06/29/13

* Kerry to announce convention of Amman peace summit US officials on Saturday confirmed that US Secretary of State John Kerry's press conference in Jordan has been postponed.

* Most Israelis Don't Believe Peace is Possible Most Israelis support the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.

* Egypt clerics warn of 'civil war' as rivals clash Egypt's leading religious authority warned of "civil war" on Friday.

* Iraq not headed towards civil war, foreign minister says Iraq's foreign minister says the deadliest and most sustained wave of violence to hit the country since 2008 won't lead to civil war.

* Warning: Victory for Syrian rebels means regional war A cousin and outspoken critic of embattled Syrian dictator Bashar Assad warned that if the rebel forces that America is now arming succeed in taking over the country, it will lead to a regional war.

* Obama's risky move in Jordan could open second front in Syrian war The Obama administration is reluctantly upping its involvement in the Syrian civil war.

* Inside the IDF combat unit: Monitoring Hezbollah Dressed in civilian clothing, Hezbollah members, the undisputed rulers of southern Lebanon, make every effort to cover their tracks.

* Iran's president-elect says nation voted for change Iran’s president-elect called his win in national elections this month a vote for change.

* Clay Pots Testify to Jewish Fears of Second Temple Rebels Archaeologists announced Thursday that they had found the first historical evidence verifying the fear and terror imposed on Jews during the period of the destruction of the Second Temple.

* US Supreme Court in historic rulings on gay marriage The US Supreme Court has struck down a law denying federal benefits to gay couples and cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California.

06/28/13

* Voyager surfs Solar System's edge Ed Stone cannot say when the Voyager-1 spacecraft will leave the Solar System, but he believes the moment is close.

* 'Not Everything Has a Solution' Trying to force a solution to Israel's conflict with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas would be dangerous, Minister of Economics Naftali Bennett warned.

* Obama Requests 15,000 Russian Troops For "Upcoming" Disaster An unsettling report prepared by the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) circulating in the Kremlin today on the just completed talks between Russia and the United States in Washington D.C. says that the Obama regime has requested at least 15,000 Russian troops.

* Kerry pushing series of Abbas, Netanyahu meetings as formula for restarting negotiations US Secretary of State John Kerry's formula for renewing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians consists of a marathon series of meetings.

* Iran signals no scaling back in nuclear activity despite Rouhani win Iran will press ahead with its uranium enrichment program.

* Egypt clerics warn of 'civil war' as rivals clash Egypt's leading religious authority warned of "civil war" on Friday.

* EU summit marks big day for Western Balkans Leaders on Friday (28 June) endorsed the launch of Serbia accession talks and welcomed Croatia's impending EU entry.

* All personnel withdrawn from Russian navy base in Syria Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister says all personnel had been evacuated from the navy resupply base in Tartus, Syria.

* Palestinian textbooks erase Israel, give no hope for peace A hearing at the Knesset this week revealed once again that Palestinian school textbooks deny the legitimacy of Israel.

* Russia debates letting Snowden in from the cold Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who Russian officials say is spending his sixth day hiding somewhere in Moscow's cavernous Sheremetyevo airport, has still not been heard from or even spotted.

06/27/13

* Clay Pots Testify to Jewish Fears of Second Temple Rebels Archaeologists announced Thursday that they had found the first historical evidence verifying the fear and terror imposed on Jews during the period of the destruction of the Second Temple.

* Netanyahu admits IAF carried out secret operations Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli Air Force planes carried out a number of secret military missions in the past year.

* Archbishop of Canterbury: Israel the center of the world Israel is the center of the world “in so many ways,” the archbishop of Canterbury said.

* Egypt prepares for protests; Morsi stands pat Egypt faces a showdown in the streets after President Mohamed Morsi failed, in an address to the nation, to satisfy the demands of opponents.

* Egypt braces for new revolution Most Egyptians have today come to the realization that the Muslim Brotherhood's hijacking of their country's pro-democracy revolution two years ago was not a good thing.

* White House Hosts Israel-Hating Radical Muslim White House officials met this month with Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, a deputy of radical Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who has been banned from entering the United States.

* UN renews peacekeeping mission in the Golan The UN Security Council renewed for six months on Thursday a peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights monitoring a decades-old truce between Israel and Syria.

* Israel Keeping a Close Eye on Egypt Govt. Troubles As gas and electricity shortages mount in Egypt, millions are expected to take to the streets this weekend to demand the resignation of the administration of Mohammed Morsi.

* Singer Calls for Messiah in Hevron Appearance Popular singer Amir Benayoun performed his hit “Standing at the Gate” outside the Cave of Machpelah - the burial place of the Patriarchs - in Hevron.

* UN in Turkey to probe Syria chemical weapons use UN-appointed inspectors, blocked from entering Syria, are in Turkey to gather information about possible use of chemical weapons in the civil war.

06/26/13

* Netanyahu says Israel will withstand any challenge to its security Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon attended a Golani Brigade war drill on the Golan Heights on Wednesday.

