By: Maayana Miskin – Arutz Sheva

The Israel Land Fund, a group dedicated to restoring Jewish property in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, is reportedly looking east. According to AFP, the organization plans to begin buying historically Jewish properties in Jordan as well.

Many Jews purchased land in what is now Jordan during the British Mandate, when such land was seen primarily as part of the greater Land of Israel. In 1946 Jordan declared independence as an Arab, Muslim country. Two years later, the state of Israel declared independence, and Jordan’s rulers confiscated Jewish-owned land in their own country for state use.

Israel Land Fund chairman Aryeh King told AFP that his organization has proof that thousands of properties in present-day Jordan were historically Jewish, adding, “We have records of the ownership.”

The plan is in its early stages, and no properties in Jordan have been bought to date. Purchasing would likely take place with the help of Jews in Europe, King said, as Israelis are prohibited from buying land in Jordan under Jordanian law.

The same Jordanian law is enforced by the Palestinian Authority, which views the sale of land to Jews or Israelis as a capital offense. The Land Fund manages to circumvent PA law by buying land through middlemen. In many cases, the group also helps Arab sellers to flee the country in order to avoid PA retribution.

Jewish properties bought or reclaimed by the Israel Land Fund in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are guarded and used to build homes for Jewish activists. It was not clear what would be done with property reclaimed in Jordan.

AFP noted that if the plan were to succeed, it could cause anger in Jordan, where anti-Israel sentiment runs high despite a 1994 peace treaty.

By: Sharon Roffe-Ofir – Yedioth Internet

Thousands of Arab children headed to Jerusalem Saturday to celebrate the annual festival of the Al-Aqsa Children’s Fund initiative, which prompts Muslim youngsters to donate their allowance in favor of the mosque and Islamic Movement institutions.

The movement’s Northern Branch’s Deputy Chairman, Sheikh Kamel Khatib, spoke to the children and stressed that Muslims will never give up any parts of the holy Muslim site.

About 200 buses packed with children from Arab communities nationwide headed to Jerusalem since early morning hours. The children presented the cashboxes from their communities, and Islamic Movement officials estimated that a total of NIS 3 million (roughly $750,000) was raised this year. The event was attended by movement heads, sheikhs, and Arab dignitaries, including Sheikh Khatib who arrived with his four children.

‘A big lie’

In his speech to the youngsters, Khatib said: “We have no partners here at the mosque,” referring to Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich’s recent visit to the site. “The al-Aqsa Mosque is a holy and occupied place, just like the whole of Jerusalem, which was occupied by the IDF in 1967. The occupation must be removed from the mosque in particular, and from Jerusalem in general.”

“The Jews should not be thinking that they can build their Temple on the ruins of the al-Aqsa Mosque,” Khatib said. “This day won’t come. Those who dream that we, the Muslims, will renounce part of the al-Aqsa mosque should know that their dream will not see the light.”

The Al-Aqsa Children’s Fund initiative was launched eight years ago and has become increasingly popular among Islamic Movement members. Homes of movement members are equipped with cashbox that the children contribute to daily.
Police officials seized the money raised by the movement last year, claiming it was meant to fund Hamas. Northern Branch activists say that the move was tantamount to theft.

“They stole the children’s money, and the time has come to pay it back,” Khatib told Ynet. “The claim that we collected money for Hamas is a big lie. The money is aimed for one and only objective – the al-Aqsa Mosque.”

* Israeli official: US should honor past deals Israel’s deputy prime minister said Tuesday that U.S. calls for a freeze on West Bank settlement construction run counter to past agreements.

* Arrests at new Iranian protests Iranian riot police are reported to have arrested a number of pro-reform protesters in Tehran after demonstrations turned violent.

* Amman revoking Palestinians’ citizenship Jordanian authorities have started revoking the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians living in Jordan to avoid a situation in which they would be “resettled” permanently in the kingdom.

* Amar: US settlement policy contravenes Torah Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar called this week on American Jews to explain to the Obama administration the religious obligation of every Jew to live in every part of the Land of Israel.

* Iraq cleric on rare public visit Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has made a rare public appearance in Syria, where he met President Bashar Assad.

* Russia, France up pressure to halt e. J’lem construction One day after the United States demanded that Israel stop building projects in east Jerusalem, Russia joined the call.

* Dead Sea a Finalist in World Wonder Contest A panel of experts chose the Dead Sea Tuesday as one of 28 finalists competing in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest.

* Evangelicals back Israel in Washington Over 4,000 Christians are gathering in Washington this week to advocate for Israel on Capitol Hill.

* Cyprus remains tough on Turkey’s EU talks Cyprus will continue to block Turkey’s EU talks until Ankara stops acting like a “neighbourhood bully”.

