Olmert flies to Washington for talks Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, is holding talks in Washington that are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Bush, Panel to Meet on Course of Iraq War Iran’s Bearing down on a plan for peace, the bipartisan panel studying the war in Iraq faces rising expectations.

‘Israel must prepare for full-scale war’ Israel has to prepare for a full-scale war, in which Syria will be an important player.

Intelligence: Nasrallah stronger than before war Exactly four months have passed since the war broke out in Lebanon and estimates show that Hizbullah is stronger than before the confrontation with Israel.

Saudi Arabia: Iraq major terror base Saudi Arabia’s interior minister on Sunday called Iraq a major base for terrorism.

Israel warned off nuclear ‘folly’ Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman has warned Tehran will not hesitate to retaliate with a crushing blow if Israel attacks its nuclear sites.

Abu Mazen Promises to Adhere to “Arafat’s Path” Mahmoud Abbas declared: “The Palestinian leadership won’t stray from Arafat’s path.”

Awaiting the Iranian messiah He challenges the largest superpower on earth, threatens a regional superpower with annihilation, and mocks international efforts to keep tabs on his nuclear program.

Exclusive: ‘No future for US Jewry’ Jews have no future in America and should all move to Israel.

Call to bridge West-Muslim divide A cross-cultural group of 20 prominent world figures has called for urgent efforts to heal the growing divide between Muslim and Western societies.

By: Caroline Glick – JPost

Many downplay the significance of the US Congressional elections. It is the six-year slump, they say. But the truth is nonetheless glaring. By all accounts, Tuesday the George W. Bush era came to a close.

The consequences of this turn of events on Israel will be dramatic. Unfortunately, it is doubtful that anyone has explained them to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ahead of his scheduled visit to the White House next week.

Read more…

Sneh to ‘Post’: ‘IDF must stop Iran’ Sanctions against Iran are unlikely to work, so Israel must be prepared to thwart Teheran’s drive for a nuclear capability “at all costs.”

Iraqi official: War dead 100,000 Iraq’s health minister says between 100,000 and 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war.

Mubarak warns against Saddam’s execution Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has become the first Arab leader to warn against carrying out the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Haniyeh considers resigning in exchange for Western aid Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Friday he would step down from his post if the move would persuade the West to lift debilitating economic sanctions.

Earthquake dry-run for Istanbul’s ‘Big One’ The Istanbul authorities pulled out all the stops for three days this week to see how ready they really are for “The Big One”.

Huge ‘hurricane’ rages on Saturn A hurricane-like storm, two-thirds the diameter of Earth, is raging at Saturn’s south pole.

‘I’d send gays to Sodom and Gomorrah’ “If it was up to me, I would send the gay community, who insisted on celegbrating in Jerusalem, to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

‘Aliens could attack at any time’ warns former MoD chief UFO sightings and alien visitors tend to be solely the reserve of sci-fi movies.

Analysis: Saudi analysts suggest Bin Laden is dead Has the rumor of Osama Bin Laden’s death been greatly exaggerated, or is there more to it than initially thought?

More Britons are turning to terror, says MI5 director Hundreds of young British Muslims are being radicalised, groomed and set on a path to mass murder.

World both gloats, fears Bush humiliation It seems as though everywhere around the world politicians, commentators and regular people are celebrating the political blow dealt to President George W. Bush in the midterm elections.

Palestinians vow revenge at Gaza funeral for 18 Tens of thousands of grieving Gazans, weeping in anguish and screaming for revenge, crammed into a cemetery on Thursday to bury 18 civilians killed by an errant Israeli artillery.

Abbas talks to Mashaal, in sign of progress for unity gov’t Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas’ exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, spoke to each other for the first time in months on Thursday.

Nation on highest alert with 80 attack warnings Israel police will be on highest alert Thursday around the country following the fatal shelling attack on Beit Hanoun which killed 18 Palestinians.

Gay Parade Canceled, Stadium Rally to be Held Instead In light of dozens of terrorist warnings and hundreds of thousands of expected protestors, the homosexual parade scheduled for Friday has been replaced by a rally.

