12/31/12

* New year revellers welcoming 2013 Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major event of 2013.

* PM reiterates support for demilitarized Palestinian state Contrary to claims by top Likud candidates, Netanyahu stands behind his words in Bar-Ilan speech, says spokesman, but priority is dealing with Hamas, Iranian threats.

* London could make EU 'unravel' An attempt by Britain to rewrite the EU rulebook to reflect domestic interests could make the European Union fall apart, its top official has warned.

* Israel Now Has 6 Million Jews The number of Israeli Jews passed the emotional 6 million mark in November, and the total population will pass 8 million in February.

* Iran Stages 'Cyber Warfare Drill' Iran has combined cyber warfare tactics and maritime war games in a drill for the first time as it stages maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz.

* Video: Paratroopers Prepare for War on Terror IDF releases video clip featuring special training drill which included live fire and practicing urban warfare.

* Sinai tribes threaten civil disobedience over new regulations on border with Israel Egypt's defense minister bans Bedouins from working narrow strip of land as part of ongoing effort to thwart terrorism.

* Two-thirds of Israelis support peace with Palestinians that ensures security, polls find 67% of respondents say they would support two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with land swaps and a demilitarized Palestine.

* Officials: Assad Isolating Himself Fearing Assassination Syrian President Assad is focusing on his personal safety, avoiding contact with others and moving to a different bedroom every night.

* Study: Christianity disappearing from Mideast UK Christianophobia report states Christians in Middle East face persecution 'intensifying with rise of militant Islam'; in Israel, however, Christian population is thriving.

12/29/12

* GREATEST HITS 2012: Kissinger on Israel's coming demise: Senile, prophetic or merely pragmatic? Henry Kissinger's recent statement, that in 10 years Israel will cease to exist, borders on senile.

* IDF corps at odds over techie recruits The IDF General Staff has been grappling with a new dilemma recently: In the modern battlefield "who is a "combat soldier"?

* UN envoy warns Syrian collapse threatens region, says conflict is becoming 'more and more sectarian' The United Nations envoy for Syria warned on Saturday that the country's civil war could plunge the entire region into chaos.

* The Palestinian "holy Trinity": Jesus, Arafat and Abbas The Palestinian leadership's falsification of history by presenting Jesus as an ancient Palestinian increased in regularity as Christmas approached this year.

* Egypt's envoy to Lebanon: Cairo will work with Hezbollah, 'a real political and military force' Egypt's ambassador to Lebanon said his country will pursue a relationship with Hezbollah.

* PA official: US pressuring Arab FMs not to visit Ramallah Palestinian officials in Ramallah on Saturday accused the US of putting pressure on Arab foreign ministers not to visit Ramallah.

* Qumran, the land of buried treasure The year was 68 CE and the Romans were coming, tearing through Judea and destroying everything and everyone in their path.

* Worst of euro crisis over, says German minister Confident that France will "fulfil its obligations" and with Greece off the hook for now, Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schauble has cast a glimmer of hope for 2013.

* Iraqi Sunni protesters turn out in several cities Tens of thousands of Iraqi Sunnis angry over perceived second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government massed along a major western highway and elsewhere in the country Friday for the largest protests yet in a week of demonstrations.

* Syrian Regime Firing Iranian-Made Missiles at Rebels The Syrian regime this week fired at least two Iranian-made, short-range ballistic missiles.

12/28/12

* Syria opposition rebuffs Russian call for talks Russia invited the leader of Syria's opposition on Friday to visit for the first time.

* Iranians begin Strait of Hormuz naval drill Iran's state TV is reporting the country's navy has begun maneuvers in the area of the Strait of Hormuz.

* Hinting at war crimes charges, UK minister attacks Israel for East Jerusalem construction plans A British minister on Thursday harshly condemned Israel for its plans to expand construction in East Jerusalem.

* Fatah gets okay to celebrate anniversary in Gaza A day after canceling anniversary celebrations in Gaza, Fatah officials said the movement would be allowed to celebrate in the Hamas-controlled Strip after all.

* Next stop for the Arab Spring? Sudan and Jordan are perfectly situated to be next the countries to go through Arab uprisings.

* A nation once again? Kurds gain from regional tectonic shift in northeast Syria following the Assad regime's retreat back to Damascus.

* Norman Schwarzkopf, retired US general, dies aged 78 Retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78.

* China approves tighter rules on internet access China has tightened its rules on internet usage to enforce a previous requirement that users fully identify themselves to service providers.

* Abbas Threatens to Disband PA if Peace Talks Don't Resume Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas threatened on Thursday that he will disband the PA unless there is Israeli movement toward renewing peace talks after Israel's elections on January 22.

* On Payroll After 'Resignation', Another 'Lie in Web of Lies The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee slammed the State Department on Thursday over a report that officials who were said to have resigned over the attacks in Benghazi are still on the payroll.

12/27/12

* PM, Abdullah Discussed Syrian Chemical Weapons A report on Israel Radio Thursday expanded on reports Wednesday night on a recent visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman recently.

* US preparing attack option in Syria, top minister implies The US is gearing up for the option of military involvement in Syria if embattled President Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons against opposition fighters.

