07/30/11

* Mass protests staged again across Syria Troops fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters, killing two people and wounding dozens.

* Turkish President Vows No Military Power Vacuum Turkish President Abdullah Gul says the resignation of Turkey's entire military command Friday will not cause a crisis.

* Ultraconservative Muslims dominate Egypt protest Tens of thousands of ultraconservative Muslims in long beards, robes and prayer caps thronged Cairo's central Tahrir Square in a massive show of force Friday.

* US review finds Iraq deadlier now than a year ago Frequent bombings, assassinations and a resurgence in violence by Shiite militias have made Iraq more dangerous now than it was just a year ago.

* Hamas leader: Palestinian UN bid a 'scam' Hamas has the Gaza Strip firmly under its control.

* The truth about the revolution in Syria A few weeks ago, a party was held in a house that overlooks the "shouting hill" outside the Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams.

* Assailants open fire on Egypt gas pipeline to Israel Egypt's gas pipeline to Israel was attacked Saturday, as witnesses said they heard heavy gunfire at the gas station that was destroyed in an attack earlier this month.

* World Affairs: Arab world asked to give as Africans starve The United Nations has a message for the Arab world: Give more aid to help famine victims in the Horn of Africa.

* Fort Hood 'plot' soldier Naser Abdo defiant in court Police arrested Pfc Naser Abdo in the town of Killeen, Texas, on Wednesday near the Fort Hood army base.

* Global Concern Over U.S. Debt Ceiling Disagreement While the debt debacle in Washington preoccupies America, it is causing jitters in power corridors from Beijing to Brussels.

07/29/11

* Mystery surrounds killing of Libyan rebel army head Libya's rebel military commander was shot dead in an incident shrouded in mystery.

* 'Head of Turkish armed forces resigns; reason unclear' The head of the Turkish armed forces General Isik Kosaner along with the heads of the ground, naval and air forces have resigned.

* Ahmadinejad: Arab Unrest Saving Israel The protests in the Arab world against government tyranny – like that practiced by the governments of Syria and Libya – are not really about securing liberty for the residents of those dictatorships.

* US serviceman held amid 'plot' to attack Fort Hood A US soldier who was absent without leave will face federal charges after guns and bomb-making materials were found in his motel room, the FBI says.

* Egypt uprising: Islamists lead Tahrir Square rally Many protesters - dominated by Muslim Brotherhood supporters - are calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law.

* Syrian Kurds hope to ride wave of regional change The uprising against the rule of Bashar Assad in Syria is continuing to grow.

* Jordan's Islamist opposition vows more protests Members of Jordan's powerful Islamist opposition have taken an oath to continue peaceful protests.

* EU scrambling for measures against 'lone wolf' terrorists An Oslo-type of attack would be hard to prevent in any EU country, since the 'lone-wolf' terrorist went to great lengths to avoid being detected.

* Nurse struggles to save starving Somali children Nurse Serat Amin works in the world's largest refugee camp treating the stream of starving children coming into Kenya from famine-struck Somalia.

* This Week in History: The British Mandate for Palestine On July 24, 1922, the Council of the League of Nations – the predecessor of the United Nations Security Council – gave its blessing to The British Mandate for Palestine.

07/28/11

* Radical Islamists Trying to Take Over Temple Mount On the 90th anniversary of the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the vast Islamic Caliphate regime which fell in 1921 after WWI, thousands of members of the Radical Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir rallied on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* PA Elections: Only in Judea and Samaria Palestinian Authority local elections in October will only be held in Judea and Samaria.

* Israel Tests Arrow 3 Defense System Israel has field-tested the Arrow 3 interceptor, its new anti-ballistic, long-range air defense system.

* Russia Plans to Sink the International Space Station in 2020 Russia's space agency announced Wednesday that the International Space Station -- a space base the world's scientists and billions of U.S. tax dollars helped build and maintain some 200 miles above the surface of the Earth.

* Abdullah 'Refused to Meet Netanyahu' Jordan's King Abdullah II recently turned down a request from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to hold a secret meeting in Akaba.

* Israel PR video irks Arabs An Israeli PR video recently uploaded on the internet is causing a stir in the Arab world.

* Security forces' September weapons The Defense Ministry has invested more than NIS 75 million (roughly $22 million) in purchasing non-lethal weapons to disperse mass protests.

* Trojan asteroid seen in Earth's orbit by Wise telescope The 200-300m-wide rock sits in front of our planet at a gravitational "sweet spot", and poses no danger.

* Diplomatic relations established between Israel, S. Sudan The governments of Israel and South Sudan announced Thursday the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

* 3,000 people missing in Syrian uprising A global campaigning organization said Thursday that one person disappears in Syria every hour and that almost 3,000 people have gone missing since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

07/27/11

* Women Who Sang on Temple Mount Barred by Police The rules on the Temple Mount are unique for Jews: No singing, no prayer books and certainly not a Torah scroll, but Muslim can play soccer outside their holy mosques.

* Obama's pick to head US military warns Iran over nukes US President Barack Obama's pick to become the top US military officer warned Iran not to underestimate US resolve in responding to attacks on US forces in Iraq.

