* Knesset Majority: ‘Don’t Divide Jerusalem!’ More than half of Knesset Members from both the opposition and the coalition factions have signed a petition against plans to hand over parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority.

* Scores dead in Pakistan bomb blasts More than 130 people have been killed in a twin-bombing attack in Karachi near the convoy of Benazir Bhutto.

* EU leaders agree new treaty deal European Union leaders have reached a deal on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc, officials say.

* On PA TV, All of Israel to be Replaced by ‘Palestine’ Even as Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas declares his demand for “only” all 6,205 kilometers of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, his official TV station shows a PA flag covering all of Israel.

* Olmert meets Putin over Iran The Russian president, just back from a visit to Iran, has spoken to the Israeli prime minister on Tehran’s nuclear program.

* Iran backing terror, says Blair UK ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair has accused Iran of backing terrorism and warned the world faces a situation akin to “rising fascism in the 1920s”.

* Evangelicals raise $8.5 m. for Jewish state The curtain rose to a hundred performers singing “Hinei Ma Tov” as the audience swayed back and forth and clapping their hands. They remained standing through “Hatikva,” declarations of support for Israel.

* Peres on Iran: Similar thing happened with Hitler “The world must open its eyes before it is too late,” President Shimon Peres said Thursday in reference to the Iranian nuclear threat.

* MKs call for undivided Jerusalem A majority of Knesset members signed a petition this week calling for Jerusalem to remain undivided.

* Oil prices set fresh record highs Oil prices have set further record highs, lifted by the low dollar and continuing tensions in eastern Turkey.

* Iraq partition will ‘blow up’ Mideast says Assad Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has warned that a failure to preserve Iraq’s unity will trigger new bloodshed in the Middle East, a Turkish newspaper reported.

* Israel Warns World War III May be Biblical War of Gog and Magog US President George W. Bush said a nuclear Iran would mean World War III. Israeli newscasts featured Gog & Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict.

* Nuclear Iran could cause ‘World War III’ US President George W. Bush warned Wednesday of a possible “World War III” should Iran gain the know-how to build a nuclear bomb.

* Mideast Summit Likely to be Postponed Four days of shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo has apparently convinced U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it would be wise to postpone the much publicized upcoming Mideast summit.

* Putin calls for negotiations with Iran “Russia is taking steps together with other members of the international negotiations to solve the [Iran nuclear] problem through peaceful means.

* EU leaders hold key treaty talks EU leaders are gathering in Lisbon in an attempt to agree on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc.

* Israel cannot be destroyed, says former Mossad chief Israel cannot be destroyed, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said.

* Libya’s UNSC membership ‘problematic’ Placing Libya on the United Nations Security Council is like “putting the cat in charge of the cream,” charged Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman.

* Turkey approves Iraq incursion Turkey’s parliament has approved by a large majority a government request to allow troops to cross into northern Iraq to take military action against Kurdish fighters.

* Iraqi Contracts With Iran and China Concern U.S. Iraq has agreed to award $1.1 billion in contracts to Iranian and Chinese companies to build a pair of enormous power plants.

* Rabbis ‘Stunned’ Over Concessions in Jerusalem Rabbis unite in call to strengthen Israel’s hold on Jerusalem – but one says the Israeli-Arab city Um el-Fahm and environs can be traded.

* Turkey seeks green light on Iraq MPs in Turkey are due to debate a motion authorising cross-border military operations into northern Iraq to target Kurdish rebel bases there.

* Putin bolsters Iran ties in historic visit Iran Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a proposal to break the deadlock over its nuclear program during his landmark visit to the Islamic republic.

* ‘Likud could let Muslim country run Temple Mount mosques’ The head of the Likud’s foreign relations department, former ambassador to the US Zalman Shoval, joined calls Tuesday for compromises on Jerusalem.

* Iraq fears action ‘may escalate’ Unilateral action by Turkey in Iraq could have “very grave consequences” and set a worrying precedent, Iraq’s deputy prime minister has warned.

* Libya wins UN Security Council seat Libya has been elected to the UN Security Council, taking a step back towards global respectability.

* Syria denies admission of nuke program Syria denied on Wednesday reports that its representatives to the United Nations said that a nuclear facility was hit last month by Israeli warplanes.

* Bob Jones III endorses Romney for president Dr. Bob Jones III, chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian university that bears his name, is looking past his religious differences with Gov. Mitt Romney and endorsing the Mormon for the Republican nomination for president.

* Abbas: Israeli aggression continues Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday accused Israel of hampering progress toward a joint declaration of principles that would guide future peace talks.

* UK looks to make Antarctica claim The UK is looking to claim sovereignty over a large area of the remote seabed off Antarctica.

* Lieberman: Silwan is Israel’s forever The Arab neighborhood of Silwan will remain part of Israel forever, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

* Putin in Iran for landmark visit Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Iran for a historic visit, the first by a Kremlin leader since Stalin joined a summit there in World War II.