* Egypt's Islamist president: New constitution ushers in a new republic Egypt's president said Wednesday that the disputed constitution just approved in a referendum establishes a new republic.

* Too little, too late Congratulations. Human Rights Watch published a report this week blaming Hamas for firing at Israeli cities during Operation Pillar of Defense with direct intention to kill civilians.

* Biblical claim to the land? Over the past five years, working as the international liaison for the Shomron region, I have toured around the world speaking on behalf of this community.

* Political showdowns will make 2013 a busy year for US Jews Will the US fall of the fiscal cliff? Plunge into war with Iran? Dive into contentious confirmation battles?

* PM: We'll protect ourselves from Syrian threat A day after it was reported that he visited Jordan to coordinate an attack on President Bashar Assad's Syrian chemical weapons facilities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "Everyone sees what is happening in Syria".

* 'Iran won't negotiate with nations sanctioning it' Tehran will not negotiate the halting of its nuclear program with the countries that imposed sanctions on it.

* China tightening controls on Internet China's new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on Internet use.

* 'Brighter than a full moon': The biggest star of 2013... could be Ison - the comet of the century At the moment it is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes as a point of light moving slowly against the background stars.

12/26/12

* French paper names Bashar Assad 'man of the year' (and 'mass murderer' of the century) Sometimes it seems as if nothing is more agreeable than to read those ubiquitous, mostly innocuous December-time lists compiling the best songs, books and people of the past year.

* Egypt's Morsi signs Islamist constitution into law Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution he says will help end political turmoil and allow him to focus on fixing the fragile economy.

* Court May Be Asked to Stop 'Destruction of History' The High Court may be the last resort for archaeologists to order Netanyahu to stop allowing the Waqf to destroy history at the holy site.

* Iraq: New protests break out in Sunni stronghold Large, noisy demonstrations against Iraq's government flared for the third time in less than a week.

* Netanyahu visited Jordan with plans to destroy Syrian chemical weapons Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently held top-secret talks in Jordan regarding possible methods for destroying Syria's sizable chemical weapons stockpiles.

* 'Little Chance of War in 2013,' Says Former IDF Intel Chief Israel's enemies probably will not wage war in 2013.

* Air Force Says It's Slimmer and Stronger for 2013 The Israeli Air Force has cut manpower while advancing technologically towards 2013.

* 'Kneeling Hitler' placed in Warsaw's Jewish ghetto If you look through the bars of the locked gate at 14 Prozna Street in Poland's capital, a place that was the center of the Jewish ghetto 70 years ago.

* US Delivers Two Naval Vessels to Iraq The United States has delivered two naval support ships to Iraq, which is seeking to boost its fledgling maritime capabilities, the US embassy said.

* After upgrading status, UN officially switches from 'Palestine' to 'State of Palestine' While legislative scholars and political pundits continue to debate the exact meaning of the upgrade of the Palestinians to a nonmember observer state, the United Nations last week officially changed the way it refers to the body: it's now the "State of Palestine".

12/24/12

* New female mayor gears Bethlehem up for Christmas Vera Baboun, a Christian, tries to raise hope in city plagued by economic woes, says "we're celebrating birth of Jesus... and of Palestinian state'.

* PM touts religious pluralism in Christmas greeting Netanyahu says Christian community in Israel growing, unlike in neighboring countries where they are endangered.

* Temple Mount authority reportedly carts off antiquities to the dump Despite High Court ruling, mounds of earth excavated from Jerusalem holy site go unexamined by archaeologists.

* Israel reportedly fears Hamas making move for control of West Bank Khaled Mashaal has ordered his forces to prepare for a Gaza-style takeover of the Palestinian territory, the Sunday Times reports.

* The Last Christmas in Muslim Middle East? Militant Islam is wiping out Christianity in the Muslim Middle East, according to a new study by the British think tank Civitas.

* Russian military presence in Syria poses challenge to US-led intervention Advisers deployed with surface-to-air systems bolster President Assad's defences and complicate outcome of any future strike.

* Egypt awaits constitutional referendum result Egypt is awaiting the official results of a referendum on a controversial draft constitution.

* Christianity 'close to extinction' in Middle East Christianity faces being wiped out of the 'biblical heartland' in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers, according to a new report.

* Hamas, Abbas' New Partner, Say Kotel Is Islamic Hamas' official Al Qassam website quotes a senior cleric that 'facts and history' prove the Western Wall is not Jewish property.

* Businessman: Europe Preparing Holocaust for Muslims Religious entrepreneur Moti Zisser says Europe feels threatened: "This time there will be 60 million people killed."

* Rights group: Gaza terrorists committed war crimes Human Rights Watch says 'there is simply no legal justification' for deliberate attacks on Israeli population centers during Pillar of Defense

12/22/12

* Foreign Ministry Rushes to Apologize over 'Jesus' Post The Foreign Ministry has launched a probe into the posting of a Facebook message by the Israel embassy in Ireland.

* How some Israelis see the sacred in settlements As Rabbi Dovid Ben Meir leads visitors through the ruins of this ancient city, believed to have served as the Jewish capital more than 3,000 years ago, his love of history is clear.