* Israeli, Palestinian envoys square off over UN recognition Israeli and Palestinian envoys squared off on Tuesday over plans to seek UN recognition of a state of Palestine in September.

* IDF fears Syrian army will back up border protesters The army is preparing for the possibility that Syrian soldiers will deploy along the border and actively defend men who try to infiltrate the Golan Heights.

* Turkey edges toward conflict with Kurds Three Turkish soldiers were killed in the southeastern province of Mardin over the weekend.

* RPT-Russia's Putin considering Kremlin return-sources Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is close to a decision to bid for the presidency.

* World Jewish Congress: Ban Iran from Olympics over anti-Israel boycott The World Jewish Congress has called for Iran to be barred from taking part in the Olympics and other international sporting events.

* Hezbollah warns Israel against 'stealing' gas from Lebanon The leader of Lebanon's Shiite Muslim Hezbollah militant group on Tuesday warned Israel against trying to steal Lebanon's maritime resources.

* Beck and the Jews: Does he get them? Do they get him? Here he is on the night of July 19: "The Jewish people have been chased out of almost every country on this planet," he told a crowd of thousands.

* Israel 'Solves' Missile Attacks by Building 'Hidden Highway' Israel has expelled Jews from Gaza, built bomb shelters and invented anti-Kassam missiles to defend the Negev.

07/26/11

* 'Turkey slams Israel for continued W. Bank building' The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned Israel for continuing to approve the building of new homes in West Bank settlements.

* PA to Unilaterally Set Borders in September Even as the Palestinian Authority warns Israel not to revoke the Oslo Accords it is planning to unilaterally set its own borders in September.

* Israel, US to hold massive missile defense drill next year In the face of Iran's continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon, Israel and the United States will hold a large-scale missile defense exercise.

* Mullen warns of growing Iranian influence in Venezuela America's top soldier warned Monday about the growing ties between Iran and Venezuela.

* Liberals Blame Blogs Over Norway Massacre Liberal publications are blaming anti-jihadist websites for the massacre of at least 76 Norwegians.

* Iran-China Deal Makes End Run on US Sanctions, Dollar Iran's oil trade with China proceeds apace in Euros as the Islamic Republic makes an end-run around the weakened US dollar with a 3.2 billion Euro deal.

* Ayalon: Uprooting of Gush Katif a Defining Moment Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon was at the Gush Katif Museum in Jerusalem on Monday.

* The battlefield over Palestinian statehood moves to YouTube The Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic war over whether the international community should recognize Palestine has intensified and moved to social media.

* Beck likens Norway victims to Hitler Youth Talk-show host Glenn Beck on his syndicated radio show likened the victims of the shooting at a Norwegian summer camp to young members of the Nazi Party.

* Hamas executes two Gazans as spies for Israel Gaza's Hamas government on Tuesday executed a Palestinian father and son convicted of spying for Israel.

07/25/11

* Ayalon Challenges PA to a Duel Deputy Foreign Minister challenges PA leadership to a debate ahead of September, as PA condemns successful Israeli info-video.

* PA Uses Archaeology "To Rewrite History of Palestine" PA says archaeology dig in Shechem, which the Bible says was bought by Jacob, will help "writing or rewriting the history of Palestine."

* Ramadan may hold the key to the Arab Spring Most observers of Arab politics are betting that the special practices of Ramadan are likely to stir the pot - but only after dark.

* China, Iran discussing barter system to bypass sanctions Sanctions forbid dealing with Iran in dollar trading; trading services, goods, softer currencies could undermine process.

* Abbas Claims PA "Forced" to UN Statehood Bid PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas claims the entity's UN bid for recognition as a new country was "forced" on it by Israel.

* "Oslo Generation" Joins Army Youths born when Israel signed the Oslo Accords with the PLO are now 18 and joining the army, highly motivated after childhood under terror.

* Biblical Jewish Roots Irrelevant, Says PA Activist The Bible is an "ancient holy book" that is irrelevant in the Palestinian Authority aim for all of Judea and Samaria, a PA activist says.

* Arab Spring let Palestinians ramp up Gaza arms smuggling In the past months, Hamas has acquired improved rockets, ready-made explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and possibly anti-aircraft missiles.

* US Protests Iran’s Anti-Christian "Convert of Die" Verdict Iran upholds a "choose Islam or die" verdict for a Christian pastor.

* Holy Land clerics launch interfaith Earth forum Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders in the Holy Land joined forces Monday to launch a multi-faith environmental campaign, citing religious injunctions to protect the Earth across their three faiths.

07/23/11

* Norway police say 85 killed in island youth camp attack At least 85 people died when a gunman opened fire at an island youth camp in Norway, hours after a bombing in the capital Oslo killed seven.

* Archaeologists Discover High Priest's Bell? Archaeologists have discovered a rare gold bell with a small loop at its end.

* Mars rover aims for deep crater Nasa's next Mars rover will be aimed at one of the planet's deepest craters.