* US Supreme Court in historic rulings on gay marriage The US Supreme Court has struck down a law denying federal benefits to gay couples and cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California.

* Russia said to withdraw military staff from Syria Russia has withdrawn all its military personnel from Syrian soil.

* Abbas: We will only negotiate based on 1967 lines Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Al Jazeera Wednesday that the Palestinians would return to the negotiating table only if Israel accepts the vision of two states based on the 1967 borders.

* Israel's Arabs growing more extreme in views on state Three-quarters of Israeli Arabs believe Arab leaders should deal with daily issues and not the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

* Turkey protests restrict Erdogan's foreign activism The unrest in Turkey is forcing Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to expend his political capital at home.

* King Abdullah warns of Palestinian Arab Spring styled revolt Jordan's King Abdullah said Palestinians could launch an Arab Spring-style revolt if they felt prospects for a peaceful settlement of their conflict with Israel had reached a dead end.

* Haniyeh: PA Arabs Won't Recognize Israel Hamas's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday that Palestinian Authority Arabs would never recognize Israel.

* McDonald's not lovin' the settlements McDonald's Israel on Wednesday said it would not open a branch in the city of Ariel, located beyond the Green Line.

06/25/13

* PM urges Palestinians: Start talks, and stay at them Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu shifted the message Tuesday from calling on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the negotiating table, to calling on him not to bolt once he is there.

* Series of bomb attacks in Iraq kill at least 42 A series of evening bombings near markets in and around Baghdad and other blasts north of the capital killed at least 42 people and wounded dozens of others.

* 'The unrest seeks to distract Turkey's attention from Syria' The documents about provocateurs, organizers and managers of the Turkish protests will be published soon.

* 'Mad invader, eavesdropper': China slams US after Snowden accusations The US has gone from 'model of human rights' to manipulator of internet rights, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party wrote.

* Bennett says peace agreement would lead to bloodshed Senior coalition member and Jewish Home party head Naftali Bennett said that a peace agreement with Palestinians would lead to more rockets and violence.

* Lebanon faces tumult after Syria-related clashes The Lebanese government will try on Tuesday to secure the country after the deadliest violence.

* No EU-Turkey talks until October The restart of EU-Turkey accession talks has been postponed from Wednesday (26 June) until at least October.

* Fugitive Edward Snowden sets superpowers on collision course as Moscow and Beijing lock horns with White House Russia and China are flexing their muscles with Washington as diplomatic relations between the world's greatest economic and political forces plunges to new depths.

* Most Israeli Arabs Support Violent Uprising About 58% of the Arab citizens of Israel say that the Palestinian Authority Arabs would be justified in starting a violent rebellion.

* 1,800-Year-Old Road Found in Jerusalem An ancient road that led from Yafo (Jaffa) to Jerusalem has been found in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.

6/22/13

* Standoff between Hamas, Islamic Jihad behind rocket fire on Israel Conflicting allegiances on Syria come between Iran, Hamas; the beneficiary: Gaza's second largest, currently richest, terror group.

* Israel hits Gaza targets in response to rocket fire Military says it struck weapons facility and rocket-launching site, after 6 rockets hit southern Israel; defense minister orders border crossings closed.

* Syria decries 'dangerous' decision to arm rebels FM Walid al-Moallem says Western interference will only prolong fighting and hinder peace talks.

* New book delves into logos that evoke loyalty - and fear Terrorism may be a bloody business, but it is still a business, say the authors of 'Branding Terror'.

* IDF holds drill simulating jihadist attack Security source says inter-organizational cooperation is good.

* British Government Unveils Hundreds of Top Secret UFO Files The British government declassified hundreds of materials about unidentified flying objects. 

* Analysis: Syrian civil war eroding Hezbollah's forces Hezbollah suffers loss of personnel, but exact losses unknown.

* 'Iran needs 18 months to produce the bomb' If only to deal a blow to the ayatollahs, Assad must go, says the head of the Iran desk at Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

* Anti-Semites are not true Christians, pope says Rabbi meets Francis I, calls pontiff 'a very good friend of the Jewish people'.

* THE LITTLE LION: SYRIA'S 11-YEAR-OLD KILLING MACHINE Mohammed Afar is 11 years old. The modified AK-47 assault rifle he carries stretches to nearly two-thirds his height.

06/22/13

* Chaos and Middle East Wars! The Middle East is ablaze even without a declared war!

* Netanyahu: Iran seeks nuclear arsenal of 200 bombs Iran seeks to build an arsenal of 200 atomic bombs, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned.

* Iran to deploy '4000-strong force' to Syria as US military set to stay in Jordan Iran will deploy 4,000 Revolutionary Guards to Syria to bolster Damascus against a mostly Sunni-led insurgency.

* Israel used Palestinian minors as human shields, detain and torture - UN Thousands of Palestinian children were systematically injured, tortured and used as human shields by Israel, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reported.