* Highlights from Egypt's draft constitution Egypt's draft constitution, which is being voted on in a referendum Saturday, is made up of an introduction, an 11-part preamble and 236 articles.

* Ross: Many Commonalities Between US and Israel Speaking at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) conference at the Inbal hotel in Jerusalem, Ambassador Dennis Ross sought to explain United States priorities in the Middle East.

* Syria acting to safeguard chemical weapons, says Russia Sergei Lavrov said the weapons had previously been "scattered" across the country and they were "under control" for the time being.

* Behind the Lines: Coastal Retreat The beleaguered regime of Bashar Assad suffered further setbacks this week.

* Pakistani mob beats to death Muslim accused of blasphemy A mob in Pakistan has stormed a police station and beaten to death a Muslim man accused of desecrating the Koran.

* Stalin's birthday marked in Russia and beyond People across the vast territory where Josef Stalin once imposed his terror have marked the 133rd anniversary of the dictator's birth.

* New female mayor gears Bethlehem up for Christmas Bethlehem's first female mayor, Vera Baboun, can't walk through the main square of the biblical town without being stopped by admirers.

* Al Qaida group now dominant force in war to topple Assad An Al Qaida-aligned militia appears to have become the leading rebel force in the war against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

12/21/22

* Mayan Apocalypse: as it didn't happen Thirteen long Baktuns ago, way back on August 11 3114 BC our time, the world began.

* NATO accuses Syria of continuing to fire Scud-type rockets The Syrian military has continued to fire Scud-type missiles.

* PA Threatens 'Action' Against Israel if Netanyahu Wins The Palestinian Authority is threatening to take action against Israel if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wins the elections in January.

* 'O Boycott All ye Faithful': Christmas Exploited to Bash Israel A new report from NGO Monitor reveals that several Christian organizations that support the Palestinian Authority are using Christmas to attack Israel.

* Pope says future of mankind at stake over gay marriage "In the fight for the family, the very notion of being - of what being human really means - is being called into question," the Pope said in Italian during an end-of-year speech.

* Egypt's Christians fear going to polls amid Islamist intimidation campaign A campaign of intimidation by Islamists left most Christians in this southern Egyptian province too afraid to participate in last week's referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution they deeply oppose.

* Quartet's Blair weighs in on Israeli building plans Quartet Representative Tony Blair on Thursday affirmed his support for recent US and European criticism of Israeli construction plans.

* EU struggling to keep up with Israeli settlement plans EU countries in the UN Security Council have condemned Israel's plan to build in the E1 area.

* Syria's Chemical Weapons Transported Towards Lebanon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has moved some of his chemical weapons arsenal in the direction of Lebanon.

* J'lem, Cairo hold quiet talks over new Gaza policy Quietly and very much behind the scenes, Israel and Egypt are carrying on discussions in Cairo that could lead to the further easing of restrictions on the Gaza Strip.

12/20/12

* Mayan Apocalypse: as it didn't happen Thirteen long Baktuns ago, way back on August 11 3114 BC our time, the world began.

* Quartet's Blair weighs in on Israeli building plans Quartet Representative Tony Blair on Thursday affirmed his support for recent US and European criticism of Israeli construction plans.

* Syria's Chemical Weapons Transported Towards Lebanon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has moved some of his chemical weapons arsenal in the direction of Lebanon.

* UK's Skynet military satellite launched A powerful new telecommunications satellite for the UK military has blasted into orbit.

* Russia Sends Military Destroyer to Iran A Russian destroyer has berthed in the southern Iranian Port of Bandar Abbas.

* Israel fully prepared to prevent Syrian chemical attack, IAF commander says Israel's air force commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel said the IAF is fully prepared to prevent a chemical weapons attack from Syria.

* Al Qaeda Grows as Assad Forces Shell Civilians Across Syria As the Assad regime becomes increasingly desperate, its forces are starting to shell civilians in every major city across the country.

* Former US Mideast envoy says Iran showdown to take place in coming year The standoff over Iran's nuclear program is headed for a critical point next year.

* EU struggling to keep up with Israeli settlement plans EU countries in the UN Security Council have condemned Israel's plan to build in the E1 area.

* Egypt's Christians fear going to polls amid Islamist intimidation campaign A campaign of intimidation by Islamists left most Christians in this southern Egyptian province too afraid to participate in last week's referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution.

12/19/12

* 'All Israeli governments have built in Jerusalem. We're not going to change that,' PM tells envoys Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reiterated Israel's right to build in the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

* Abbas offers to take in Palestinian refugees from Syrian civil war The Palestinian president said Wednesday he is ready to take in Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria's civil war.

* State Dept security chief resigns after Benghazi Three State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday, less than a day after a damning report blamed management failures for a lack of security at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

* Chinese dig in for 'approaching doomsday' Apocalypse now? For many Chinese and other doomsayers, the end of the world is indeed nigh.

* Analysis: IAF preparing surprises for enemies During Operation Pillar of Defense last month, the air force struck 1,500 targets throughout Gaza over the course of eight days.