* Iran: Nuclear scientist 'shot dead' in Tehran An Iranian nuclear scientist has been shot dead outside his home in Tehran.

* Egypt military leader: We will respect all previously signed agreements The head of Egypt's ruling military council Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi said on Saturday that Egypt intends to keep all previously signed agreements.

* Erdogan: 'Unthinkable' for ties to improve before apology Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said it was "unthinkable" for Turkey to repair relations with Israel.

* Israel's special-ops units are the missing element Considering its grave consequences it is surprising that the next war has come and gone without leaving any traces.

* Palestinians 'forced' into UN bid, says Abbas Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Saturday the Palestinians' bid to win UN backing for statehood was forced upon them by Israel's refusal to halt settlement building.

* The Tisch: Virtual temples The Temple is part of Jewish collective memory; alas, it is a distant memory.

* Syrian Army said to be defecting by the hundreds to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey President Bashar Assad is seeking to stop rising defections in the Syrian military.

07/22/11

* Oslo: Bomb blast near Norway prime minister's office A large bomb blast has hit government buildings in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least two people and injuring 15 others.

* Panetta to OK end of military gay ban Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has decided to end the ban on gays serving openly in the armed services.

* Eurozone agrees new 109bn euros Greek bailout Leaders of the Eurozone countries have agreed a new bailout package for Greece worth 109bn euros.

* Race to the Moon Heats Up for Private Firms Now that the last space shuttle has landed back on Earth, a new generation of space entrepreneurs would like to whip up excitement about the prospect of returning to the Moon.

* IDF Gearing Up For September The IDF is boosting deployments in Judea and Samaria and building its stores of non-lethal crowd control devices.

* Syrians defy crackdown to protest over Assad regime Tens of thousands of Syrians have again taken to the streets for Friday protests.

* Qadaffi Vows 'No Negotiations' Libyan strongman Muammar Qadaffi vowed this week he will never negotiate with the rebels.

* Assad 'Death Squads' Raid Homs Groups of men residents and activists described as 'Assad death squads' stormed several neighborhoods in Homs.

* Jordanians accuse US of interference in region Scores of Jordanian protesters demanding democratic reforms from their king have denounced what they say is years of U.S. interference.

* This Week in History: The King David Hotel bombing On July 22, 1946, three phone calls were placed to the King David Hotel.

07/21/11

* Space shuttle Atlantis makes final landing Space shuttle Atlantis has landed back on Earth, bringing to a close America's 30-year orbiter program.

* How Iran Is Helping Assad Suppress Syria's "Arab Spring" Iran has been backing Damascus since the beginning of the Syrian civil uprising.

* Palestinians using statehood push at UN to set stage for war with Israel The Palestinian Authority plans to use international backing to legitimize a new conflict with Israel.

* 'Al-Qaeda jihadist animation targets children' Al-Qaeda supporters say they are making an animated children's film aimed at inspiring them to take up armed struggle with the militant group.

* Israel sees Libya as new source of smuggled weapons for Gaza Libya has become a new source of smuggled weaponry for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

* Eurozone leaders begin crunch debt talks Eurozone leaders have begun delicate negotiations to agree further help for Greece and prevent other economies from being dragged into the debt crisis.

* Top Nazi Rudolf Hess exhumed from 'pilgrimage' grave The grave holding the remains of Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess has been destroyed to stop it being used as a pilgrimage site by neo-Nazis.

* Euro states set to agree second loan for Greece Eurozone leaders look set to greenlight a new loan for Greece as well as establish what will effectively be a European Monetary Fund.

* New Egyptian Cabinet sworn in by military ruler The head of the military council ruling Egypt swore in a new Cabinet on Thursday under pressure from protesters demanding faster change.

* Israeli history photo of the week: Turkish-German forces The Library of Congress has recently digitalized a collection of over 10,000 photographs, taken by the "American Colony" in Jerusalem.

07/20/11

* Iran's acceleration of its nuclear program angers the west Western capitals have reacted angrily to an announcement by Iran.

* Egypt army moves to secure key role in country's future The military establishment running Egypt's interim regime is discreetly moving to ensure the army retains its influence over Cairo's post-revolutionary government.

* Panel opposes political role for Egyptian military A key member of a panel drafting guidelines for Egypt's next constitution said on Wednesday that most of the group's 50 members object to giving the military a future role in politics.

* Iran claims to have shot down U.S. spy drone over nuclear site Iran has shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane over its Fordu nuclear site.

* Beck to Christians:Call Me a Jew Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Glenn Beck addressed the annual Christians United for Israel conference this week.

* UN declares Somalia famine in Bakool and Lower Shabelle The UN said the humanitarian situation in southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle had deteriorated rapidly.

* Birth control coverage proposed for most health insurance plans Virtually all health insurance plans could soon be required to offer female patients free coverage of prescription birth control.

* Sectarian Clashes Deepen Tensions in Syria Syria's third-largest city, Homs, was locked down amid heavy gunfire on Tuesday, after clashes between Alawites and Sunnis triggered a violent response from security forces.

* China's global energy strategy aims at displacing U.S. influence in Central Asia It has not gone unnoticed that China is undergoing unprecedented growth and has been doing so for the past decade.