* Leaders in Arab states face new 'people power' As sanitation workers descended Sunday on Istanbul's newly emptied Taksim Square, the debris, barricades, gas canisters and burned vehicles they faced loomed as monuments to a clash of wills and generations.

* Putin slams West for plan to arm Syrian rebels Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Friday against arming the Syrian rebels.

* Jordan hosts 900 US troops to shield against Syria Jordan's prime minister says the country is hosting 900 U.S. military personnel to bolster its defense capabilities.

* 100,000 Morsi backers stage show of force in Egypt More than 100,000 supporters of Egypt's Islamist president staged a show of force Friday.

* Arab World: Will Egypt's Morsi weather the storm? With mass demonstrations scheduled for June 30, a new poll has shown that the popularity of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has dropped from 57 percent.

* Apocalyptic Floods Hit India, Over 1000 Dead Early monsoon rains have swept northern India, causing floods and landslides, killing at least 600 and leaving tens of thousands missing.

06/21/13

* US, Russia to hold Syria talks in Geneva next week Senior US and Russian officials will meet the international mediator on Syria.

* New Iranian president tied to Jewish center bombing Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be famous for wanting to kill Jews, but his predecessor, the allegedly "moderate" Hassan Rohani, has apparently actually done so.

* Security guard shoots, kills man at Western Wall A Jewish man was killed on Friday morning at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem after being shot multiple times by a security guard.

* Egypt Islamists mass in Cairo as tensions mount Tens of thousands of Egyptian Islamists gathered for a show of strength in Cairo on Friday.

* One Million March in Mass Protest in Brazil An estimated one million people protested in the streets of Brazil on Thursday.

* UFO sightings: Files explain why MoD closed down special desk The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk because it served "no defence purpose" and was taking staff away from "more valuable defence-related activities".

* Despite world's highest per capita military spending, Gulf states can't defend themselves Gulf Cooperation Council states have reached the highest level of military spending per capita in the world.

* 'They are killing each other': Western weapons for Syrian rebels will intensify war The US decision to arm the Syrian rebels fighting government troops has sparked feuds among various rebel factions dominated by radical Islamist fighters.

* Kerry to defend Syria policy in Mideast visit US Secretary of State John Kerry will confront concerns Saturday from Mideast and European allies.

* IDF completes major navy, ground, air force drill The IDF completed a major combined forces drill on Thursday which began at the start of the week.

06/20/13

* PM to Ashton: If Hezbollah is not a terrorist group, who is? Prime Minister Binyamin took a swipe at the EU Thursday morning for not blacklisting Hezbollah.

* Israel to be First in World with F-35 Fighter Jets Lockheed Martin Aircraft Industries has announced that Israel will be the first nation to receive its F-35 stealth fighter jets.

* Newly appointed Palestinian Authority PM Hamdallah resigns The new Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, Thursday submitted his resignation to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

* No rift with Hezbollah, Hamas official insists Just three days after Hamas publicly lambasted Hezbollah for its military involvement in Syria, a Hamas official denied relations between the two movements were cut.

* Free Syrian Army Accuses Hizbullah of Using Chemical Weapons The opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) reported on Wednesday that chemical weapons had been used in a Damascus town by Hizbullah terrorists.

* Egyptian Program to Spread 'Blood-Curdling Genocidal Fantasies' The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has called upon the Obama Administration to publicly pressure the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood-backed regime of Mohammed Morsi to cancel the broadcast of a viciously anti-Semitic television series.

* Police arrest Jew, Arabs involved in Temple Mount fight A Jewish man and two Islamic religious officials were arrested by Jerusalem police on Thursday.

* Four days after pledging aid for Syrian rebels, Obama backs down President Barack Obama, less than a week after approving U.S. military aid to Sunni rebels, has backed away from proposals meant to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.

* Iran Neighbor Accepts First Israeli Ambassador The Central Asian state of Turkmenistan, which shares a 1,000 kilometer border with Iran, has accepted the credentials of the first ever Israeli ambassador to the country.

* US police: 2 men built X-ray gun to zap 'enemies of Israel' US authorities accused two men of assembling a portable X-ray weapon that they intended to use to secretly sicken opponents of Israel.

06/19/13

* US war games in Jordan send warning message to Assad Under the watchful eye of stern-faced American advisers, hundreds of U.S.-trained Jordanian commandos fanned across this dusty desert plain.

* Turkish police can't stop protests; Erdogan may deploy army, NATO's 2nd largest Turkey, unable to halt anti-government protests, has threatened to deploy the Army to restore order.

* Syria's Islamists seize control as moderates dither As the Syrian civil war got under way, a former electrician who calls himself Sheikh Omar built up a brigade of rebel fighters.

* Jews arrested for Temple Mount prayer Four Jewish Israelis were arrested at the Temple Mount Wednesday after praying in the Jerusalem compound.

* Quartet's Tony Blair: Nuclear Iran Worse Than Military Option Quartet envoy Tony Blair told Presidential Conference participants Wednesday that facing the prospect of a military confrontation with Tehran is a better option than having to grapple with a nuclear Iran.

