* Abbas to Peres: Israel can live in sea of peace Abbas spoke at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

* Turkey ‘bombs PKK Iraq targets’ Turkish military helicopters have bombed suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq, Iraqi officials have said.

* Israel to hold major war games in West Bank The Israeli army said on Tuesday it is to launch a major military exercise across the occupied West Bank simulating its response to an outbreak of Palestinian violence.

* Bhutto calls on Musharraf to quit Pakistan’s detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has called for President Pervez Musharraf to step down.

* President Peres: ‘Turkey arouses trust, Iran arouses fear’ “Turkey arouses trust, Iran arouses fear,” said President Shimon Peres in an address to Turkey’s parliament.

* Saudi oil minister rejects Opec raise Saudi Arabia on Monday made clear Opec would not announce a production increase at this weekend’s Riyadh summit.

* Bishops barred from Western Wall No crosses at the Western Wall was the message sent by a rabbi to a group of Austrian Catholic bishops who refused to hide their Christian crosses before entering the courtyard of the Western Wall.

* Putin says December poll will give him more clout President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he expected a parliamentary election on December 2 to give him a “moral right” to influence Russian politics.

* Settlement Freeze: Not Just a Tactic, But Full-Fledged Policy Prime Minister Olmert, for the first time since entering office, met this afternoon (Tuesday) in Jerusalem with top Yesha Council representatives.

* French EU presidency to push for defence integration France will next year push for a Europe of defence, proposing Brussels-based EU planning staff, exchanges between professional soldiers and a harmonization of military education.

* Steinitz: Egypt letting Hamas build an army Egypt effectively condoned Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, and has since stood by and allowed Hamas to build an army.

* Alternative ‘Jewish Sovereignty’ Summit Planned A dozen Jewish organizations have united to hold a “summit” calling for Jewish sovereignty over all of the Land of Israel.

* Erekat: We won’t accept Jewish Israel Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Monday rejected Israel’s demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state.

* Israel on alert for Syria airstrike The defensive missile shield around Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor was placed on red alert 30 times last week amid fears of an airstrike by Syria.

* Peres, Gul at odds over Iran nuke threat President Shimon Peres met his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul for several hours on Monday and the two discussed a wide range of issues, including the Iranian nuclear threat, the fate of Israel’s captured soldiers, Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and the upcoming peace conference due to take place in Annapolis.

* Five dead in Gaza rally shootings At least five people have been killed and about 100 are reported to have been wounded after gunfire broke out at a rally attended by Fatah supporters in Gaza.

* Iran president attacks ‘traitors’ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denounced as “traitors” those in Iran who have criticised its nuclear programme.

* Cloning: a giant step For the first time, scientists have created dozens of cloned embryos from adult primates.

* Intel to Unveil Chips for Improving Video Quality on the Web Intel plans to announce a family of microprocessor chips on Monday that it says will speed the availability of high-definition video via the Internet.

* Muslim’s party could decide Danish vote A campaign poster for this week’s national elections evoked some of quiet Denmark’s most turbulent days.

* Hamas: Terrible surprises await IDF should they invade Gaza Many terrible surprises await the IDF should Israel launch a wide-scale operation in the Gaza Strip.

* Arafat mausoleum opened by Abbas Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has unveiled a mausoleum to former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

* Report: Israel-Syria summit in 2008 At the beginning of 2008 there will be another international conference similar to the one which will take place in Annapolis in the coming weeks.

* Turkey approves building nuclear plants Turkey’s parliament approved a bill Friday allowing for the construction of nuclear power plants in the country, despite opposition from environmental groups.

* Malki: PA won’t disband terror groups Palestinian Authority Information Minister Riad Malki denied late Friday reports circulated by Israeli sources that Palestinian negotiators had agreed in a meeting with Israeli representatives.

* Abbas: Israel reneging on its promises Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to update her on preparations for a US-hosted Mideast conference.

* EU economy strong, but clouds gathering, Almunia warns Recent financial turmoil, the US economic slowdown and soaring oil prices are taking their toll on the EU economy.

* Defiant Bhutto vows more protests Benazir Bhutto has vowed to go ahead with a planned rally next week to protest against the emergency rule imposed by General Pervez Musharraf.