* Israel ready to talk in Jerusalem, Ramallah Israel is willing to hold peace talks with the Palestinians immediately, in Jerusalem or even Ramallah.

07/19/11

* Ayalon launches campaign to tell 'truth about W. Bank' Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stars in a video released by his ministry on Thursday, in which he presents a historical narrative meant to help wage the public diplomacy battle.

* Abbas Going for Broke in Bid to UN against 'Gutless Obama' Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is "going for broke" in his bid for United Nations recognition of the PA.

* Navy Boards Gaza-Bound 'Tricky' Ship The Navy has peacefully ended the latest attempt of flotilla activists to reach Gaza.

* Hamas: Seizure of Gaza-bound ship is 'piracy, war crime' Hamas on Tuesday condemned the Israeli seizure of the Gaza-bound French ship Dignity - Al-Karama.

* UK snubs Ashton over EU military headquarters British foreign minister William Hague on Monday (18 July) said his country would "never" agree to the idea of a single EU military headquarters.

* Beck moving J'lem rally over fears of 40,000 Muslims Beck said that warnings from security officials led him to fear that the event could turn violent and possibly result in the outbreak of "World War III."

* Israel to Help Russian 'Silicon Valley' While the original Silicon Valley is in California, Israel's world-renowned achievements in hi-tech created a local Silicon Valley.

* SkyNews: 'Palestine' is 'Awash with Money' The foreign affairs editor for Sky News has written a blog piece called "Palestine – 'Occupation Incorporated'," which paints a rosy picture of the region supposedly suffering under a cruel Israel occupation and siege.

* Iran says installing 'speedier' nuclear centrifuges Iran announced Tuesday it is installing new centrifuges with "better quality and speed" to enrich uranium in its nuclear facilities.

* German 'role model' prize withdrawn from Putin Organisers of a German award for "role models for enlightenment, dedication and public good" on Saturday (16 July) decided to revoke the prize from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

07/18/11

* Israel: Support waning for Palestinian state bid Israel's deputy foreign minister says he believes international support for recognizing an independent Palestinian state at the U.N. this fall is waning.

* European FMs call on Israel, Palestinians to restart talks In what may be seen as signal to PA that EU not pleased with UN bid, ministers issue statement calling on both sides to resume negotiations.

* Social media game aims to end extremism A social media game with Arab super heroes at its heart has been launched on Facebook.

* Iranian troops attack Kurdish PJAK rebel bases in Iraq Iranian forces have inflicted a "heavy and historic defeat" on Kurdish rebels based in Iraq, army officials say.

* David Petraeus hands over Afghanistan command General David Petraeus, US commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan, has handed responsibility for the military campaign there to his successor, General John Allen.

* Gold Tops $1,600 an Ounce as Debt Fears Simmer Gold prices rallied to record highs above $1,600 an ounce in Europe on Monday, as investors spooked by the euro zone debt crisis and the threat of a US default bought into the metal as a haven from risk.

* Syrian Troops at Three Borders to Stop Defections The troubled Assad regime has deployed soldiers on three borders – Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey – to try to stop more defections from the army as the opposition plans civil disobedience, the first calculated action beyond protests.

* Germany to finance submarine for Israel Angela Merkel's government allocates funds to subsidize Israel's purchase of German-made submarine; Submarine is Israel's third to be subsidized by Germany.

* IDF officer: Yeshiva in West Bank settlement harbors "Jewish terror" and must be shut down GOC Central Command Avi Mizrahi says Yitzhar yeshiva leaders’ views not consistent with democracy.

* Syrian exiles vote for transitional government SYRIAN opposition leaders have taken the first step to forming a transitional government in the hope of securing formal Western backing against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

07/16/11

* Top CIA officer: Israel will probably attack Iran in Sept. Israel will probably attack Iran in September, a veteran CIA officer who spent 21 years in the Middle East, including in Lebanon and Syria, told a Los Angeles radio show.

* All quiet on the northern front... for the moment One of the ways former IDF chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi used to evaluate the success of the Second Lebanon War in 2006 was by talking to schoolchildren.

* Panetta: U.S. 'can't allow' Iran-backed attacks against American troops in Iraq The U.S. military, frustrated with Iraq's failure to stop Shi'ite attacks, plans to raise its profile in the Arab state.

* U.S. Recognizes Libyan Rebel Group The U.S. and some 30 other countries officially recognized Libya's opposition National Transitional Council as the nation's "legitimate governing authority".

* 'Syria increasing arms shipments to Hezbollah' Damascus is increasing shipments of advanced missiles and other weapons to Hezbollah amid continuing unrest in Syria.

* This Week in History: Satellites connect the world On July 10, 1962, a new era of global communications was ushered in with the launch of the Telstar I satellite.

* Syrian activists discuss ways to oust Assad Syrian opposition figures are holding simultaneous meetings in Damascus and Turkey to discuss ways of ousting President Bashar Assad.

* Egypt protesters heckle general as tensions mount Egyptians staging a sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday heckled a general who tried to address them, forcing him to cut short his visit.