* I will seek a demilitarized Palestinian state, says Netanyahu Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett's remarks that the two-state solution has reached a "dead end" prompts angry responses from both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli coalition.

* Saudi's Syria role driven by fear of Shi'ite 'full moon' Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief, Prince Muqrin, once told American diplomats the Middle East's so-called Shi'ite Crescent where the Muslim sect holds sway was "becoming a full moon" as Iranian influence spread.

* Hamas says its Iran ties worsen over Syrian civil war Hamas said on Wednesday its relations with financial backer Iran have suffered as a result of the Islamist group's support of rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

* Fatah warns US against exerting pressure on PA to resume talks The Fatah leadership on Wednesday warned the US Administration against exerting pressure on the Palestinian Authority to resume peace talks with Israel unconditionally.

* Vatican to announce John Paul II 'miracle' The Holy See has yet to reveal what the miracle was or where and when it took place but Vatican sources said it would "amaze the world".

06/18/13

* Israel: Iran's new president will continue nuclear quest Israeli experts continue to caution and erroneously placated West that Iran's new president will press forward with his nation's nuclear arms program.

* Syrian civil war 'dress rehearsal' for world war? A leading Israeli expert on the Middle East suggested last week that with all the foreign involvement in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

* Chevron secures Iraqi Kurdish oil deal U.S. oil giant Chevron says it has signed a deal with Iraq's Kurdish regional government to expand its oil exploration territory in the northern self-rule region.

* Clinton: Israel must make peace in order to survive Former US president Bill Clinton stressed on Monday night that "preparing for the worst" in an uncertain Middle Eastern climate is a sensible attitude for the Jewish State.

* Hamas: 100,000 children to enroll in summer camps As has become customary in recent years, this summer will see hundreds of thousands of small children in Gaza enroll in summer camps organized by terrorist groups.

* Iraq violence: Deadly suicide bomb attacks hit Baghdad At least 31 people have been killed in a double suicide bomb attack at a Shia mosque in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

* Peres, at 90, still going strong As Shimon Peres turns 90, the indefatigable Israeli president is doing what he has always done: looking ahead.

* The future of European Turkey On Saturday night (15 June), central Istanbul descended into apocalyptic scenes of unfettered violence.

* Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ups pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin faced further isolation on the second day of a G8 summit on Tuesday.

* 'What occupation?' Bennett asks, rejecting Palestinian state The idea of a Palestinian state has run its course and Israel must seek another solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.

06/17/13

* Assad warns: Europe will 'pay price' if it arms Syrian rebels Syrian president cautions Europe against arming "terrorists."

* Bennett: Two-state solution at dead end; Erekat: Israel not serious about peace At settler conference, Bayit Yehudi head calls to annex Area C: "We have to move from solving the problem to living with the problem."

* Hamas to Hezbollah: Leave Syria and focus on fighting Israel instead Hamas says Hezbollah involvement inflames sectarian conflict in Syria; Saudis supply anti-aircraft missiles to rebels.

* Turkish government says it may use army to end protests The Turkish government has said it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by protesters in Istanbul and other cities.

* Russia issues warning on Syria as G8 summit begins Leaders of the G8 nations have begun a summit in Northern Ireland set to be dominated by the conflict in Syria.

* With Rowhani at the helm, all options may no longer be on the table The election of the relative moderate in Iran gives the clerical regime a facade of legitimacy that may protect it from domestic and Western opposition

* Gulf source: Saudis supplying European missiles to Syria rebels Opposition forces armed by Gulf allies, supplied via French, Belgian sources; Riyadh increasingly concerned following defeats at Qusair, entry of Hezbollah into fray

* Ashton to arrive to a J'lem increasingly upset by EU Israeli leaders to tell EU foreign policy chief "obsessive" focus on settlements undermining efforts to resume of peace talks.

* Jerusalem: Arab Youths Attack Jewish Children Two Arab youths attacked a group of Jewish children in Jerusalem's Homat Shmuel (Har Homa) neighborhood.

* Iraq seen as case for and against Syria no-fly zone Patrols over southern Iraq did little to keep Saddam from slaughtering Shiites in 1990s.

06/15/13

* Jordan wargames: Patriot batteries, F-16s and 4,500 US troops near Syrian border Multinational military exercise 'Eager Lion' has been launched in Jordan amid condemnation from neighboring Syria and its ally Russia.

* Obama begins answering Syrian rebels' call for arms US President Barack Obama has ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to provide small, lethal arms to rebel fighters in Syria.

* Moderate Rohani on track for outright Iran election win Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani took a solid lead over conservative rivals on Saturday in preliminary vote counting in Iran's presidential election.

* Russia says illegal to impose no-fly zone over Syria Any attempt to enforce no-fly zone using F-16 jets, Patriot missiles from Jordan would violate int'l law, says Russian FM Sergei Lavrov.

