* Hamas: Israel will be wiped off the map Voices from within Hamas called out loudly for Israel’s destruction on Monday, following an IAF attack on a Hamas lawmaker’s home Sunday night.

* Lebanon clashes ‘kill civilians’ New clashes between troops and Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon have killed at least eight civilians.

* U.S. policy turnabout may enable Israel to enter talks with Syria Washington has given Israel the green light to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad’s call for peace talks.

* Poland triumphant after icy EU-Russia summit Polish politicians and analysts are celebrating EU solidarity after Berlin and Brussels took Warsaw’s line at the EU-Russia summit.

* Report: Iran to buy Russian air defense system via Syria Syria has agreed to supply Iran with at least 10 out of 50 air defense systems that Damascus is in the process of buying from Russia.

* Chief Rabbinate Finalizes Ban on Christian Women’s Conference The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, after hearing more testimony, reiterated its ban on Jewish participation in the Christian-sponsored conferences in Jerusalem this week.

* Turks rally for secularism Tens of thousands of Turks have rallied in the northern city of Samsun in the latest of a series of weekly pro-secular demonstrations against the government ahead of elections.

* New Knesset Task Force on Jewish Life in Judea and Samaria The explosive issues that arise in connection with Jewish life in Judea and Samaria have inspired the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to create a special task force.

* G8 ministers put Africa in focus G8 finance ministers have warned against giving African countries cheap loans that they will struggle to repay.

* Arab Broadcasts from America: For or Against Democracy? The director of an U.S. government-funded all-Arabic television network is sitting in the hot seat for broadcasting programs he says are designed to compete with Arabic TV stations.