12/16/17

* Muslims may lose Mecca if they fail to hold on to Jerusalem - Erdogan  Muslims may lose Mecca and other holy sites if the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital isn't reversed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned 

* Why U.S. F-22 Stealth Jets and Russian Su-35S Flankers Are Shadow Boxing Over Syria International news media has been crackling with reports of intercept incidents between U.S. and Russian combat aircraft along the Middle Euphrates River Valley (MERV) de-confliction line over Syria since late November. 

* Former U.S. Ambassadors Warn Iran Has Become Top Threat to Middle East  'With the ISIS threat destroyed, malign Iranian interference is now the primary security challenge' 

* Palestinian claims to Jerusalem lose Saudi as well as US support The Palestinians have three major grievances with the Trump administration on Jerusalem, but are most irked by Saudi backing for the Trump peace plan. 

* Erdogan: Turkey Seeking To Annul Trump Decision On Jerusalem At UN  "We will work for the annulment of this unjust decision firstly at the UN Security Council, and if a veto comes from there, the General Assembly," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. 

* Will Israel Ever Accept Messianic Jews?  Indeed, Messianic Jews are largely shunned by mainstream Jewish communities around the world, and are commonly seen as proselytizers. 

* Nazareth Mayor Says Christmas Celebrations Will Be Held As Normal  Nazareth, the largest Arab town in Israel with a population of 76,000 Muslims and Christians and is one of the Holy Land's focal points of Christmas festivities. 

* Jerusalem, Israel's Capital: Watch the Masks Fall  Many analysts say that US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a campaign promise to evangelical Christian and right-wing Jewish voters, but there is another way of looking at it. 

* California Megachurch Dabbling in Occult  Bethel Church, a California non-denominational charismatic megachurch, has aligned itself with a group that promotes what are essentially satanic tarot cards to perform 'readings' on its members. 

* EU stresses unity as it launches next phase of Brexit talks  The BRICS counties are considering starting an internal gold trading platform, according to Russian officials.