* Turkish protesters vow to stay in Istanbul park Turkish protesters said on Saturday they would not leave an Istanbul park despite a call from the president for them to withdraw.

* Blair: Syria's rebels want democracy; help arm them There are those amongst the Syrian rebels who want a pluralistic society and democracy coming out of all of this.

* Ya'alon: Iranian elections will not bring change Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Saturday said the elections in Iran "won't being any change" to Tehran's policies.

* Thousands of Egypt Islamists rally for Syria jihad Thousands of Islamists rallied in the Egyptian capital on Friday in support of calls by Sunni Muslim clerics for a holy war against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

* Summer camp in Gaza: Kids learn to abduct Israelis The annual Hamas-run summer camp in the Gaza Strip has started up.

* Ban: 'Settlements' Undermine Hopes for Peace United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday slammed Israel's plans to increase construction in Judea and Samaria.

06/14/13

* Iranians vote in key presidential elections Millions of voters across Iran have cast their ballots in the country's presidential elections.

* Russia Hits Back at U.S. Over Syria The Kremlin criticized the U.S. decision to arm Syrian opposition fighters .

* 'US studying Syria no-fly zone near Jordan border' As a part of its proposal to provide military aid to the Syrian rebels, the United States is studying setting up a limited no-fly zone in Syria.

* Ya'alon: Israeli intervention in Syria would not help Israel will not intervene in Syria in part because any such intervention would harm the side Israel favors.

* Egypt Brotherhood backs Syria jihad, denounces Shi'ites Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood blamed Shi'ites for creating religious strife throughout Islam's history.

* UN skeptical of US drums on Syria chemical arms United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed he has received documents from American authorities detailing their findings on chemical weapons use in Syria.

* 'Assad hopes to unite war-torn Syria against Israel' Syrian President Bashar Assad's long term plans include a continued struggle against Israel.

* Khamenei, with mocking graphic, says US elections controlled by 'Zionists' As Iran held presidential elections, the country's religious leader said on his Facebook page that these were freer than those in the United States.

* Gazan, Jewish kids play same 'war games' When I was in fifth grade, my class was taken to Caesarea beach to engage in what apparently would be described now as a "series of combat and guerilla warfare drills."

* Professors: Stop calling Israel an occupier Professors participating in an international conference at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv this week explained that international law that does necessarily support the claim that Israel is imposing a belligerent occupation on Judea and Samaria.

06/13/13

* US, Israeli defense chiefs meeting under shadow of arms transfers Hafez Assad kept Hezbollah on a short leash.

* PM: Israel ready to defend itself against another Holocaust Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday that Israel will take any necessary means to prevent a repetition of the Holocaust and that it is prepared to defend itself, alone if necessary.

* UN report says 93,000 killed in Syrian conflict The death toll in Syria reached at least 93,000 at the end of April.

* Morsi's rule said threatened by impending protests Mohammed Morsi's rule in Egypt may end only one year after it began.

* Rumors of war in the north Earlier this week, the US government warned Americans to steer clear of Israel's northern Golan Heights.

* Despite secrecy, interest builds around mysterious First Temple find outside Bethlehem A mysterious First Temple-era archaeological find under a Palestinian orchard near Bethlehem is increasingly gaining attention.

* The Return of Crusader Theology The WCC also took aim at Christians who dare to support Israel, the reviled "Christian Zionists".

* Hot Mic Catches Egyptian Politician Discussing 'War' with 'Enemies' Israel and America Just last month, Secretary of State John Kerry quietly sent Egypt an additional $1.3 billion, even though Egypt has failed to live up to democracy standards.

* Journalists Tour Temple Mount A group of leading journalists, most of them with religious backgrounds, toured the Temple Mount Thursday.

* Turkey's Erdogan gives final warning to protesters Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday his patience had run out after almost two weeks of anti-government protests.

06/12/13

* UN: Israel-Syria peace in danger, add Golan peacekeepers A spillover of violence from Syria's civil war into the Israeli Golan Heights is jeopardizing a decades old ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

* The Two-State Solution Was Tried 91 Years Ago In 1920, Great Britain was given the responsibility by the League of Nations to oversee the Mandate over the geographical territory known as Palestine.

* Days before vote, huge majority of Iranians favor Sharia law Iranians favor implementing Sharia law in Iran by a huge majority.

* Blacklisting Hezbollah still on the table, EU says The European Union's mission to Israel on Wednesday denied claims it had decided not to list Hezbollah as a terror group.

* Man of Steel: The top 20 reasons why Superman is Jesus 'I think the relationship between Jesus and Superman is not a thing we invented in this film, it is a thing that has been talked about since the creation of Superman.'

* Black hole caught napping after meal A black hole 11 million light-years away has gone dormant, a decade after being spotted consuming cosmic debris.

* Pope Francis 'confirms Vatican gay lobby and corruption' Pope Francis is reported to have acknowledged the existence of a "gay lobby" inside the Vatican.