* Clinton seeks closer Turkey ties after strains U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday that Turkey could serve as a democratic model for the Middle East.

07/15/11

* 6 in 10 Palestinians reject 2-state solution, survey finds Only one in three Palestinians (34 percent) accepts two states for two peoples as the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

* United States recognizes Libya rebels Rebel leaders won recognition as the legitimate government of Libya from the United States and other world powers on Friday.

* Iran developing centrifuge to speed uranium enrichment Iran is stepping up centrifuge development work aimed at making its nuclear enrichment more efficient.

* Protest: Stop Temple Mount Discrimination, Desecration Jewish activists held a demonstration Thursday to protest anti-Jewish discrimination on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* Iran more damaging with suicide bombers than missiles, says expert Iran's current capabilities do not justify the development of an extensive missile shield covering all Europe and the US.

* Syria Revolt Fueled by Roof Fires and Tweets Six days before protests exploded across Syria in March, a nervous activist in the capital of Damascus lit a small fire on his rooftop.

* Return of the Gold Standard as world order unravels On one side of the Atlantic, the eurozone debt crisis has spread to the countries that may be too big to save.

* J'lem: 4,500 march in support of Palestinian statehood Thousands of left-wing activists marched in Jerusalem on Friday afternoon in the largest demonstration of support for an independent Palestinian state in the nation’s capital in over a year.

* Planned Monument for Mecca Goers Leaves Eilat Residents Shocked The residents of the southern Israeli city of Eilat are shocked at a plan by the municipality to establish a monument.

* Syrian forces fire on massive rallies; 17 killed Syrian security forces killed at least 17 protesters Friday as hundreds of thousands flooded the streets nationwide.

07/14/11

* Arab League to seek full UN membership for Palestinians The Arab League will ask the United Nations to upgrade the Palestinians to full member status.

* In Shadow of Death, Iraq and U.S. Tiptoe Around a Deadline The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is privately telling American officials that it wants their army to stay here after this year.

* South Sudan becomes the 193rd UN member state The General Assembly admitted South Sudan on Thursday as the 193rd member of the United Nations.

* Libya: Col Gaddafi has 'suicide plan' to blow up Tripoli Col Muammar Gaddafi has a "suicidal plan" to blow up the capital Tripoli if it is taken by rebels.

* 52% think Intifada will follow statehood declaration More than half of the Israeli public believes a third Intifada will break out if the Palestinians follow through with plans to make a unilateral declaration of statehood in September.

* Hezbollah warns Israel against maritime border 'threats' Hezbollah on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Jerusalem, vowing to protect its maritime rights against "Israeli threats."

* Sudan's South Kordofan fighting: 'Mass graves found' Eyewitnesses who spoke to the group said soldiers had systematically massacred civilians in South Kordofan.

* Iran moves nuclear enrichment programme to underground bunker Iran has begun efforts to shift its nuclear enrichment program to an underground bunker where experts warn it could stage a last dash for a nuclear weapon.

* Israel Air Force pilots head to U.S. to test-fly new military aircraft An Israel Air Force delegation recently visited a United States Marine Corps base in North Carolina in order to test out the new V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

* Palestinian Reconciliation? Don't Hold Your Breath The PA and Hamas leadership are as far from unity as they were before the much touted unity agreement they signed.

07/13/11

* U.S. Set to Sell Fighters to Iraq Iraq has quietly started negotiations to buy U.S. fighter jets and air-defense systems worth billions of dollars.

* Jordan, Too, Feels Heat of Arab Spring Protests Protests that washed across neighboring Syria and Egypt have been more of a ripple in this poor kingdom of six million.

* Saudi royals back certain Arab Spring revolts Saudi Arabia has helped damp down democracy movements sweeping the Arab world.

* Syrian exiles call for army to side with people A meeting of Syrian opposition in Istanbul ended on Wednesday with a call for the army to protect its people.

* US Jews Fear Muslim Terror A new poll reveals that US Jews fear terrorism by American Muslims.

* The churches against Israel A few days ago UK researchers announced that 17 skeletons belonged to Jews were found at the bottom of a medieval well in Norwich, England.

* Officials: Mideast Quartet talks failed due to disagreement over Israel as Jewish state The foreign ministers of the Middle East Quartet failed to reach an agreement on Monday surrounding the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

* Palestine: EU bid to avoid UN vote on independence has failed Palestinian leaders have declared that an EU-led attempt to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks has failed.

* Rebuilt Iraq hospital plans surgery on infants It will be three years before doctors in Iraq can perform heart surgery on infants.

* Iraq's Indecision Fuels Panetta's Frustration U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta voiced frustration with the Iraqi government's delay in deciding whether to ask the U.S. to keep troops in the country beyond the current Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline.

07/12/11

* PA TV Songs: Israel is Really Arab Palestine The Palestinian Authority is working hard to ensure that the next generation grows up to believe that the State of Israel is really Arab Palestine.

* 2012: Iran's Atomic Daydreams Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khameni has ordered the revolutionary guards to "immediately" proceed with the completion of an atomic bomb.

