01/02/13

* Netanyahu Quotes Bible to Warn of Hamas Coup in Ramallah Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu quoted this week's Torah reading, which states, "Now There Arose a New King Over Egypt" and warned of a Hamas takeover of Ramallah.

* Abbas says 2013 will be year of Palestinian independence alestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rang in the New Year Monday night by declaring that 2013 would be the year that saw Palestinian independence.

* Palestinians to outnumber Jews by 2020 The number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean will be equal by 2016.

* Morsi Aide: Israel Will Cease to Exist Within Decade Deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm in Egypt, the Freedom and Justice Party, announced Tuesday that Israel would cease to exist by the end of the decade.

* Expert: Israel Has an Historic Right to Judea and Samaria Alan Baker, an expert on international law and a member of the committee headed by Judge Edmond Levi measures to regulate building in Judea and Samaria, said at a conference discussing the matter Tuesday night that Israel would be fully in its rights to do so.

* Ireland's EU takeover bad news for Israel Israel's harshest critic in the EU assumes the organization's presidency in a time of diplomatic turbulence.

* Israel to host hundreds of foreign fighter pilots in largest ever multinational exercise Hundreds of foreign pilots are scheduled to arrive in Israel for the largest-ever multinational training session to be held in the country.

* Iraq cities hit by wave of deadly explosions At least 22 people have been killed and tens more injured in a series of explosions across Iraq.

* UN: Over 60,000 dead in Syria conflict At least 60,000 people have died in Syria's conflict, UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said on Wednesday, citing an "exhaustive" UN-commissioned study.

* Worldwide Jewry numbers 14 million An extensive survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has found that the worldwide Jewish community numbers some 14 million.