* Jerusalem Official Complains of Temple Mount Discrimination Jerusalem city council member Yair Gabai told Arutz Sheva of his first-hand humiliation and of discrimination against Jews.

* European Union Observers Rebuffed Again by Hamas EU monitors have once again been told by Hamas their services are "not required" at the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

* UN Chief Warns Israel: Housing Plans 'Dangerous Path' The United Nations on Wednesday called on Israel to cancel plans to build thousands of new Jewish homes in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.

* Rebels Concerned Over Syria's Chemical Weapons Rebels now control more and more of Syria's territory, but a new problem has arisen, observers say.

* Tau Ceti's planets nearest around single, Sun-like star The nearest single Sun-like star to the Earth hosts five planets - one of which is in the "habitable zone" where liquid water can exist, astronomers say.

12/18/12

* Assad's chemical stockpile 'has reached similar levels to Israe'’s nuclear weapons,' defected Syrian general says The chemical weapons arsenal in the hands of the Bashar Assad regime, believed to be one of the largest in the world, is a match for Israel’s alleged stockpile of nuclear weapons.

* Iranian minister denies Syria's Assad about to fall Iran does not believe Syrian President Bashar Assad and his government are about to fall.

* Germany, Poland and the shifting centre of European Union power On 1 November each year an eerie silence descends on the Polish capital, Warsaw. The city empties out. It is All Saints Day - the Day of the Dead.

* The Russia-EU-US drama At the eve of the EU-Russia Summit, trade tension has been rising between Brussels and Moscow.

* PA Arabs Say Yes to Hamas, No to Abbas A new independent poll in the Palestinian Authority points to a calm before a storm of terror as Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza rejected PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Russia sends navy squadron to Mediterranean A Russian navy squadron has set off for the Mediterranean amid official talk about a possible evacuation of Russians from Syria.

* Dead Sea Scrolls Online Library Launched On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Google announced on Monday the launch of the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library website.

* Iraq president suffers stroke Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has suffered a stroke and his medical team in Baghdad is still trying to stabilize his condition.

* UN peacekeeping force on the Golan may collapse, French ambassador warns The United Nations peacekeeping force deployed on the Israeli-Syrian border has begun taking precautions against the possible use of chemical weapons.

* Israeli Embassy's 'lynching Jesus' Facebook post sparks Irish ire The Israeli Embassy in Ireland caused a storm of protest Monday when it posted on Facebook an image of Jesus and Mary and suggested that if the Biblical figures were alive today they would have likely been murdered by a mob of Palestinians.

12/17/12

* Syria's VP says both sides are losing the war Farouk al-Sharaa calls for national unity government, says neither Assad nor rebels are in position for a military victory.

* Israel pushes on with east Jerusalem building plan Israel on Monday said it was pushing forward with plans to build hundreds of homes in a Jewish settlement of east Jerusalem, risking renewed tensions with the Palestinians and its Western allies over the contentious project.

* Iranian FM: Nuclear deadlock with West must end Salehi says Iran, world powers are both ready to "exit the current stalemate" over the Iranian nuclear program.

* Report: Ahmadinejad to Cancel Turkey Trip After 'WWIII Threat' A report Sunday said that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would not be visiting Turkey, as had been scheduled.

* 88 percent of Palestinians believe armed struggle is the best way to achieve independence For first time since 2006, more West Bank Palestinians favor Hamas's political strategy over Fatah's, poll finds.

* Egypt's Islamists aim to build on constitution vote President Mohamed Mursi has won initial backing from Egyptians for a new constitution that he hopes will steer the country out of crisis, but which opponents say is an Islamist charter that tramples on minority rights.

* Pope Meets Abbas, Calls For Courage to Reconcile Pope Benedict XVI received PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday and called on all parties to work together for peace and reconciliation.

* Nasrallah: Syrian Rebels Won't Win Al-Qaeda has been tricked into fighting in Syria, claims Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

* 'Disturbing' Video Shows 'Brutal' Israeli Occupation A new video shows the Palestinian Authority under Israeli "occupation." The photos speak for themselves.

* Iran says it captured 2 US drones prior to the one it boasted of two weeks ago Revolutionary Guard naval chief says a ScanEagle captured in early December was the third American UAV the army has downed.

12/15/12

* Netanyahu: Kotel will Remain Jewish Forever Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu lit the eighth and final Hannukah candle at the Kotel Saturday evening.

* Muslims Riot, Jews Banned from Temple Mount Jews have been barred from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem until Sunday, the last day of Hannukah.

* Iran: U.S. Massacre Just Like Killings in Syria, Iraq Iran expressed condemnation Saturday of the Connecticut school massacre but added that there is "no difference" between it and the killing of children in various hotspots in the Middle East.

* Iran: Patriot missiles in Turkey risk 'world war' The planned deployment of NATO Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria could lead to a "world war," Iran's military chief of staff was quoted as saying.

* New group unites young Palestinians in West Bank against Israel A new group of young Palestinians from divergent political streams has formed in the West Bank.

* Panetta signs order to send Patriot missiles to Turkey to help defend against Syria U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has signed an order to send two Patriot air defense missile batteries and 400 American troops to Turkey.

