07/16/13

* Thousands gather at Western Wall for annual fast At sunset on July 15, the start of the fast of the Ninth of Av, the city of Jerusalem mostly shut down to mourn the destruction of the first and second Jewish temples.

* Tisha B'Av: Jews Banned from Temple Mount Jewish worshippers hoping to ascend the Temple Mount in commemoration of Tisha B'Av were bitterly disappointed as, once again, police prevented them from ascending.

* Russian military stages biggest war games since Soviet times 160,000 servicemen, 1000 tanks, 130 planes and 70 ships are taking part in Russia's biggest military drill since Soviet times.

* Mortar Fire from Syria Hits Golan Mortar fire from inside war-torn Syria hit the Israeli part of the Golan Heights on Tuesday.

* Iran's Rouhani affirms support for Syria, Hezbollah Iranian president-elect sent messages to Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, reaffirming support for the two allies.

* EU Redraws Israel Borders to 1949 Lines The European Union has issued orders forbidding its member states from cooperating, transferring funds, giving scholarships or research grants to bodies in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem , and even the Golan Heights.

* New EU directive bars all dealings with Israeli-held areas over the pre-1967 lines A dramatic new directive published by the European Union bars its 28 members from all cooperation with Israeli entities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

* Israel scratching its head after US officials (again) leak Syria strike In the wake of Israeli media reports about "anger" in Jerusalem over American leaks to CNN and The New York Times regarding an alleged Israeli attack in Syria this month, official sources clarified to The Times of Israel Monday that "there is no anger toward the administration."

* John Bolton: Israel should have attacked Iran 'yesterday' Former US ambassador to the UN says every day that goes by "puts Israel in greater danger," urges Israel to stop waiting.

* Kerry to meet with Abbas in Jordan for peace push US Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss his effort to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with Arab officials in Jordan on Wednesday.