08/24/12

* Kotel rabbi slams Abbas for comments on J'lem Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz issued an unprecedented attack against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

* PM accuses Iran of accelerating nuclear work Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Friday of making "accelerated progress towards achieving nuclear weapons".

* US sending aircraft carrier back to Persian Gulf four months early The US is deploying a large aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf, the Department of Defense confirmed Thursday.

* EU decision adds Middle East confusion not clarity One of the core obstacles to peace in the Middle East has always been the refusal of sections of the Arab world to accept the legitimacy and sovereignty of the State of Israel.

* Arab World: The house the Muslim Brothers built The recent events in Sinai are the latest evidence of Egypt's rapid transformation under the ascendancy of the Muslim Brotherhood.

* 'Syrian army takes control of Damascus suburb' Syrian troops backed by tanks entered the center of Daraya, a town on the southwest edge of Damascus.

* 'Egypt affirms commitment to Israel peace treaty' Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke by telephone to his Egyptian counterpart Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday morning.

* Syria crisis: Number of refugees rises to 200,000 The United Nations refugee agency says that more than 200,000 Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries as the conflict has intensified.

* Ya'alon: History Will Judge the U.S. on Iran Strategic Affair Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Thursday placed the responsibility on the United States if the Islamic Republic realizes its nuclear ambitions.

* Police kill gunman in shooting outside Empire State Building New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised police and civilians for their quick response to a shooting outside the Empire State Building on Friday morning.