* Ahmadinejad: Israel is greatest threat in Mideast Israel poses the greatest threat in the Middle East and regional states should take the necessary steps to contain it, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

* Afghan president's brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, killed The half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been assassinated in Kandahar.

* Quartet meeting fails to achieve progress The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators failed to announce any progress toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* Hundreds of new immigrants arrive in Israel Droves of new immigrants arrived in Israel Tuesday from all over the world, with 494 olim landing at Ben Gurion airport during the course of the day and another 220 expected tomorrow.

* Israel Teaches US Marines Counter Terror The IDF has released a video of U.S. marines learning from Israelis. "We are learning new techniques. I love it. We want to come back," says one marine.

* Quartet succumbed to Israeli pressure, PA says Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the failure of the Quartet representatives to issue a statement calling on the Middle East peace process.

* Egypt's military warns protesters against violence Egypt's military rulers sternly warned protesters on Tuesday against "harming public interests" as demonstrators continued to lay laid siege to Cairo's largest government building.

* France calls on UN to condemn attacks on its Syria embassy France called for a UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Tuesday, seeking a UN condemnation of the attacks this week on U.S. and French embassies in Damascus.

07/11/11

* Quartet Tries Resurrection of the Dead The Quartet is meeting in Washington to look for a way to resurrect the long-dead "peace process," which already has been buried by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

* Putin sent to Russia by God: Kremlin aide Vladimir Putin was sent to Russia by God to help it deal with its troubles in the early post-Soviet era, the Kremlin's top political adviser was quoted as saying on Friday.

* "If we didn't have Beck, we'd invent someone similar" Danny Dannon welcomes conservative pundit in address to Knesset committee, says threats don't prevent Israeli public from living normally.

* Tourism to Israel Set to Break Records According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 262,000 visitors entered Israel in June 2011 a record for the month of June with 1% more than June 2010 and 25% more than June 2009.

* Libyan diplomats visited Israel to "change their country's image" MK Sheetrit says that the two came to Israel to promote business plans; Interior Ministry denies having authorized visas for the two, who are allied with Gadhafi.

* Syria: Assad supporters attack US and French embassies Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have attacked the US and French embassies in Damascus.

* Pakistan: US aid cut will not harm fight against terror Pakistan's army spokesman has said a cut in US military aid will not affect its ability to combat terror groups.

* Arctic shipping routes unlikely to be "Suez of the north" The North Sea route has become freer of ice, but the navigation season is still just two-four months

* Eurozone ministers meet to discuss debt concerns Eurozone finance ministers are due to meet to discuss the continuing debt woes of some member states, with fears growing over Italy's situation.

* Israel-Lebanon sea border dispute looms over gas fields A maritime border dispute is looming between Israel and Lebanon that could set off a new conflict over lucrative energy reserves.

07/09/11

* Foreign pro-Palestinian activists clash with IDF in West Bank Several dozen leftists, including a number of foreign activists who arrived in Israel in recent days as part of the "fly-in", clashed with Israel security forces during a demonstration.

* South Sudan's flag raised at independence ceremony Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have watched the raising of the new country's flag at an independence ceremony in the capital, Juba.

* Egypt: Cairo's Tahrir Square fills with protesters Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied in Cairo to press for speedier reforms from the Egyptian government.

* Iran: We've fired missiles to Indian Ocean for first time Iran said on Saturday it test-fired two long-range missiles into the Indian Ocean earlier this year.

* US defense chief says al-Qaida's defeat 'within reach' New US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, saying he believed the strategic defeat of al-Qaida was within reach.

* Arab World: That familiar feeling Amid the recent upheavals in the Arab world, one country has largely escaped attention.

* Arabic becoming the language of Facebook Since it was launched in 2009, use of the Arabic Facebook interface has skyrocketed to reach some 10 million users today.

* Iran's killing spree stifles Arab spring As the Arab spring flourishes throughout the Middle East, Iran, one of the region's most prominent targets on Amnesty International's watch list seems to be an "island of calm".

* Syria: Over 450,000 protesters in Hama Hundreds of thousands of Syrians carrying olive branches and shouting for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime streamed Friday into the flashpoint city of Hama.

* Congress votes in favor of PA aid suspension A week after the Senate approved a similar proposal; the US House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly backed the idea of suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority.

07/08/11

* US Congress Opposes PA Statehood Bid The US House of Representatives voted 407-6 to pass a non-binding resolution backing the suspension of funds to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.

* Thousands of Egyptians flood Cairo streets demanding justice and democracy Egyptians held one of their biggest protests in months as tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Cairo.

* 'Air Flotilla' lands, 20 activists barred entry At least 60 pro-Palestinian activists taken from EasyJet, Alitalia flights for police interrogation.

* Mullen: Iran supporting extremist groups in Iraq Iran is directly supporting extremist Shi'ite groups that are killing US troops in Iraq.

* Libya rebels push as Kadhafi regroups Libyan rebels advanced on two fronts on Friday against Moamer Kadhafi's troops.