British Leader: Iraq at Critical Point Iraq is at a critical point and faces a real risk of violence escalating further.

Russia, China Plan Joint Space Projects Russia plans to cooperate with China in robotic missions to the moon and Mars and other space projects.

Brussels to take more self-protecting approach to enlargement Drawing on tough lessons from past enlargements, the EU will from now on take an extra cautious approach to future expansion of the bloc with its own welfare becoming a major factor.

German Study Reveals Increasing Anti-Semitism A new study conducted by professors at Leipzig University shows that anti-Semitism is once again rearing its head in a population that still yearns to be a world power run by a dictatorship.

Sanhedrin’ to police: Protecting gay march sinful A panel of rabbis made a halachic ruling Wednesday demanding police refuse orders to protect the gay pride parade slated to take place in Jerusalem Friday.

Hamas: Israel must be wiped out Palestinian Government Spokesman Dr. Ghazi Hamad said that Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth.

Democrats seize control of House Democrats have won control of the US House of Representatives in mid-term polls for the first time in 12 years.

Envoy Reassures Iraqis of U.S. Resolve The United States ambassador sought to reassure Iraqis on Wednesday that American policy in Iraq would not dramatically change.

Saddam ‘executed by end of year’ Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has told the BBC he expects Saddam Hussein to be executed by the end of 2006.

China, Egypt reach nuclear energy agreement China and Egypt agreed to co-operate on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Photo Feature: Elon Moreh, Living in Abraham’s Footsteps Despite the destruction of four Jewish towns in northern Samaria during last year’s Disengagement Plan, Jewish life in Samaria continues to flourish.

EU report contains stinging criticism of Turkey Freedom of speech in Turkey is not guaranteed, the military still plays a “significant” political role and non-Muslim religious communities face discrimination.

IDF: No Certainty that IDF Shell Caused Gaza Explosion Preliminary IDF investigation of the Gaza explosion shows that 10 of the 12 fired shells hit their targets.

Beheaded girls were Ramadan ‘trophies’ Three Christian high school girls were beheaded as a Ramadan “trophy” by Indonesian militants who conceived the idea after a visit to Philippines jihadists.

A national institution Do Paris, London or Washington need special schools dedicated to their study in order to strengthen understanding of their historic role as capitals?

US vote may alter stance on Mideast US voters go to the polls Tuesday in an election that may shift the congressional balance of power and change the government’s policies in the Middle East.

Saddam Back in Court for Genocide Trial A subdued Saddam Hussein returned to court Tuesday for his genocide trial.

Gay Pride Parade time and route final The upcoming Gay Pride Parade will take place on Friday in Jerusalem as scheduled.

Rice: Better to have Hamas in power than in streets An elected Hamas government in the Palestinian territories may be preferable to the group operating outside the power structure and carrying out terrorist actions.

The Region: Meet ‘national Islamism’ In July 2006, Muhammad Abd al-Sattar, a deputy minister in Syria’s government, made a very strange statement on that country’s state-controlled television.

Gov’t expected to okay Peres plan for Eilat-Dead Sea Canal Vice Premier Shimon Peres will in two weeks present his proposals to the cabinet for the “Peace Valley” program for development of the border region between Israel, Jordan, and Palestinian Authority controlled areas.

‘Israel should learn from Kosovo’ Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman found common ground with another country caught in a territorial dispute.

‘War within 10 months’ Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war with the Jewish state within 10 months.

NATO chief tells EU not to ‘replicate’ army tasks The EU should not “replicate” NATO’s military tasks and do more instead to help the alliance with civilian work like policing in Afghanistan.

Plan to create human-cow embryos UK scientists have applied for permission to create embryos by fusing human DNA with cow eggs.

Curfew eased after Saddam verdict Iraqi authorities have begun to lift a round-the-clock curfew in Baghdad, a day after Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

Report: Hamas, Fatah OK unity gov’t London-based Arab newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Monday that a resolution of both the economic crisis in the Palestinian territories and the issue of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit was a prerequisite for a Palestinian unity government.

