* US strategy on Afghanistan 'is weakening al-Qaeda' Al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan is at its weakest since 2001, a US review of Afghan strategy has said.
* Israel shoots down 'suspicious flying object' near Dimona nuclear reactor An Israel Air Force warplane on Thursday shot down an apparently unmanned balloon that flew over the Dimona nuclear reactor.
* EU leaders meeting amid eurozone jitters Concerns about the stability of the eurozone are set to dominate a meeting of European leaders in Brussels.
* Arabs reject Middle East peace talks without US plan Arab foreign ministers have rejected further Palestinian-Israeli peace talks without a "serious offer" from the US on ending the Middle East conflict.
* Islam's record of erasing, rather than co-existing with other cultures Recently the Palestinian Authority sanctioned a research project aiming at denying any connection between the Western Wall and the Second Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans.
* US House opposes unilateral declaration of 'Palestine' Consensus adopts resolution raised by Rep. Howard Berman supporting negotiated solution to conflict, condemns unilateral moves by PA.
* Interview: Jewish Monetary Law Should be Israeli Law “If Israel wants to call itself a Jewish state, it has to be about more than just physically housing Jews,” says Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arusi.
* Construction of Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem underway Construction commenced on Wednesday on a new residential Jewish neighborhood atop the Mount of Olives Ridge in east Jerusalem, near Hebrew University.
* Bethlehem tourism swells as violence and terror ebbs Bethlehem has seen a record number of tourists this year and its thousands of hotel rooms are fully booked for Christmas week.
* Israeli Arabs: No Compromise on 'Right of Return' A poll of 600 Arab citizens of Israel has found that most believe that the millions of descendants of Arabs who fled Israel during the 1948 War of Independence must be allowed to "return" to Israel.