* ‘Israel and US sharing intel on Iran’ An Israeli team headed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz met Thursday with a US team headed by Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.

* Lebanon postpones presidential poll Lebanon’s presidential election has been postponed from November 12 to November 21.

* ‘Mideast atomic programs apocalyptic’ Egyptian and Saudi Arabian intentions to begin or revive their nuclear programs in the face of Iran’s continued race toward nuclear power present an “apocalyptic scenario” for Israel as well as for the rest of the world.

* Hizbullah: We’re preparing for upcoming war Naim Kassem, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s deputy, described a training exercise the group conducted at the beginning of this week as preparation for the next war with Israel.

* ‘Israel planning large Gaza operation’ Israel has informed PA authorities in Ramallah of its intention to send the IDF into the Gaza Strip in order to regain control of the Philadelphi Corridor.

* Top Hamas official: We’ll seize control of West Bank if Israel withdraws Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, would take over the West Bank if Israel pulled out of the territory.

* PA agrees to disband terrorist groups before statehood Israeli negotiators on Friday reported significant progress in talks with Palestinians Friday.

* Interfaith Leadership Council Acknowledges ‘Occupation’ U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has received a special blessing from religious leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths.

* ‘Israel may strike Iran’ – US Wednesday’s statement by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran has 3,000 working uranium-enriching centrifuges could trigger an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

* Israel escalates campaign against IAEA Israel escalated its campaign Thursday against the winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the international nuclear watchdog, by describing him as a “danger to world peace”.

* Frattini seeks to apply new EU treaty rules before 2009 Although the EU’s new Lisbon Treaty is meant to be ratified only by 2009, justice commissioner Franco Frattini has said he wants to act as if the treaty is already in force.

* Russia ‘slow’ to act on anti-Semitism A leading US-based Jewish organization criticized Russian authorities Friday for a “slow” response to xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

* US fears Israeli strike against Iran over latest nuclear claim A claim by President Ahmadinejad that Iran has 3,000 working uranium-enriching centrifuges sent a tremor across the world yesterday.

* IDF Chief: Jerusalem is Why We’re Here At a ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem this week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said that Jerusalem is the “raison d’etre” of our national existence in Israel.

* Mehdi Army accused of killing spree in Iraq shrine city Police Thursday accused the Mehdi Army militia of radical cleric Moqtada Al Sadr of carrying out a four-year killing spree in Iraq’s central shrine city of Karbala that left hundreds dead.

* Musharraf vows polls in February Pakistan will hold elections before 15 February, President Pervez Musharraf has announced.

* Ben Eliezer: ‘The disengagement from Gaza was a big mistake’ The disengagement from Gaza “was a mistake” National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer told Non-Stop Radio (Radio Lelo Hafsaka) on Thursday.

* Israel minister: Sack ElBaradei A senior Israeli minister has called for the sacking of Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.

* Israeli intelligence: Abbas is too weak Army Radio reported Thursday morning that Israel’s intelligence community considers Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a powerless leader.

* New ‘disaster’ movie warns world of oil apocalypse Oil is ‘the bloodstain of the earth’s economy’ and will soon trigger a global conflict that will cost millions of lives.

* Olmert voted most corrupt politician Even after sharing his personal health problems with the general public, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is still seen as the country’s most corrupt government minister.

* China angrily denounces Games “Bible ban” report China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year’s Beijing Olympics.

* Syria reiterates demand to put Golan on Annapolis summit agenda Syria is holding firm on its demand that the Golan Heights be among the items on the agenda of the upcoming Middle East peace conference.

* Ahmadinejad: 3,000 centrifuges running Iran has achieved a landmark, with 3,000 centrifuges fully working in its controversial uranium enrichment program.

* Russia suspends arms treaty Russia’s parliament has voted to suspend Moscow’s support for a key treaty limiting the deployment of armed forces along its border with Europe.

* Gillerman: UN human rights panel is a ‘monster’ Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman slammed the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday for failing to deal with human rights violations around the world.

* Defiant Iraq Kurds sign seven new oil contracts Iraq’s Kurdish region has defiantly signed seven new foreign oil deals in a move sure to anger Baghdad.

