11/30/12

* Palestine wins historic upgrade at the UN Sixty-five years to the day after the UN voted for the partition of mandatory Palestine - a move the Jews accepted and the Arabs rejected - the same body overwhelmingly vote.

* Hamas Reminder: Our Goal is Israel's Destruction While Hamas welcomed a UN vote to recognize "Palestine" on Thursday, on the same day it issued a statement rejecting the UN's famous Resolution 181.

* Netanyahu: Abbas Speech Venomous, Israel Will Respond Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Office responded on Thursday to the speech given by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the UN General Assembly.

* Israel approves building of 3,000 units in J'lem, W. Bank Israel approved the construction of 3,000 new housing units in Jerusalem and in the West Bank on Friday.

* 'It's a first step to a country,' says elated young Palestinian journalist The excitement was palpable. The guest and media seating were packed. Every delegation seemed to be in full attendance down on the General Assembly floor.

* Egypt's assembly finalizes new constitution An Islamist-led assembly finalized a new constitution early on Friday aimed at transforming Egypt and paving the way for an end to a crisis.

* Non-member state observer status is born On May 16, 1948, the day after David Ben-Gurion declared independence in Tel Aviv.

* UN vote marks EU defeat for Israel Just one EU country - the Czech Republic - voted against Palestine's bid to become a UN "observer state" on Thursday ((29 November).

* Egyptians protest after constitution finalized Thousands of Egyptians protested against President Mohamed Morsi on Friday after an Islamist-led assembly raced through approval of a new constitution.

* US Supreme Court considers gay union cases The nine justices of the US Supreme Court are meeting to decide whether to consider cases on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.