* North Koreans mark rocket success with mass rally North Korea has staged a mass rally in Pyongyang to celebrate Wednesday's long-range rocket launch.

* Egypt votes in referendum on constitution Egyptians decide on Saturday on a constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of a prolonged political crisis.

* Newtown school gunman forced his way in, police say The gunman who killed 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, forced his way into the building, police say.

* China to overtake EU and US by 2030, US intelligence says The era of American and European economic dominance has less than two decades left to run.

12/14/12

* Panetta signs order to send Patriot missiles to Turkey to help defend against Syria U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has signed an order to send two Patriot air defense missile batteries and 400 American troops to Turkey.

* Muslims Riot, Jews Banned from Temple Mount Jews have been barred from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem until Sunday, the last day of Hannukah.

* Islamists clash with opponents ahead of Egypt vote Stone-throwing supporters and opponents of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi clashed in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Friday.

* Tradition Today: The lights of Hannuka Why do we kindle lights on Hanukka? A simple question, almost as simple as the one asked in the Talmud: What is Hanukka?

* Thousands of Palestinians march on Hebron checkpoint Some 3,000 Palestinian protesters marched from the city hall of the West Bank city of Hebron toward an Israeli checkpoint.

* Evidence Noah's Biblical Flood Happened, Says Robert Ballard The story of Noah's Ark and the Great Flood is one of the most famous from the Bible.

* Susan Rice to Obama: Don't Pick Me as Secretary of State Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Thursday asked President Barack Obama not to pick her as his next secretary of state.

* Russia backtracks on statement about Assad's looming fall Russia issued a clumsy denial Friday of a statement from its point man on Syria.

* North Koreans mark rocket success with mass rally orth Korea has staged a mass rally in Pyongyang to celebrate Wednesday's long-range rocket launch.

* Avigdor Liberman quits government to clear his name Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Liberman announced his resignation from the government on Friday.

12/13/12

* First West Bank Hamas rally in years draws thousands Hamas held a mass rally in the West Bank city of Nablus Thursday, signaling improving relations between the Islamic movement and its rival Fatah.

* New Fatah logo eliminates Israel As Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas continues to voice support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, condemning the use of violence, his party, Fatah, seems to have a different scenario in mind.

* Syria government 'losing control' - Russian official A Russian official has said for the first time that the Syrian government may be defeated by opposition forces.

* 'Syria's chemical weapons are ready for use' Syria's chemical weapons could be used at "a moment's notice" and the international community should not accept any assurances from Syrian officials that they will not be used".

* Israelis and Palestinians to meet in Jordan in February, King Abdullah says King Abdullah II of Jordan announced that Jordan would host Israeli-Palestinian meetings in February with the backing of the European Union and the United States.

* Veteran Educator Arrested for 'Crime of Prayer' Veteran Israeli educator and Education Prize awardee Sarah Eliash was arrested this week on the Temple Mount on charges of praying at the site, activists in organizations advocating open Jewish prayer at the site said.

* ADL's List of Top 10 Issues Affecting Jews in 2012 A troubling resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe, Iran's subterfuge on the road toward a nuclear weapons capability, and the lopsided vote at the United Nations to upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation topped the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) annual list.

* 'Disappointment' for those expecting ambitious EU summit EU leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (13-14 December), but market pressure has waned recently, taking member states' ambitions for further steps to economic and monetary union with it.

* German Ruling 'Milestone' in Religious Freedom Jewish groups have praised the decision by the German Parliament to approve a law, by a vote of 434 to 100, with 46 abstentions, to allow religious circumcision.

* Gaza perfume sales soar with rocket name Sales of a citrus-scented perfume marketed in Gaza have soared since it was named in honor of the rockets that Palestinians shot at Israel during a war last month, the manufacturer said.

12/12/12

* North Korea rocket launch condemned internationally The United States called the test a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security".

* Egyptian army abruptly postpones 'unity' talks Efforts to resolve Egypt's rapidly worsening political crisis suffered a blow on Wednesday when the army abruptly postponed "unity" talks that the opposition had minutes earlier said they would attend.

* IDF to begin giving its medics chemical weapons antidote The IDF has acquired tens of thousands of doses of a drug used to combat nerve agent chemical poisoning and will distribute them to all combat medics in the coming months.

* 17 US Warships now off Syria The U.S. aircraft carrier "Dwight D Eisenhower" has arrived off the shores of Syria.

* Israeli leader mocks EU 'dismay' Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has mocked EU foreign ministers' "dismay" over his plan to split Palestine in three and to take away its capital.

* Putin warns of foreign meddling in politics in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested some opposition politicians are in the pay of foreign interests, saying it is unacceptable.

* China to overtake EU and US by 2030, US intelligence says The era of American and European economic dominance has less than two decades left to run.

* Iran: Proud of Our Support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad Iran is continuing to boast close relations with the terrorist organizations operating in Gaza.

* Watch: Gaza kids simulate rocket launch A generation comes of age: A video posted on social networks shows a group of Palestinian kids in Gaza simulating the firing of mortar shells at Israeli communities.

* Pope starts tweeting as @pontifex, blesses followers Pope Benedict XVI has sent his first much-anticipated Twitter message using his personal account.

