11/12/12

* Temple Mount: The ordinary made holy Sites and Insights: It's amazing that most important religious site was for centuries a mere elevated hill where farmers threshed wheat.

* IDF scores direct hit on Syrian target, after another mortar hits the Golan Israeli forces fire on source of shelling for first time; government officials unsure Syrian fire is unintentional.

* The approach of an unwanted war in Gaza Neither Israel nor Hamas nor Egypt seems to wish it, but as rocket fire intensifies again, a deeper conflict looms.

* Abbas "No" Puts Obama in His Place Obama called Abbas to express opposition to his bid to the UN. Abbas did what Netanyahu could never do - tell the president "no".

* Iran launches large-scale air defense drills Israel's precision air strike on Oct. 24, against the Yarmouk weapons production facility in the suburbs of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, was - apart from destroying a facility which provided rockets and missiles to Hamas to use against Israel - clearly intended to send a direct message to the Iranian political leadership that Israel could also successfully strike at nuclear weapons production facilities in Iran.

* Analysis: Hezbollah's lethal anti-Semitism Norway, Austria slam Lebanon-based Shi-ite group's Jew-hatred; EU efforts to ban terrorist group focus on anti-Jewish rhetoric.

* Israel a leader in some areas of space exploration State has launched 13 satellites that have collectively accumulated 66 orbiting years and achieved 100% orbit mission successes.

* U.S. seen passing Saudis as global oil king by 2020 The global energy market is in for a major shake-up over the next eight years.

* Iraq government split over canceled $4.2 billion arms deal with Russia Iraq, in a move that could divide the government, has canceled a major weapons deal with Russia.

* David Petraeus: Broadwell affair was 'colossal mistake' Former CIA director David Petraeus has acknowledged his extra-marital affair was a "colossal mistake", his former spokesman has told ABC News.