* Hamas Admires Obama U.S. President Barack Obama’s tough stance towards Israel since he has taken office has apparently struck a chord with none other than Hamas.

* Palin: Jerusalem is Israel’s Capital – not a Settlement Sarah Palin told 85 GOP freshmen Congressmen in an open letter, “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement.”

* ‘Death to America and Israel’ Slogans at Muslim Hajj Pilgrimage Tens of thousands of Muslims chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” at the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

* Arab League Set to Reject Freeze, Waits for Better US Offers The Arab League is waiting to see if the Obama administration will offer it further inducements to entice the Palestinian Authority into direct talks.

* Israel missile defense to be completed by 2015 Israel’s planned multi-layered air defense network combines short-range rocket interceptors and kamikaze satellites that target ballistic missiles in space.

* Hizbullah takeover in Lebanon likely, Ashkenazi warns IDF chief of staff says publication of Hariri tribunal’s findings will likely lead to coup d’etat in Beirut.

* Aerospace Security Conference in Jerusalem A conference and exhibition on aerospace technological innovation is taking place at Jerusalem’s Binyanei Ha’Uma conference center this week.

* Arid Israel recycles waste water on grand scale Due to water scarcity in the region, Israel has become a global leader in water reuse technologies; more than 80 percent of household waste water is recycled.

* New CBS report: Muslims over a third of J’lem population Muslims were biggest minority in Israel at end of 2009; birthrate stood at 3.7 children per woman, higher than in Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.

* Israel ‘risks chaos without peace’, official warns The Palestinian leadership could fall apart without significant progress towards peace with Israel, which would be a major setback for Israel, a senior Israeli intelligence official has said.