12/11/12

* Noah's Ark opens in Netherlands Just as the first storms of winter roll in, Dutchman Johan Huibers has finished his 20-year quest to build a full-scale, functioning model of Noah's Ark.

* 'Khartoum allowing Iran to establish Red Sea base' Sudanese opposition groups accused Khartoum this week of reaching a secret agreement with Tehran to establish an Iranian military base on the Red Sea.

* To Egyptians, new president behaves just like his predecessors The freshly scrawled graffiti depicting Mohammed Morsi as a pharaonic Saddam Hussein tells the tale of high hopes dashed with record speed.

* Intelligence community: U.S. out as sole superpower by 2030 A new report by the intelligence community projects that the United States will no longer be the world's only superpower by 2030.

* Iranian Ambition Iran possesses the "largest number of ballistic missiles in the Middle East" and is secretly producing long-range missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

* Sudan Captures Israeli 'Spy Vulture' Sudanese officials announced Monday that they have captured an electronically-tagged vulture suspected of being dispatched by Israel on a spying mission.

* PLO calls on EU to 'reconsider' relations with Israel The Palestine Liberation Organization called on the European Union on Tuesday to "reconsider" it's political and trade relations with Israel over what it called "provocations."

* Egypt crisis: Cairo crowds gather for rallies The opposition have breached a barrier outside the presidential palace but there has been no violence.

* US Sends Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi 20 F-16 Warplanes Egypt's increasingly unstable Muslim Brotherhood regime, voted into power on an anti-US and anti-Israel platform, is about to receive 20 F-16 fighters jets despite calls to suspend arms sales to Cairo.

* PM: Settlements don't preclude Palestinian state The suggestion that Israeli construction plans for the E1 area of Jerusalem preclude the eventual emergence of a Palestinian state is "simply false," Prime Minister Netanyahu asserted on Monday.

12/10/12

* Hamas TV: Death to the Jews and to America The new Hamas-Fatah unity further exposes the Palestinian Authority's failure to live up to pledges to stop incitement.

* Netanyahu blasts international community for staying quiet amid Hamas calls for Israel's destruction PM says 'deafening silence' of European governments and PA President Abbas over Mashaal's comments this weekend is unacceptable; EU does issue statement, soon after PM's critique.

* Islamic Jihad threatens to end ceasefire with Israel if leader banned from Gaza Group said to have canceled Ramadan Shalah's visit alongside Hamas leader Mashaal due to Israeli assassination threats

* Egypt crisis: Morsi gives army arrest powers before vote Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect state institutions in the run-up to a controversial referendum on a new constitution.

* FLASHBACK: Where did Saddam's WMD go? To Syria..U.S. intelligence suspects Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have finally been located.

* Inside Look at Muslim Brotherhood's Torture Chambers The Muslim Brotherhood replaced Mubarak, but torture chambers remain the same despite the US attempt to make Egypt safe for democracy.

* Russian Navy supplies 30,000 nationals in visit to Syrian port The Russian Navy, concerned over the fate of its personnel, has again visited Syria.

* U.S. ambassador: "The writing is on the wall" for Syria The United States expected an escalation in the Sunni revolt in Syria.

* EU 'Deeply Dismayed' by Israeli Housing Plans The EU is "deeply dismayed" by Israeli housing plans, saying the move threatens peace efforts.

* Abbas Warms up to Axis of Evil, Hamas to Celebrate in Shechem Abbas and his Fatah faction move closer to fight hand in hand with Hamas, which will celebrate in Shechem and welcome Fatah in Gaza.

12/8/12

* Mashaal vows to continue fighting Israel rather than give up 'any inch' of Palestine The leader of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas vowed to continue fighting Israel Saturday.

* Iranian warships dock in Sudan for second time, angering Saudis Two Iranian warships docked in Port Sudan for the second time in less than two months in recent days.

* Egypt's military warns of 'disastrous consequences' if crisis not resolved through dialogue Egypt's military warned on Saturday of "disastrous consequences" if the crisis that sent tens of thousands of protesters back into the streets is not resolved.

* Assad is already using chemical weapons, Syrian opposition claims As fears grow that Syrian President Bashar Assad may use chemical weapons in a desperate move to quell a 22-month uprising, members of the opposition claimed Friday that the regime is already using internationally-banned chemical agents.

* Mashaal in Gaza: Tomorrow Ramallah, then Jerusalem Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, on his first visit to Gaza on Friday, told crowds he hoped his next visit would be to "Jerusalem, Ramallah and a liberated Palestine."

* Obama sends Hanukkah message to Jews worldwide US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, issued their annual Hanukkah message on Friday.

* Mayan apocalypse: panic spreads as December 21 nears Ahead of December 21, which marks the conclusion of the 5,125-year "Long Count" Mayan calendar, panic buying of candles and essentials has been reported in China and Russia.

* Islamist coalition urges referendum to go ahead A coalition of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups called on Saturday for a referendum on a draft constitution to go ahead on time on December 15.

* US Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage cases The US Supreme Court has agreed for the first time to hear challenges to laws banning gay marriage in the US.