* Asia to Experience Lengthy Eclipse Wednesday Hundreds of millions of people across Asia are waiting to witness what is being described as the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century.

* Moon astronauts urge Mars mission Two of the astronauts who took part in the first Moon landing 40 years ago have called for renewed efforts to send a manned mission to Mars.

* Khatami urges referendum on poll The former President of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, has called for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government, following June’s disputed elections.

* Israel condemns Iran-PA meeting Israel has accused a senior Palestinian official of meeting “the extreme enemies of peace” after he held talks with Iran’s foreign minister.

* Sheikh Khatib: We’ll never give up al-Aqsa Islamic Movement leader tells Arab children Israeli occupation of Jerusalem must end

* “The Temple Will Never be Rebuilt,” Islamist Movement Says The deputy chief of the Islamist movement in Israel Kimal Al-Khatib told thousands of children in a Saturday Islamist protest on the Temple Mount that the Jewish Temple will never be rebuilt.

* Jews to Reclaim Land in Jordan? The Israel Land Fund, a group dedicated to restoring Jewish property in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, is reportedly looking east.

* 60 million people need swine flu vaccine Sixty million Europeans will need priority vaccination against swine flu, EU health commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has said.

* Netanyahu defies U.S. on East Jerusalem settlement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he would not take orders over Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem, rejected on Sunday a U.S. demand to halt plans to build more homes for Jews in the disputed area.

* Lebanese forces near Israeli border on alert Tensions along northern border heightened following series of incidents, including fire at Hezbollah arms cache, infiltration of unarmed civilians into Israel

* Ayatollah warns against helping Iran’s enemies Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned senior officials on Monday not to help Tehran’s enemies after two former presidents expressed defiant opposition to the result of June’s disputed presidential poll.

* In video: When man went to the Moon Forty years ago, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon.

* Israeli warships rehearse for Iran attack in Red Sea Israeli warships have deployed to the Red Sea for what has been described as a rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran.

* Mass Protest Planned Against Jewish Nation’s Land Sale A major protest in Jerusalem, and at 50 junctions around the country, is planned for Sunday.

* Provocation in north: Lebanese cross border waving Hezbollah flags Fifteen Lebanese citizens, including several children, crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel Friday evening.

* Fugitive linked to Jakarta blasts Indonesian officials say there are “strong indications” a key wanted fugitive was behind Friday’s deadly attacks on two hotels in Jakarta.

* Sharia trial for Somalia hostages Two French security advisers seized in Somalia will be tried under Sharia law, an official from their captors.

* Iran: ‘Trust’ needed to end nuclear row The new head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Saturday the Islamic Republic and the West needed to renew efforts to build mutual trust in order to end a dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.

* Sharm El Sheikh NAM strives for bigger role at world arena As the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) wrapped up Thursday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh.

* ‘Turkey hopes one day to open an embassy in East Jerusalem’ Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Friday that his country hopes some day to open its embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem.

* Pope Endorses “World Political Authority” Some in the media are calling it just a statement about “economic justice.” But Pope Benedict XVI’s “Charity in Truth” statement, also known as an encyclical, is a radical document that puts the Roman Catholic Church firmly on the side of an emerging world government.

* ‘Iran greatest global security threat’ US Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes that Iran’s nuclear program is the greatest current threat to global security.

* Fatal blasts hit Jakarta hotels At least nine people have been killed, including two suspected suicide bombers, in two blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

* Israeli warships rehearse for Iran attack in Red Sea Israeli and Egyptian officials said two ships had sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran will “bring down” Western foes Newly re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday his next government “would bring down the global arrogance.”

* Ultra-Orthodox Jews visit Hamas Four members of a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews opposed to the existence of Israel have visited Hamas in Gaza.

* Call for Iran protesters’ release Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Rafsanjani has called for the release of people jailed after protesting at the result of the recent election.

* Britain prepares for 65,000 deaths from swine flu The NHS has been told to plan for a worst-case scenario of 65,000 swine flu deaths this year.

* China’s Rebound Carries U.S., Asia Toward Recovery China’s economic comeback is under way, towing along companies from Intel Corp. to Hyundai Motor Co. and starting to make up for weak demand in other major economies.

* Syria: No Golan, No Talks Damascus has told the United States bluntly that unless Israel agrees as a precondition to hand over the Golan Heights, there will be no further peace talks.

* Israel: Lebanon Army helped Hezbollah hide arms cache The Lebanese Army helped Hezbollah militants destroy evidence of its continued military activity in the south of the country after a hidden arms cache exploded there earlier this week.

By: BBC News

Forty years ago, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon.

A further five missions landed on the lunar surface over the course of the next two-and-a-half-years.

Every Apollo crew made its own place in history as people on Earth watched to see what new discoveries would be made about our planet’s satellite.