* PM raises questions about east J’lem Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted he would agree to relinquish control of some east Jerusalem neighborhoods.

* Iraq seeks talks on Turkey threat Baghdad has called for “urgent negotiations” over Turkey’s threat to carry out cross-border raids against Kurdish rebels.

* Turkey’s Erdogan Says Parliament to Approve Iraq Raid Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the parliament will approve plans for an incursion into northern Iraq to attack Kurdish militants.

* ‘Only united int’l effort can stop Iran’ The United States alone cannot force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

* Oil prices rise to intraday record Oil prices rose to new intraday highs in Asia Tuesday on fears Turkey will pursue Kurdish rebels into Iraq and disrupt oil supplies in the region.

* Rice in Egypt seeks support for ME talks US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sought support from Egypt on Tuesday in her quest to nudge Israelis and Palestinians closer together before November’s Middle East peace conference.

* Problems remain ahead of EU treaty summit With only three days until EU leaders meet in Lisbon to adopt a new EU treaty, a number of issues are continuing to cloud the horizon.

* War is inevitable, Lieberman tells Rice An IDF operation to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is inevitable.

* HIV treatment ‘failing’ in Africa More than a third of patients on HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa die or discontinue their treatment within two years of starting it, a survey shows.

* Iran poses a danger to Israel’s security German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed the possibility of stronger sanctions against Iran before she met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who planned to travel on to Teheran from Germany.

* US Official Hints at Delay in Middle East Summit Associated Press reports that a U.S. State Department official says that the Middle East conference, scheduled by U.S. President George W. Bush for late November in Annapolis, Md., might be delayed.

* Turkish govt to seek go-ahead for Iraq incursion The Turkish government met Monday to prepare a motion seeking parliamentary approval for a military incursion into neighboring Iraq to crack down on Kurdish rebel bases there.

* Mini-Earthquake Sets Off Predictions of a Larger One The Patzael region in the central Jordan Valley, just 20 kilometers north of Jericho, was touched by a small earthquake on Saturday night, registering 3.0 on the Richter scale.

* Putin to visit Iran amid nuclear tension Russian President Vladimir Putin has been told of a plot to assassinate him during a visit to Iran this week, a Kremlin spokeswoman said Sunday.

* Majadle slams renewal of Mughrabi dig A decision by the governmental committee on Jerusalem affairs to renew digging at the Mughrabi Gate to the Temple Mount may spark riots ahead of the Annapolis peace conference, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Ghaleb Majadle wrote Sunday in a letter to Cabinet Secretary Ovad Yehezkel.

* Turkish general warns of ‘irreversible’ damage if genocide resolution passes Turkey’s top general has warned that military ties with the US will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide, a report said Sunday.

* China rules out West’s democracy China will never have Western-style democracy, a senior official said as the country began its most important political meeting in five years.

* Al-Sadr bloc rejects federalism The Muqtada al-Sadr bloc has rejected a suggestion made by another Iraqi Shia politician that the country should be split into regions based on sect and ethnicity.

* Rice says Kremlin’s consolidated power endangers democracy The Russian government under Vladimir Putin has amassed so much central authority that the power-grab may undermine Moscow’s commitment to democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

* Abbas denies report of planned talks between Hamas and Fatah Palestinian Authority President denied reports on Saturday that he had agreed to begin talks with Hamas.

* Rice encourages Russian activists US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pledged support for human rights activists in Moscow, during a Russian visit that has been coolly received.

* Ayatollah to Muslims: Boycott Annapolis Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, called on all Arab countries planning to attend a US-sponsored Middle East peace conference to cancel their participation.

* US general damns Iraq ‘nightmare’ A former US military chief in Iraq has condemned the current strategy in the conflict, which he warned was “a nightmare with no end in sight”.

* U.S. military looking at alternatives in case Turkey cuts access U.S. military planners quietly have stepped up a review of alternatives in case the Turkish government restricts U.S. access to Turkish airspace.

* PA Demands Kotel as Failed Taba Accords Revived Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to take a second look at the principles discussed during the January 2001 Taba Summit.

* Putin warns U.S. to back off on missile talks President Bush’s top two Cabinet officials, expecting a polite photo op, were ambushed by a Russian leader who fears Eastern Europe may be turned into a U.S. staging point for a new Cold War.

* Darfur refugees to settle in Negev Yaacov Ganot, who was appointed by the government to oversee the care of the Darfur refugees who fled to Israel, called on the head of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, Shmulik Rifman, to help find employment for some 200 refugees.

* Brown threatens ‘red line’ veto over EU treaty Just one week before EU leaders meet in Lisbon to adopt a new EU treaty, the UK prime minister has pulled the veto card.

* Vatican bars prelate in gay row The Vatican has confirmed local newspaper reports that a high-ranking Catholic priest has been suspended.