* Saudi official: Gulf cannot 'tolerate' unrest A senior Saudi official says Gulf Arab states must quash any Arab Spring-inspired unrest or risk threats to their leadership across the oil-rich region.

12/7/12

* UN: Syria chemicals use would be outrageous crime UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday he was not aware of any confirmed reports that Syrian President Bashar Assad was preparing to use chemical weapons but that if he did so it would be an "outrageous crime."

* Hamas political chief pays first visit to Gaza, vows next trip to Jerusalem Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal arrived in the Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon for the first time.

* Sanctions are strengthening Iran, Revolutionary Guard commander says A senior commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard claimed Friday that Western sanctions are helpful.

* Israel Threatened to Kill Islamic Jihad Leader Israel threatened to assassinate the leader of Islamic Jihad if he enters Gaza.

* U.S. Secret Weapons Delivery Fell into Hands of Terrorists Fears are being raised in Washington that a secret delivery of arms shipments to Libyan rebels, Okayed by the Obama administration, might have gotten into the hands of Islamic terrorists.

* US Syria envoy: Extremists gaining in opposition The top US envoy to Syria warned on Thursday that extremists were gaining influence in the Syrian opposition and that this influence would only increase the longer fighting dragged on in the Levant country.

* Security and Defense: Iran strike in the spring? The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas offers several hints regarding Jerusalem's wider strategic situation in the region.

* Tunisian Cleric Says Jews are Apes A Tunisian cleric recently referred to Jews as "prophet slayers and apes" and prayed for Allah to annihilate them.

* Tanks, Barbed Wire and Curfew Used to Quell Violence in Egypt The Egyptian army's Republican Guard, an elite unit assigned to protect the president and his palaces, surrounded Mohamed Morsi's gated palace in Cairo Thursday with six tanks and two armored vehicles.

* If all else fails, US will hit Iran in 2013, say former top advisers to Obama and Bush If the standoff over the Iranian nuclear program is not resolved diplomatically in the coming year, it will be resolved militarily by the end of 2013.

12/6/12

* Kedar: Israel 'Knows How to Deal With Syrian Chemical Threat' As the Syria raises the stakes over its chemical weapons, an Israeli military intelligence expert says measures are being taken to minimize the threat.

* 'West using WMD fears as pretext for intervention' Western powers are whipping up fears of a fateful move to the use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war.

* Hamas to create first Palestinian Defense Ministry Hamas is about to establish its own "Defense Ministry" in the Gaza Strip as part of lessons drawn from Operation Pillar of Defense.

* PA, Jordan to launch talks on political cooperation The Palestinian Authority and Jordan agreed Thursday to launch talks to discuss economic and political cooperation between the two sides.

* IDF: Arab Rioting More Since 'Pillar of Defense' A violent face-off developed Thursday afternoon between IDF soldiers and Arabs in Hevron.

* Jordan reportedly drops out of Dead Sea canal project Jordan has said it cannot foot the bill for its part in a hydroelectric and water desalination plan to run a canal from the Red Sea down to the Dead Sea.

* Despite souring relations with Israel, Europe not about to boycott settlement goods, sources predict Sources in the European Union on Thursday played down a report in the Hebrew daily Maariv that Europe was seeking to pass a series of harsh sanctions against Israel.

* Egypt army erects barriers at Cairo presidential palace The Egyptian army has set up barricades outside the presidential palace, after ordering protesters to leave the area.

* Suomi satellite pictures Earth in black VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) can discern a range of phenomena of interest to weather forecasters - cloud, snow, fog, etc - even when the satellite is on the dark side of the Earth.

* 'We agreed that we disagree' on settlement expansion, Merkel says after meeting with PM Coming out of a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she and Netanyahu had "agreed to disagree" on the issue of West Bank settlements.

12/5/12

* Jerusalem Mayor: No City in World Regulated by US President Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat expressed support on Monday for the Israeli government's plan to build 3,000 additional housing units.

* Fearing Syria spillover, UN Golan troops to deploy armor United Nations forces based inside Syria to monitor a longtime ceasefire between Syria and Israel will bring in armor to reinforce their security because of a threat posed by an influx of Syrian rebels.

* Clashes erupt in Egypt despite proposal to end crisis Islamists fought protesters outside the Egyptian president's palace on Wednesday.

* US, allies said to be prepared to 'rapidly' intervene if Assad utilizes chemical weapons The US, along with several key allies, is prepared to launch a military intervention in Syria.

* Abbas says settlement plans are a 'red line' Israel's plan to build new housing units in Jerusalem and the West Bank, especially in the area known as E1, is a red line because it will divide the Palestinian lands.

* Egyptian Officials Accused of 'Zionist Plot' Against State Three former Egyptian presidential candidates have been accused of espionage and conspiring a "Zionist plot" against the state.

* EU denies it may remove Hamas from terror list An EU official denied claims made by Hamas Tuesday that Europe would remove the group from its list of terror organizations if it engaged in indirect talks with Israel.

* Egyptian protester: 'We are getting a bad image in Europe' Tens of thousands of Egyptians marched in protest in Cairo on Tuesday (4 December) in an escalating dispute on the country's post-revolutionary future.