APOLLO 11: Armstrong’s one small step

Launched: 16 July 1969.
Landed: 20 July 1969.
Moon activities: 2.5 hours.
Crew: Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Michael Collins.

American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon on 21 July 1969.

Armstrong and his partner Buzz Aldrin spent 21 hours on the lunar surface after Apollo 11’s landing craft touched down.

APOLLO 12: ‘Whoopee’ for second landing

Launched: 14 November 1969.
Landed: 19 November 1969.
Moon activities: 7.5 hours.
Crew: Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, Alan Bean.

The second Apollo Moon landing was not without glitches, beginning with a lightning strike to the Saturn V rocket during launch.

On reaching the Moon’s surface, mission commander Charles “Pete” Conrad reacted in his own unique way.

Sadly, little else of this mission was captured on film, as Alan Bean broke the camera within minutes by pointing it directly at the sun.

APOLLO 14: Golf on the Moon

Launched: 31 January 1971.
Landed: 5 February 1971.
Moon activities: 9 hours.
Crew: Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell.

After the unwanted drama of Apollo 13, which failed to reach the lunar surface, 14 became the first of the “science missions”, focusing on finding clues to the Moon’s origins.

But the crew found time to enjoy themselves, with Commander Alan Shepard famously playing golf at the end of their two-day stay.

APOLLO 15: New focus on science

Launched: 26 July 1971.
Landed: 30 July 1971.
Moon activities: 18.5 hours.
Crew: David Scott, Alfred Worden, James Irwin.

For the Apollo 15 mission astronauts David Scott and Jim Irwin studied with geologists before the journey so they would be able to make the most of their time on the surface.

At the end of the mission, Scott simultaneously dropped a feather and a hammer to prove Galileo’s theory that in a vacuum objects of different mass fall at the same rate.

APOLLO 16: Crew gives Rover a spin

Launched: 16 April 1972.
Landed: 20 April 1972.
Moon activities: 20.3 hours.
Crew: John Young, Thomas Mattingly, Charles Duke.

The second Lunar Rover was given a thorough test-drive on the Apollo 16 mission, reaching a speed of 11mph (18km/h).

The rocks found by Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke in the Descartes highland region showed the landscape was the result of meteorite impacts rather than volcanic activity.

APOLLO 17: Farewell to the Moon

Launched: 7 December 1972.
Landed: 11 December 1972.
Moon activities: 22 hours.
Crew: Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt.

Nasa had planned a further three missions to the Moon, but these were cancelled as enthusiasm for the project – and its cost – waned.

But this final adventure contained many notable firsts, including the first night launch, the first scientist to join an Apollo crew, and excitement over the discovery of orange soil.

* Warships in Suez prepare for Iran attack Israeli missile class warships sailed through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea ten days after a submarine capable of launching a nuclear missile strike.

* Israel: Syria and Iran still giving arms to Hezbollah Israel accused Iran and Syria on Thursday of contributing to a “direct and flagrant” violation of the cease-fire in Lebanon by continuing to send weapons to the Hezbollah militant group.

* Syria ready for talks with Israel Syria is ready to negotiate with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French sources told Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat in a report published on Thursday.

* London publicly supports Blair for EU president post Tony Blair would have London’s full backing for the new post of EU president, UK’s Europe minister confirmed.

* East Europeans nervous as US courts Russia A group of prominent former Eastern European leaders wrote to President Barack Obama on Thursday that their region is gripped by anxiety that he could forget their interests as he seeks to repair ties with Russia.

* Head of Iran’s nuke agency steps down Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the head of the Iranian nuclear agency, has resigned.

* In video: When man went to the Moon A further five missions landed on the lunar surface over the course of the next two-and-a-half-years.

* World may back Iran op as part of deal A deal taking shape between Israel and Western leaders will facilitate international support for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

* China grows faster amid worries China’s economy grew at an annual rate of 7.9% between April and June, up from 6.1% in the first quarter, thanks to the government’s big stimulus package.

* Kids TV praises Gaza mom’s suicide bombing It’s meant to be a children’s program, but “Young Pioneers” on Hamas-run television is well-known for pushing the boundaries of what most people would deem suitable content for children.

By: BBC News

Tony Blair will be the UK’s official candidate for EU president, Baroness Kinnock has apparently confirmed.

The post will only be created if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all EU states – Ireland is to hold a second referendum in October.

There has long been speculation that the former PM would go for the post but he has not confirmed he will do so.

It is the first time a UK government minister has publicly announced Tony Blair is a candidate for the job.

Previously, ministers have said it was premature to talk of supporting any particular candidate when the job itself did not exist.