Merkel warns Turkey on ‘very, very serious situation’ German chancellor Angela Merkel has issued a stark warning to Turkey saying there will be no “business as usual” in Ankara’s EU membership talks if it continues to be defiant on the Cyprus issue.

Syria hints at armed struggle for Golan Syria could resort to armed resistance if peace negotiations fail to make Israel give back the Golan Heights.

Summit shows China’s Africa clout China’s Africa summit has ended in Beijing, with the Chinese government pledging to double both aid and trade with African nations.

The struggle for Lebanon Lebanon’s deeply fragmented political scene is trapped in a deepening crisis amid power plays by major regional actors and a significant rise in inter-communal tensions.

Israeli Sheikh: Temple Mount is Entirely Islamic Responding to a plan to build a synagogue on Judaism’s most sacred site, Sheikh Raad Salah warns that the entire complex is Moslem.

Iran commander: Troops trained for suicide missions Iran is ready to share its missile systems with friends and neighbors, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said.

Photo Essay: A Visit to the Matriarch Rachel’s Fortified Tomb Every year on the anniversary of her untimely death, tens of thousands of Jews make the pilgrimage to the Biblical matriarch Rachel�s tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

Haggard confesses to ‘lifelong’ sexual problem Less than 24 hours after being fired from the mega-church he founded, evangelical Pastor Ted Haggard confessed to a “lifelong” sexual problem.

Amir Taheri, The Jerusalem Post

While there is much talk of continued Syrian machinations in Lebanon, little attention is paid to an Iranian plan to remodel Syria into a Khomeinist state.

The Teheran-Damascus axis that challenges the United States in the Middle East was first formed in 1980 when Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in the hope of destroying the newly created Islamic Republic.

At first, the Khomeinist regime in Iran and the Ba’athist dictatorship in Syria seemed unlikely allies. The Khomeinists followed a radical Shi’ite ideology aimed at global jihad in the name of their brand of Islam. The Syrian Ba’athists, on the other hand, were secularists inspired by an Arabized version of National Socialism aimed at uniting Arab countries under one flag and one party.

Read more…

Egypt and Russia strengthen ties Russia is expected to offer assistance for Egypt’s proposed nuclear programme as the two countries’ presidents affirm their warm relations in Moscow.

Iran fires missiles in gulf war games Iran has started military exercises in the Arabian gulf just days after six other nations, including the United States, held a series of exercises in the same area.

Iran gives Holocaust cartoon prize Ignoring widespread condemnation, Iran awarded the top prize in a Holocaust cartoon contest to a Moroccan artist for his depiction of Israel’s security wall with a picture of the Auschwitz concentration camp on it.

Talabani: US must stay for three years US troops should stay for up to three more years in Iraq to allow local authorities to build up their own security forces, the Iraqi president says.

Eye of the Storm: The ‘Iranization’ of Syria While there is much talk of continued Syrian machinations in Lebanon, little attention is paid to an Iranian plan to remodel Syria into a Khomeinist state.

Web reaches new milestone: 100 million sites Are your Web surfing fingers getting tired? There may be a reason. Netcraft, an Internet monitoring company that has tracked Web growth since 1995, says a mammoth milestone was reached during the month of October.

Khatami labels US policy ‘a joke’ The former president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, has branded US attempts to impose Western-style democracy in the Middle East as “a great joke”.

Hundreds to Commemorate “Genesis and Land of Israel” Weekends The Land of Israel and the Book of Genesis – read aloud on autumn weekends in synagogues around the world – are deeply intertwined, and special Sabbaths mark the connection.

Web inventor fears for the future The British developer of the world wide web says he is worried about the way it could be used to spread misinformation and “undemocratic forces”.

Syria denies it is trying to oust Lebanese gov’t Syria denied on Thursday accusations by the White House that it was seeking to topple Lebanon’s Western-backed government.