* Putin inaugurates new movement amid fresh protests Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the helm of a new political movement called the Popular Front.

* Iran elections: Presidential candidates in final day of campaign Iran's six presidential hopefuls are wrapping up their final day of campaigning ahead of Friday's elections.

* Gaza kids play 'kidnap Israeli soldier' in summer camp In a somewhat unorthodox summer camp in the Gaza Strip, children aged between six and 16 picked up AK-47s and engaged in a series of quasi-military drills.

06/11/13

* Putin: Iran Maintains Right to Nuclear Program Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Iran maintains the right to a peaceful nuclear program.

* Steinitz: Iran is Getting Closer to Nuclear 'Red Line' Iran is getting closer to reaching the "red line" of nuclear capability set out by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

* Iraqi Shiite fighters' Syria role raises tensions The Iraqi Shiite fighter's family is urging him to stop risking his life by traveling to Syria.

* Police crush barricades in Istanbul square Hundreds of riot police overran improvised barricades at Istanbul's Taksim Square on Tuesday, firing tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.

* Turkey protests: PM Erdogan issues stern warning Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that he will not show "any more tolerance" for protests.

* Ahead of vote, Iranian opposition kept indoors Four years after Iranians took to the streets to demonstrate against the results of a presidential election, the authorities are taking no chances this time.

* PM: Palestinians set preconditions to avoid talks The Palestinians are setting preconditions to avoid talks.

* Europe alarmed by US surveillance The EU is demanding assurances that Europeans are not having their rights infringed by a massive US surveillance program.

* Russian Duma passes law banning 'gay propaganda' Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, has passed a law imposing heavy fines for providing information about homosexuality to people under 18.

* Israel's Existence Disproves Christian Replacement Theology In an article published in a local Israeli newspaper around the time of Israel's 65th Independence Day, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Har-Noy puzzled over the fact that there are still so many Bible-believing Jews who refuse to celebrate the Jewish state's modern rebirth.

06/10/13

* Video of the Day: 65 Years of the Israeli Army This year marks not only the 65th anniversary of the State of Israel, but also of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which was forged by bringing together the various Jewish militias operating in the area prior to 1948.

* Syrian war enters new phase, no end in sight Syrian army building forces around Aleppo, as rebels look to relieve pressure with counter attacks; Iraqi Shiite fighters seen entering Syria

* Turkish protesters hold fast despite Erdogan warning A core of Turkish protesters showed little sign of easing their occupation of a central Istanbul square on Monday after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned his patience may run out over the worst anti-government unrest in years.

* Iran's apocalyptic policy makers Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the Iranian nuclear scientist who was killed in a bomb blast, was not only a man of science but also a man of faith. 

* Op-Ed: Iran invades Turkey (with Obama's help) Erdogan thought he was immune to such an Iranian invasion. Erdogan was wrong.

* 'US close to OK on arming Syrian rebels' Opposition leaders' warning that rebellion could face devastating losses without greater support prompts the Obama administration to consider taking drastic action.

* Islamists said to execute 15-year-old Syrian boy for heresy Members of an al Qaeda-linked Islamist group in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo executed a 15-year-old boy in front of his parents on Sunday as punishment for what the group regarded as a heretical comment, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

* Turkish opposition leader criticizes Erdogan Anti-government protests continue, PM raises rhetoric whips followers into frenzy, vows to strike back; world watches.

* Can national parliaments make the EU more legitimate? The EU has long had a problem of legitimacy, but the euro crisis has made it worse.

* Liberman: Stop 'pointless' dialog with the European Union Yisrael Beytenu leader demands EU declare Hezbollah a terrorist group in letter to Ashton, says failure to do so would make EU irrelevant; EU: No final decision made yet about Hezbollah.

06/08/13

* Weeklong protests crack Turkey's international image A violent police crackdown on a small environmental sit-in at Istanbul's central Taksim Square has done more than spawn a week of protests across the country.

* UN: Russia Can't Take Part in Golan Heights Force The United Nations said on Friday that Russia cannot send troops to the Golan Heights peacekeeping force.

* NATO data: Assad winning the war for Syrians' hearts and minds After two years of civil war, support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad was said to have sharply increased.

* PA Arabs Fete 'New Mahdi," Establishment of Calpihate Thousands of PA Arabs participated in a mass rally in Ramallah earlier this week.

* Al-Qaida leader calls for Jihad against Israel Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri urged Syrians to unite to bring down President Bashar Assad.

* Paris museum opens exhibit of Palestinian 'martyrs' A Paris museum subsidized by the French government opened an exhibition of photos of Palestinian suicide bombers, which the museum calls freedom fighters.

* Russia permanently deploys Navy in Mediterranean Russia has deployed a naval unit to the Mediterranean Sea.

* Hezbollah a bunch of 'Iranian-controlled killers' The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah is causing an uproar in the Muslim world over its involvement in the Syrian conflict.