* Muslims Worldwide Celebrate Eid-al-Fitr Muslims around the world are ready to celebrate one of the most important holidays on the Islamic calendar, Eid-al Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

* ‘We’ll back Abbas if Hamas included’ The European Union would support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas if he reconciled with Hamas, according to Christina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana.

* Rabbi Elyashiv Joins Battle For Jerusalem In the opening shot of the battle for Jerusalem, top rabbis of the Hareidi-religious and Jerusalemite communities have joined Rabbi Avraham Shapira’s final statement against dividing Jerusalem.

* Gore and UN panel win Nobel prize Climate change campaigner Al Gore and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

* Russia urges US missile ‘freeze’ Russia has called on the US to “freeze” plans to employ missile defence facilities in eastern Europe.

* Israel braces as US-Turkey crisis erupts Turkey recalled its ambassador to the US Thursday as already-strained relations frayed further following a congressional committee vote recognizing the Armenian genocide.

* Muslim scholars reach out to Pope More than 130 Muslim scholars have written to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders urging greater understanding between the two faiths.

* Solana warns Turkey against military incursion in Iraq EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has warned Turkey that an offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq would further complicate the security situation of the conflict-ridden country.

* Cabinet to rethink mass conversion Cabinet ministers will vote next Sunday on a major change in policy toward mass-conversion aliya, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

* Pope appeals to South Korea to reject human cloning Pope Benedict XVI appealed Thursday to South Koreans’ “inherent moral sensibility” to reject embryonic stem cell research and human cloning after the country decided to let embryonic stem cell research resume.

* EU officials condemn IDF action in Gaza Calling Gaza a “prison” and a “ghetto,” European Union parliamentarians harshly condemned Israeli actions there in a special session held in Brussels on Wednesday.

* Turkish govt to seek go-ahead for Iraq incursion next week The Turkish government will formally ask parliament next week to approve an incursion into northern Iraq to crack down on Kurdish rebels taking refuge there.

* PA official: Failed talks at peace summit could spur third intifada Senior Fatah official and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia warned Thursday that if the upcoming regional peace summit does not yield results, Palestinians are likely to respond with an intensified uprising.

* Hamas offers talks with Fatah Hamas has said it will hold reconciliation talks with Fatah and hinted it may be ready to give up control of the Gaza Strip.

* Assad: Israel is trying to cover up failed IAF strike Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Thursday that Israel is trying to cover up the failure of an Israel Air Force strike on his country early last month.

* Muslim Brotherhood sets up Islamic clerical power The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s powerful opposition movement, has laid down its first detailed political platform.

* Report: African Conflicts Cost Billions About $18 billion a year has been drained from Africa by nearly two dozen wars in recent decades.

* US Presidential Candidate Endorses Elon’s “Israeli Initiative” US Presidential candidate Sam Brownback, a senior Republican senator has endorsed the new Israeli Initiative peace plan.

* Expert: We missed opportunity to enlist Russians against Iran The damage caused by a lack of direct dialogue with Russia regarding the Iranian nuclear issue is beyond repair.

* Turks warn U.S. over genocide vote Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned the U.S. that a congressional bill recognizing the mass killings of Armenians during World War One as genocide could cause “serious problems” for relations.

* Turkish artillery pounds Kurdish rebel camps in n. Iraq Turkish troops pounded suspected Kurdish rebel camps in northern Iraq with artillery fire.

* At NY Rally: ‘Olmert is Dangerous to Diaspora Jewry’ Thousands of people took part in an emergency protest rally this week at the World Lubavitch Center in Brooklyn, New York.

* Abbas lays out land for state Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday laid out his most specific demands for the borders of a future independent state.

* Putin plays down Iran bomb fears Moscow has no information that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

* Doors closing on Iraqi displaced A growing number of Iraqi provinces are refusing entry to internal refugees, the UN refugee agency has warned.

* Cabinet okays new plane defense system The Security Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new Israeli-made system for the protection of civilian aircraft against missile attacks.

* Nuclear Deal Threatens India Government In the new capitalist India, old-line communists are playing the spoiler, threatening to bring down the government over a nuclear energy deal with the United States.

* Egypt signs treaty with NATO Egypt has signed a treaty with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), thus becoming the second Middle Eastern country, after Israel, to sign such a pact.

* Barroso worried commission could take a hit in new EU treaty European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso is worried that his institution will be sidelined under the new EU treaty.

* Petition calls for two-state solution More than half a million Israelis and Palestinians have signed a petition calling on the Israeli and Palestinian governments to reach a peace agreement within the next year.

By: Matthew Wagner – The Jerusalem Post

‘A soldier’s uniform is like the holy garments worn by the priests in the Temple when they brought animal sacrifices before God Almighty,” says Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the Bnei David Pre-Military Academy in the Samaria settlement Eli, as he reaches for a Bible to prove his point.

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