10/2/14

* Hamas Agrees with Netanyahu: 'We want an Islamic State' While it may reject Israel's existence, Hamas certainly agrees with Prime MInister Binyamin Netanyahu - and disagrees with the US State Department - that its "ultimate goal" is to establish an "Islamic state" (caliphate) over what it sees as the "occupied lands of Palestine."

* Netanyahu: Obama Needs to Learn the Facts on Jerusalem What began as a reportedly amicable meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday ended in fresh strain on US-Israel ties over construction in Jerusalem.

* Palestinians submit statehood plea to UN, want Israel out by 2016 The Palestinians have asked the UN Security Council to set a deadline of November 2016 for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

* Watch: ISIS Fighters Vow 'Revenge' Against the US for Airstrikes As the US-led air campaign against the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria continues, on the ground ISIS fighters are learning to adapt, and striking a defiant message.

* Police Gearing Up for Muslim, Jewish Religious Events on Shabbat With the coincidence this Shabbat of the Jewish Day of Repentance (Yom Kippur) and the Muslim "Festival of the Sacrifice" (Eid al-adha), police are gearing up to make sure that both communities stay out of each others' way to avoid potential clashes.

* Gaza Demands $4 Billion From World to Rebuild After Terror War The Palestinian Authority (PA) unity government on Thursday released a reconstruction plan for Gaza ahead of an October 12 donor conference, in which it called for international donors to fork over $4 billion to rebuild after the terror war launched by Hamas.

* 3 of 4 Israelis Distrust Obama on Mideast Three of four Israelis do not trust US President Barack Obama to manage American policy in the Middle East, a new poll shows.

* Simon Wiesenthal Center Urges to Prosecute Nazi 'Death Squads' The Israeli branch of the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Wednesday urged Germany to prosecute alleged members of Nazi death squads during World War II, giving it a list of 80 suspects.

* J'lem mayor: We won't apologize for building Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat responded to criticism lodged by the US over Israel's controversial plan to build some 2,500 new housing units in southern Jerusalem (beyond the Green Line).

* US says east Jerusalem housing plan 'calls into question Israel's commitment to peace' The State Department accused Israel of acting against the peace process by "poisoning" the atmosphere with the Palestinians and moderate Arab countries, with its plans to build 2,610 new homes in Givat HaMatos in east Jerusalem.