* UN's Richard Falk under fire for 'anti-Semitic' cartoon Caricature seen in UN's special rapporteur's blog post alleging that ICC arrest warrants issued against Gaddafi were politically motivated.

* Cancer cell breakthrough reported by Hebrew U. Jerusalem scientists identify molecular basis for DNA breakage, which results in the development of cancer.

* Security and Defense: Looking back to the future A few months after taking up his post as the IAF’s ninth commander in October 1977, Maj.-Gen. David Ivry was invited to a special meeting.

* China: EU bailout leaves 'fundamental problems' unresolved China's ambassador to the EU has said Greece might default despite EU and IMF efforts.

* This Week in History: Jewish right to aliya becomes law Nearly 25 months after the Declaration of Independence, the Knesset codified one of the most fundamental principles of Zionism – the right of Jews to make aliya.

07/07/11

* South Sudan to become new nation amid war worries The people of South Sudan finally get their own country on Saturday.

* North Korea Paid Pakistanis for Nuclear Technology, Scientist Says The founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program claims that in the late 1990s North Korean officials paid kickbacks to senior Pakistani military figures in exchange for critical weapons technology.

* World food prices near record high, says UN agency Global food prices rose sharply in June, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), after a steep increase in the price of sugar.

* Lebanon lawmakers approve Hezbollah-backed government The Hezbollah-backed Lebanese government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati won Thursday a parliamentary vote of confidence.

* U.S. charges Iran is escalating arms flow to Iraq during withdrawal preparations The United States has determined that Iran expanded weapons supplies to militias in Iraq.

* Regaining the Initiative – Annexing Judea and Samaria The first conference exploring all the practical aspects of asserting Israeli sovereignty, including Jewish, Zionist, political, diplomatic, economic and legal ramifications, as well as Arab-Israeli, American-Israeli relations, will take place on Thursday.

* Jordan sees U.S. withdrawal from Mideast as victory for Al Qaida Jordan has become increasingly concerned over plans by President Barack Obama for a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East and Afghanistan.

* Educational Expert on Judd Ne'eman: The Left Wants Civil War The Chairman of the Professors for a Strong Israel and ex-Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Gabi Avital, responded to the inflammatory statements made by Israel Prize winner Yehuda "Judd" Ne'eman.

* Fiscal Bodies Issue Warnings Against Aiding Iran Three government fiscal authorities have issued warnings against financial ties to bodies that aid Iran’s nuclear program.

* Israel bars 300 activists from flying to Israel Israeli security has distributed a blacklist among foreign airlines.

07/06/11

* U.S. willing to leave 10,000 troops in Iraq past year's end, officials say The White House is prepared to keep as many as 10,000 U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of the year.

* US and Russia stir up political tensions over Arctic The seventh ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in May looked set be a mundane affair.

* Security Council to Discuss 'Palestine' This Month The UN Security Council plans to discuss this month the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state.

* Russia to Spend $730 Billion on New Weapons Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced his government plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons modernization by 2020.

* Opposition: Muslim Brotherhood helping military suppress unrest in Egypt Muslim Brotherhood operatives have been recruited to attack pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt.

* Triangle of hunger batters millions Africa's Horn Thousands of families are walking for days in search of food in a triangle of hunger where the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia meet.

* Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity Amnesty International has called for a UN-backed investigation into the violence in Syria.

* Half of TVs to Have Internet Connectivity by 2015 About 47 percent of total flat-panel televisions shipped in four years will have Internet connectivity.

* Qaddafi Seeks Exit Guarantees: Russian Envoy Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi will have to receive security guarantees to relinquish his four decades of rule over the North African nation.

* Greece faces 'massive' loss of sovereignty Eurozone finance ministers over the weekend staved off looming bankruptcy in Greece by agreeing to release the next tranche of aid to the country.

07/05/11

* IDF intel chief: Iran intervening in Egyptian elections Head of IDF Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned of Iranian intervention in Egyptian elections.

* Shades of Bollywood: Temple Yields Treasure It wasn't Indiana Jones but an Indian lawyer concerned about the security of donations to the 16th-century Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, India, prompted the discovery of a 22 billion dollar treasure.

* Pentagon Concerned Over Iran, Hizbullah in Latin America Iran and its proxy Hizbullah continue to expand their influence and presence in South America.

* Young Israeli Arabs Meet PA Arabs to Plot End of Jewish State Arab youths with Israeli citizenship met in the Arab city of Ramallah with Arabs from the Palestinian Authority in order to plan steps for advancing the idea of an Arab "right of return.".

* Saudis to NATO: Expect a Mideast nuke race Saudi Arabia has warned NATO of a nuclear arms race in the Gulf.

* Palestinians Will Use the UN to Launch Third Intifada The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs issued today a report entitled "What Are the Palestinians Planning after September?"

* IAF bombs Global Jihad cell preparing Gaza rocket launch Two Palestinians were killed on Tuesday after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) bombed a Global Jihad terror cell.

* French Flotilla Boat Eludes Greek Blockade, but Turns Back A small French pleasure boat carrying eight passengers eluded the Greek blockade on sailing to Gaza.