* Chinese leader Xi Jinping joins Obama for summit Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama have begun a two-day summit in California.

* 'Racism' or extinction Once again we hear voices crying out that Israel is a "racist" state.

06/07/13

* Syrian Army Retakes Quneitra Syrian regime forces on Thursday retook the Quneitra crossing, the only crossing along the Israel-Syria ceasefire line in the Golan Heights.

* Concern after UN Golan Pullout: Hizbullah on Two Fronts? Syrian rebels on Thursday briefly seized the only crossing along the Israel-Syria ceasefire line on the Golan, before regime forces recaptured it using tanks.

* Russia permanently deploys Navy in Mediterranean Russia has deployed a naval unit to the Mediterranean Sea.

* Syria conflict: Army 'retakes Golan Heights crossing' The Syrian army has taken control of a UN-monitored crossing in the Golan Heights that had been overrun by rebel forces.

* Turkey clashes: Thousands rally as PM Erdogan returns Thousands of supporters of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have greeted him at Istanbul airport on his return from a North African tour.

* Putin: Russia can replace Austria in UN Golan force Russia is ready to replace peacekeepers from Austria in the Golan Heights, President Vladimir Putin said.

* Thousands turn out for Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade A record-breaking 100,000 people from Israel and abroad took part in the annual Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade Friday.

* US calls for restraint from Israel, Syria US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki warned both Israel and Syria to avoid any rash action that might jar a volatile situation along the Israeli-Syrian border.

* Chinese leader Xi Jinping set for Obama summit Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in California for summit talks with US President Barack Obama.

* Turkey protests: Erdogan rejects EU criticism Turkey must investigate the excessive use of force by police against anti-government protesters, a senior EU official has said in Istanbul.

06/06/13

* Al-Qaida leader calls for Jihad against Israel Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri urged Syrians to unite to bring down President Bashar Assad.

* Austria to pull peacekeepers from Golan ceasefire area Austria will withdraw its peacekeepers from the UN monitoring force on the Golan Heights given worsening fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels.

* Syrian tanks in Golan; Austria withdraws peacekeeping forces In wake of ongoing battles in the Golan Heights, Austria has announced it is withdrawing its forces from the UNDOF peacekeeping force active in the region.

* Iran, Hizbullah to 'Fight to the Death' for Assad Iran and Hizbullah are doing everything they can to keep Bashar Assad in power in Syria.

* Hamas denies endorsing ties with Hezbollah A Hamas military spokesman on Wednesday denied that his movement supports an alliance with the Shiite Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

* 'Anti-Semitism Pervades Al Qaeda Magazine' In an ongoing effort to recruit and attract jihadists, Al Qaeda's "Inspire" magazine continues to promote anti-Semitic narratives.

* Council of Europe: Stop settlement construction Israel must stop settlement construction and release Palestinian parliamentarians from prison.

* Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover reaching turning point Nasa is finally thinking about getting its Curiosity rover on the road and heading towards the big mountain at its exploration site in Mars' Gale Crater.

* Babies practise crying in the womb, Durham researchers claim They believe the foetus is "learning" how to communicate after birth, through crying or grimacing in the womb.

* US 'orders Verizon to disclose millions of phone records' Senior US Senator Dianne Feinstein has confirmed the secret court order was a three-month renewal of an ongoing practice.

06/05/13

* Cyber espionage bug attacking Middle East, but Israel untouched - so far Computers in diplomatic missions and government offices worldwide have again been struck by a major virus, according to cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky Lab.

* Turkey rocked by spreading popular protests against Islamization Turkey's Islamist government has faced the greatest unrest in its more than decade-long rule.

* Tony Blair: Terrorism, extremism point to 'a problem within Islam' Former British prime minister Tony Blair wrote Sunday in the UK's Daily Mail about what he said was "a problem within Islam" that must be faced in the aftermath of the slaying of British soldier Lee Rigby.

* PA Arabs Fete 'New Mahdi," Establishment of Calpihate Thousands of PA Arabs participated in a mass rally in Ramallah earlier this week.

* Congressmen urge US to move embassy to Jerusalem The heads of the bipartisan Congressional Israel Allies Caucus urged the American administration on Tuesday to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

* 'Israel opposes int'l forces as part of peace deal' Even as US Secretary of State John Kerry has been keeping details of Washington's vision for a possible Israeli-Palestinian peace deal very much under wraps.

* Belgian lawmaker tramples Israeli flag at pro-Assad rally A Belgian lawmaker trampled the Israeli flag at a support rally for Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar Assad held in front of Israel’s embassy in Brussels.

* Thousands of Iranians chant to end dictatorship Tens of thousands of Iranians chanted for the downfall of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

* White House foreign policy shake-up: Donilon out, Rice in President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

* Netanyahu to Abbas, in English: 'Give peace a chance' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to return to the negotiating table without preconditions.

