched Friday from the Galilee town of Kfar Kanna.

* Iran: We've learned how to fight Stuxnet computer worm Iran's intelligence minister said the country has learned how to fight off a complex computer worm.

* Security and Defense: 'The air force of the ground forces' The Artillery Corps is gunning for a key role in any future conflict by becoming a force that relies much more on precision-strike capabilities.

* Osama bin Laden ordered Mumbai-style attack on Britain US intelligence agencies have said that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had personally ordered Mumbai-style commando attacks on Britain.

10/01/10

* Rising Tensions Between Hizbullah, Egypt and Jordan Lebanese terrorist group Hizbullah lashed out at Egypt and Jordan this week.

* Tensions on the Turkish-Iraqi border The monthlong cease-fire declared unilaterally by the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) for the Ramadan period is set to finally expire this week.

* Proposal: Limited Construction During Talks Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is considering a new proposal that would limit construction for Jews in Judea and Samaria.

* Secret focus of Obama-Netanyahu talks: Israel's strategic ambiguity policy Israeli sources said the administration of President Barack Obama has drafted an agreement for nuclear cooperation between Jerusalem and Washington.

* Turkish analyst: Washington increasingly upset with Ankara "Washington is increasingly becoming upset with Ankara. The origin of this lies in the approach to Israel.

* Aides: Iraqi Shiite cleric backs al-Maliki Powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has agreed to support the bid by Iraq's prime minister to retain power.

* Ex-Pakistani general to form political party Pakistan's ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf plans to launch a new political party Friday.

* China launches Moon mission A Chinese rocket carrying a probe destined for the Moon has blasted into space.

* 'Osama Bin Laden' tape on relief work A new audio message purporting to come from al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is on Islamist websites, say reports.

* Japanese PM Naoto Kan warns of China's military rise Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan has expressed concern over China's maritime activities and military build-up.