‘Strength of character’

But at a briefing in Strasbourg, Europe Minister Lady Kinnock said: “The UK government is supporting Tony Blair’s candidature for president of the Council [of EU governments].”

Asked if it had been discussed with Mr Blair, currently a Middle East envoy, she said: “It is the government’s position. I am sure they would not do that without asking him.”

Lady Kinnock went on to say Mr Blair had the “strength of character” and “status” to take on the job.

She added: “People know who he is, and he could step into this new role with a lot of respect and he would be generally welcomed.”

But there have been reports that Mr Blair’s role in the Iraq war and Britain’s failure to join the euro, could go against him.

Mr Blair’s spokesman said later: “As we have said, time and again on this, there is nothing to be a candidate for since the job doesn’t actually exist.”

Ireland was the only EU member state to hold a public vote on the treaty, which must be ratified by all 27 countries. The treaty was rejected in that referendum last June. It will hold a second referendum in the autumn.

‘Ambitious operator’

The precise role of the EU president has not been laid out. The Swedish government, which currently holds the six-month EU presidency, has suggested drawing up a proper job description before seeing which available political figure fits it best.

Downing Street said if Mr Blair wants to stand for the job, the government would support him but it was up to him to decide if he wanted to put his name forward.

The prime minister’s spokesman declined to say whether Mr Brown had discussed the post with Tony Blair or had encouraged him to stand.

The Conservatives, whose efforts to get a UK referendum on the treaty were defeated in the Commons, said the British people had not been given a say on whether Europe should have a new president.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the new role could be “enormously damaging”.

“Any holder is likely to try to centralise power for themselves in Brussels and dominate national foreign policies.

“In the hands of an operator as ambitious as Tony Blair, that is a near certainty. He should be let nowhere near the job.”

Campaign group Open Europe said the EU should stick with the rotating presidency which allows the current national leaders – who have a democratic mandate – to set the EU’s agenda on a six-monthly basis.

Director Lorraine Mullally said: “Tony Blair may well be a respected politician around the world, but he is also yesterday’s news.

“The problem with creating a post of EU president is that it would inevitably go to an ex-leader who has lost the support of his or her own electorate.”

Since leaving Downing Street in 2007, Mr Blair has been appointed Middle East peace envoy and launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which aims to foster better relations between world religions.

By: Samer al-Atrush – AFP

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) – More than 50 heads of state from the developing world met Wednesday in Egypt to tackle the fallout from the global economic meltdown, with calls for a “new world order” to prevent a repeat of the crisis.

Cuban President Raul Castro said in a speech at the opening session of the Non-Aligned Movement summit that the financial crisis had hit developing nations the hardest.

“Every country in the world must seek just solutions to the global economic crisis,” Castro told the 118-member body at the gathering in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

“We call for a new monetary and economic world order… we must restructure the world financial system to take into consideration the needs of developing countries.”

Global power dynamics also need to be addressed, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said, demanding a restructuring of the UN Security Council which he branded a form of terrorism “monopolised by a few countries that are permanent members.”

“This represents a danger toward international peace. We have suffered all sorts of harm from the Security Council, it has become a sword over our necks,” he said. “The Security Council is terrorism.”

Kadhafi said he wanted to correct the imbalance at the Security Council, demanding a permanent seat for the 53-member African Union, which he chairs.

But the developing world’s military ambitions looked set to steal the summit limelight, with nuclear-armed South Asian foes India and Pakistan to hold talks on Thursday aimed at relaunching stalled peace talks.

New Delhi and Islamabad’s fraught relations deteriorated after terror attacks in the Indian commercial capital Mumbai in November last year which killed 166 people.

The attacks were blamed by India on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Pakistan has acknowledged they were partially planned on its soil.

Indian foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon met his Pakistani counterpart Salim Bashir on Tuesday ahead of the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Singh has voiced hope that Pakistan will promise action against those behind the attacks when he meets Gilani for only the second high-level contact between the two sides since the Mumbai bombings.

Pakistan said on Saturday that it would “probably” put the five accused of involvement in the attacks on trial next week.

The attacks left in tatters a fragile peace process launched in 2004 to resolve all outstanding issues of conflict, including a territorial dispute over the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

India, along with host Egypt, is one of the founding members of the NAM, the largest grouping of countries outside of the United Nations, aimed at giving a voice to the developing world.

The summit will “provide a chance for discussions over the international economic crisis, which first started in the industrialised countries, and greatly impacted the developing countries, especially Africa,” Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said on Tuesday.

He said industrialised states “should not be given free rein to manage such a crisis.”

Founded in 1955, NAM’s 118 member states represent around 56 percent of the global population. NAM states consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

Set up during the Cold War, the movement sought to distance itself from both the Western and Soviet blocs, but today its raison d’etre is questioned after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing shift in power politics.