06/04/13

* Israel prepares as war clouds gather: Russia's determination to supply S-300 missiles to Assad's Syrian regime raises fears of arming Hezbollah From the window of Shrifa Schlomitz's dental surgery at the top of a high rise in the Stella Maris area of Haifa, you can clearly see the three Patriot missile batteries.

* Improbable new pact shows Iran's ally in Baghdad is losing power Just six months ago, Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, was buzzing.

* S-300 missiles not yet sent to Syria, Putin says President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia hasn't yet fulfilled a contract to send sophisticated S-300 air defense missile systems to Syria.

* US spills Israeli missile defense secrets The US government has publicized classified information detailing the location, design and specifications of a launch site to be built from this summer for Israel's new Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system.

* Experts Join Forces in New Book to Combat Online Hate Two of the U.S's leading experts on bigoted speech and the Internet have joined forces as authors of a new book.

* Erdogan Not in Serious Trouble Yet, Claims Expert Middle East expert, Dr. Mordechai Kedar, said Tuesday that Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not facing an "Arab Spring" type rebellion.

* Bolton: Action Needed Now Against Iran Tens of thousands of supporters of Israel joined together Sunday at the Israel Day Concert in Central Park after the traditional parade.

* France: No doubt sarin nerve gas used in Syria France said on Tuesday that there was no doubt the Syrian government had used nerve agent sarin against rebels.

* Protestors in Turkey: "We want some freedom" Sitting on a concrete ledge surrounding Istanbul's Gezi Park overlooking a roadblock constructed from piles of rubble, high school student Alper Kuzgun is working on his math homework.

* China, Russia set to press Iran on nuclear talks China and Russia are expected to join four Western powers in voicing deep concern about Iran's atomic activities this week.

06/03/13

* Israel now has 80 nuclear warheads, report says Think tank: Total number of atomic weapons dropping worldwide, but possession is 'still a marker of international status'.

* Iraq warns Israel against overflight en route to strike Iran Deputy PM says violation of his country's airspace to hit Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities would bring 'consequences'.

* Iraq uncovers al-Qaeda 'chemical weapons plot' The authorities in Iraq say they have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America.

* Muslim Brotherhood cleric calls for Sunni jihad in Syria The spiritual mentor of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement has risked further inflaming sectarian tension across the Middle East by using highly charged religious rhetoric to call for a Sunni "jihad" in Syria.

* Blair says extremism within Islam can't be ignored Mideast peace envoy and former British PM calls for intervention to 'sow the seeds of peace' in order to protect home front.

* Protests 'no Turkish Spring', says PM Erdogan PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says four days of anti-government protests do not constitute a Turkish Spring.

* Gulf countries to consider action against Hezbollah Arab countries might take action on Lebanese movement if it continues Syria involvement, interferes in Gulf Arab affairs.

* Egypt deploys air, ground and naval forces to Sinai In effort to crack down on Islamist terrorist groups, Cairo dispatches helicopters, infantry and ships to border zone with Israeli consent.

* Drill: PM Views Soldiers Simulating Chemical War 'Victims' Prime Minister Netanyahu attends war drill, says Israel is preparing itself for war in new ways.

* EU arms to Syria: what, how and if The EU officially lifted its arms embargo on Syria on Saturday (1 June).

06/01/13

* Assad: Arab world ready to join fight against Israel Syrian president says Russia committed to military deals, claims that government forces are gaining upper hand in fighting rebels.

* Iraq violence: May was deadliest month for years - UN The United Nations says more than 1,000 people were killed in Iraq in May, the highest monthly death toll for years.

* Merkel and Hollande call for full-time euro President One day after he rejected EU "dictates" on economic policy, French leader Francois Hollande and Germany's Angela Merkel have called for the creation of a full-time euro "President."

* Memo to Sec. Kerry: The emerging Middle East matrix is less hostile to Israel The Iran of the Shah was friendly to Israel, but the theocracy that overthrew it is not.

* Turkey protests continue; Erdogan says police use of force excessive For second day in row, protesters clash with police in Istanbul in anti-Erdogan demonstrations; police use tear-gas, pressurized water to disperses them as protests spread around country, while Erdogan claims protest are not organic, result of 'game' some circles in country are playing.

* PM indicated to Putin: 'Well destroy your missiles if you deliver them to Assad' After Netanyahu made clear he would not allow the S-300 anti-aircraft weapons to go into service, the Russian president reportedly suggested Israel buy them instead.

* Asteroid 1998 QE2 flies past Earth An asteroid that measures nearly 2.7km (1.7 miles) across has flown past the Earth.

* Tehran says US, not Iran, sponsors terror Spokesman for Iran's UN mission rejects US State Department report that claims terror activity highest since 1990s.

* In a hospital parking lot, Israel prepares for chemical war Maximum speed, minimum contamination are the watchwords, as Jerusalem drills for a devastating WMD strike.

* Russia to send nuclear submarines to southern seas Russia plans to resume nuclear submarine patrols in the southern seas after a hiatus of more than 20 years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Saturday, in another example of efforts to revive Moscow's military.