* Obama Cannot Perform Miracles in Mideast, says Knesset Speaker "Even U.S. President Barack Obama cannot perform miracles in the Middle East," Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin told outgoing U.S. ambassador James Cunningham.

* Israel's MI chief: Iran and Hezbollah actively helping Syria squash demonstrations Iran and Hezbollah are actively assisting Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime in cracking down on anti-government demonstrations.

07/04/11

* Iran Ridicules July 4th: America is Not Independent Iran "celebrates" Independence Day in the United States by saying the US has lost independence to foreign creditors and, of course, Israel.

* Founders cited "pursuit of happiness" not "guarantee of happiness" The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence contains the most beautiful song of human liberation ever composed.

* Petraeus: Afghan fight slowly shifting to east The outgoing commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan says the focus of the war will shift in upcoming months from Taliban strongholds in the south to the nation's porous eastern border with Pakistan.

* Quartet to Meet Next Week on PA Statehood Bid Representatives from the nations usually most involved in trying to keep the Middle East from periodically blowing up plan to meet next week in Washington DC.

* African Union Slams Gaddafi's Arrest Warrant The African Union has called on member states to disregard the arrest warrant issued against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by the International Criminal Court.

* Israeli, Palestinian security forces take precautions to avoid September violence Both sides say region is headed into uncharted waters if Palestinians follow through on pledge to turn to the United Nations.

* Russia gains edge in space race as US shuttle bows out As the United States winds down its shuttle programme in a symbolic twist in a long-running space rivalry, Russia will gain complete control of access to the International Space Station.

* Nabil Al-Araby, 75, is New Head of Arab League The man who helped unseat former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and subsequently served as foreign minister has now become the new point man for the Arab world.

* Greeks stop another Gaza-bound ship Greece to the rescue, again: Canadian vessel leaves Crete towards Gaza, quickly stopped by Greek Coast Guard. Activists upset, say Greece has no right to enforce blockade imposed on Gaza Strip

* Cyber attack can 'collapse states,' Knesset committee warns MK Sheetrit: No military can come to the rescue of a cyber attack; official says such attacks are no longer science fiction.

07/02/11

* Gaddafi threatens Europe, Clinton calls for him to quit US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi should quit instead of issuing threats.

* Neo-Nazis undergo 'fashion makeover' A report published over the weekend by Germany's Interior Ministry and General Security Services reveals the new "fashion trends" of neo-Nazis.

* Abbas: World not united in support of Palestinian UN bid Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas acknowledged on Saturday that he was facing pressure to abandon his plan to ask the United Nations in September to recognize a Palestinian state.

* Iran Funnels New Weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

* Bloody day: Syrians tell Assad to go At least 24 civilians were killed Friday by Bashar Assad's forces.

* Greece arrests captain of U.S. ship in Gaza flotilla Authorities in Greece say they have arrested the captain of an American boat that was to be part of the Gaza flotilla.

* Greece arrests captain of U.S. ship in Gaza flotilla Authorities in Greece say they have arrested the captain of an American boat that was to be part of the Gaza flotilla.

* Jordan's King Shuffles Cabinet as Protests Grow With antigovernment demonstrations growing across Jordan in recent weeks, King Abdullah II approved a cabinet shuffle on Saturday that brought in a number of new officials.

* Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood welcomes US talks Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is willing to hold talks with the United States, a spokesman said.

* Greece crisis: Poland's Jacek Rostowski criticises EU Polish Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski has criticised Europe's handling of the Greek debt crisis.

07/01/11

* The Muslim Brotherhood and Weiner Far more disturbing than the salacious details of Weiner's dalliances is the fact that apparently his mother-in-law is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

* Gaddafi threatens attacks in Europe A defiant Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to carry out attacks in Europe unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya.

* Who Is The Muslim Brotherhood? The MB has has tried to portray itself as moderate and democratic. But at its core it is anything but. The Brotherhood is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

* Syrians tell Assad to go Syrian forces shot dead nine protesters on Friday as tens of thousands of people called on President Bashar to step down.

* Greece Stops US Flotilla Ship After it Leaves Port Organizers behind the US flotilla ship 'Audacity of Hope' said Geek authorities stopped the boat shortly after it left port.

* 'Oil shale can bring energy security and independence' Shooting out of a pipe at the Zoharim oil shale drilling site southwest of Beit Shemesh on Wednesday morning was the first shale sample from the location.

* Survey: Religious Right Continues Growth A survey conducted by Yisrael Hayom and Hagal Hahadash has found hat the combined bloc of politically right-wing and hareidi-religious parties continues to grow.

* Swiss party ad features Jewish doll Ads promoting an independence party in Geneva featured a doll of a man wearing a yarmulke with an arrow in its head and an Israeli flag painted on it.

* Netanyahu praises U.S. as champion of freedom, ally of Israel at Fourth of July event Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the United States as a champion of freedom and a great ally of Israel.

* Polish leader warns about 'new euroscepticism' The financial crisis and Arab Spring migrants have given rise to a "new euroscepticism" inside the union.