* Doomsday for Iran? US Tests EMP Bomb Boeing has successful tested an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) missile that turns "science fiction into science fact" and could be the doomsday weapon against Iran.

* Israel accuses US of backing European settlement backlash Five European countries, including Britain, have registered formal protests with Israeli ambassadors.

12/4/12

* Iran claims it has captured another US drone Iran claimed Tuesday it had captured a U.S. drone after it entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf.

* Masses of Egyptian protesters clash with police outside presidential palace Tens of thousands of Egyptians marched on the presidential palace on Tuesday to protest the assumption by the nation's Islamist president of nearly unrestricted powers and a draft constitution hurriedly adopted by his allies.

* 'Jerusalem More Important than World Pressure' The Israeli government is standing up to pressure from all quarters.

* Syria crisis: Nato approves Patriots for Turkey Nato has approved the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries along Turkey's border with Syria.

* Palestine: The world plays Dr. Frankenstein Palestine is born. Palestine is a state, most of the world agrees, a development 25 years in the making.

* Prophecy 101: Now in Tel Aviv Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos were naturals to the world of prophesy, but today's budding conduits to the heavens will soon be able to learn the art of forecasting in the classroom.

* Likud hopeful prays on Temple Mount, breaking taboo Likud politician Moshe Feiglin on Monday violated the unwritten rule that prohibits Jews from practicing religion on the Temple Mount, as he prayed at the holy site.

* Where are they building in east Jerusalem? There are approximately 11,983-12,670 Jewish apartment units currently in some stage of the approval process in east Jerusalem.

* Jordanian King to Visit Ramallah to Help PA 'Establish State' Jordan's King Abdullah is set to arrive in Ramallah on Thursday.

* Hamas appeals for talks with EU diplomats The Prime Minister of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, has appealed to the EU to take his political and militant group, Hamas, off its terrorist register.

12/3/12

* Abbas 'Victory Speech': Jerusalem 'Eternal Capital of Palestine' PA Chairman promises that someday the PA flag will fly over 'Jerusalem, eternal capital of the state of Palestine.'

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* Syria denies plans to use chemical weapons Clinton warns Assad regime of using chemical weapons against its people, saying US would take action against such escalation.

* Hamas: State needs armed struggle with Israel Osama Hamdan says Palestinian state without an armed struggle against Israel is an illusion, won't add anything for Palestinians.

* Top guns, top geeks Israel's air force, which spearheaded last month's operation against terror groups in Gaza, relies on deep cooperation between its tech whiz kids and its drone operators and fighter pilots.

* Iran establishes cyber HQ as shadow war continues Ongoing concerns over digital threats from Israel, US prompt Revolutionary Guard to strengthen front in "soft war."

* 'Israel sought Jordan's permission to bomb Syria' 'The Atlantic' reports Jordan has rebuffed a number of Israeli requests to hit Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles.

* Washington calls on Israel to pull back from settlement plan after PM's office says move won't be reversed Spain and Denmark join UK, France and Sweden in calling in ambassadors for 'harsh' rebuke; PA official praises Europe.

* Vatican unveils Pope's Twitter account @pontifex The Pope is to begin sending Twitter messages using the handle @pontifex as his personal account, the Vatican said.

* Egypt judges 'to oversee referendum' despite boycott Egypt's top judicial body has said it will oversee a referendum on a new constitution, state media reports.

* McCain: Israel Must Respond to PA's Unilateral Move Senator John McCain on Israeli television: We cannot have actions such as the PA's move in the UN go unresponded to.

12/1/12

* Palestinian Authority officially changing its name to Palestine The Palestinian Authority is changing its official name to Palestine following Thursday's overwhelming vote in the UN General Assembly to upgrade the status of the Palestinian mission.

* 51% of Israelis: Peace with Palestinians unlikely Pessimism was in the air in Israel following Operation Pillar of Defense and slightly prior to the recognition of the Palestinian Authority by the United Nations as a non-member observer state.

* Rebel leader says Syria on path to becoming Islamic state A leader of an al-Qaida-inspired militant group fighting the regime in Syria said his men do not fear death and they are determined to form an Islamic state.

* Iran: UN Decision 'Proves Zionist Regime Illegitimate' A senior Iranian official on Friday welcomed the upgraded status of the Palestinian Authority at the United Nations, calling it a "positive step."

* Egypt crisis: Islamists rally for President Morsi Islamist backers of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi have held mass rallies to support his sweeping new powers and the drafting of a constitution.

* 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).

* 'Terror in School': Hasbara Meets 21st Century A new animated video by Israeli animation firm "The Scratch Group" explains the complex situation Israel is in.

* Hamas' anti-Jewish war began in 1930s Egypt Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, but no one is under any illusions.

* Britain and US condemn Israel's Jewish settlement plan Britain and the US have warned that Israel's plans to build new housing settlements in the West Bank would damage the prospect of creating a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

* Birds of paradise - in pictures On a mission to become the first to document all 39 species of birds of paradise, the photographer Tim Laman and ornithologist Ed Scholes have spent nearly a decade sleeping in tents and dangling from the rainforest canopy.