* Beijing ‘planning space station’ China intends to launch its own space station in 2020, according to one of the country’s leading space experts.

* Peace Now says West Bank settlements still growing Israel is expanding most of its West Bank settlements despite a commitment to stop doing so as it tries to resume peace talks with the Palestinians.

* Oil passes $98 on weaker dollar The ever-weakening dollar and fresh worries about winter fuel supplies have sent US oil prices past $98 a barrel.

* Israel reports jump in Jerusalem Arabs seeking Israeli citizenship The number of East Jerusalem residents seeking Israeli citizenship has risen sharply in recent months.

* Euro climbs to fresh dollar peak The euro has hit a fresh high against the dollar, as negative views of the US economic outlook continue to take their toll on the US currency.

* Top IDF Intel officer: Iran could have nuclear weapons by 2009 Iran could have nuclear weapons by 2009, the Head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, Brig. -Gen. Yossi Baidatz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

* Landmark Criminal Suit Against Waqf for Temple Mount Destruction A group of 150 Israeli citizens have filed a class action suit against the Moslems who run the Temple Mount.

* Syria rejects Annapolis invitation Syria has rejected the latest appeals from Israel to attend the US-sponsored Annapolis peace conference.

* EU lays out anti-terror proposals The European Commission is proposing anti-terrorism measures that include the collection of extensive flight data and tighter internet laws.

* Mashaal: ME summit US ‘distraction’ for war with Iran The leader of Hamas on Monday dismissed a US-sponsored Mideast peace conference planned for later this year.

* Historic Saudi visit to Vatican King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican – the first audience by the head of the Roman Catholic Church with a Saudi monarch.

* Bush vows to help Turkey tackle PKK The Turkish prime minister has said the Turkish army will go ahead with an operation against Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

* Fragment of ancient parchment from Bible given to Jerusalem scholars An eight-centimeter-square piece of the 1087-year-old Aleppo Codex will be given to a representative of the Ben Zvi Institute in Jerusalem on Thursday.

* FM Livni: “We Uprooted Thousands, Yet Rockets are Still Coming” Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, speaking before Foreign Ministers of the European Union and others, says that Israel is so anxious for peace that it is willing to enter into negotiations at an inopportune time.

* Olmert: Annapolis summit set for end of November The U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis will take place in the last week of November.

By: David Horovitz – The Jerusalem Post

Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Sunday urged Israel to make a “psychological shift” from indifference and skepticism about the prospects of progress with the Palestinians to an active determination to “make it happen on the right terms.”

Read more….

* Hizbullah undertakes massive exercise Hizbullah recently held a large-scale exercise south of the Litani River that included thousands of gunmen.

* Ramon: Peace deal will go to referendum if gov’t collapses Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will take any peace deal formulated at the Annapolis peace conference to a referendum if his Kadima-based coalition breaks up following the conference.

* Olmert: Core issues are on the Annapolis agenda Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took the stage at the Saban Forum on Sunday evening in Jerusalem, and delivered an impassioned speech promising to seriously pursue current Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

* Blair: Israel needs psychological shift Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Sunday urged Israel to make a “psychological shift” from indifference and skepticism about the prospects of progress with the Palestinians to an active determination to “make it happen on the right terms.”

* China and US agree military hotline China and the US have agreed to set up a military hotline between their two capitals.

* Turkey seeks right to build monument in J’lem’s Old City Turkey would like to build a monument to those who died fighting for the Ottoman Empire at the foot of the Temple Mount’s eastern wall, not far from the Golden Gate.

* Bush, Turkish leader to discuss how to stop rebel attacks Tension along the Iraqi-Turkish border is expected to top the agenda Monday when Turkey’s prime minister meets with President Bush.

* PetroChina’s Value Tops $1 Trillion, Surpassing Exxon PetroChina Co. almost tripled on its first day of trading in Shanghai.

* Musharraf warned: hold elections and quit as army chief The US and Britain are today expected to demand that Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf, honour pledges to hold elections in the next two months and step down as the army chief.

* Belgium government difficulties could endanger EU treaty ratification With Belgium still struggling to form a new government, fears are growing that the country will not be able to ratify the EU’s Lisbon treaty in December.