Diplomatic sources said President Barack Obama has proposed an alliance by Egypt, Iran and Turkey. Continue reading
Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories
11/07/12
* President Barack Obama defeats Romney to win re-election President Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
* Netanyahu: Israel-US alliance ‘stronger than ever’ Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu congratulated US President Barack Obama on Wednesday for winning a second term.
* Abbas, Erekat hope Obama will push for peace Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday congratulated US President Barack Obama for his reelection victory.
* Egypt’s Mursi Hopes Obama Victory Will Boost ‘Friendship’ Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday congratulated President Barack Obama on his re-election victory.
* Obama re-election signals new phase in Syria war Western efforts to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad shifted dramatically Wednesday.
* Iran to take part in nuclear-free Middle East talks Iran, accused by the West of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability.
* Voters Backed Changes in Western Values American voters not only re-elected President Barack Obama, they also supported, in some states, change in traditional Western values by favoring marijuana and marriage among homosexuals, strictly prohibited by the Bible.
* Exit Polls: Obama Won 69% of Jewish Vote President Barack Obama won 69 percent of the Jewish vote, compared with 78 percent in 2008.
* Second time around, Obama victory fails to enthuse Arab world Arab commentators were divided Wednesday on whether Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential race bodes well for future Arab-American relations.
* Merkel calls Christianity world’s ‘most persecuted’ religion Opposition lawmakers and human rights groups are criticizing German Chancellor Angela Merkel for claiming that Christianity is “the most persecuted religion worldwide.”
10/09/12
* U.S., Israel ‘Nearing Agreement’ on Joint Iran Strike The United States and Israel have come closer together in recent days.
* Russia to become Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier Moscow, the main supplier of arms to Iraq under Saddam Hussein, thus becomes the country’s second-biggest arms supplier after the US.
* Merkel pledges support for Greece in Athens visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged her country’s continuing support to Greece.
* UAE: Gulf must tackle Muslim Brotherhood threat Gulf Arab countries should work together to stop Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood plotting to undermine governments in the region, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister said.
* Ahmadinejad acknowledges threat of attack, promises ‘crushing’ response Any attack against Iran will precipitate a harsh retaliation, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised on Tuesday.
* Erekat: UNGA bid the only way to stop settlements Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that the Palestinian bid for non-member status at the United Nations is the only way to stop the expanding Israeli settlement enterprise in the West Bank.
* North Korea says its missiles can reach US North Korea has said its missiles can hit the US mainland, in an apparent riposte to Washington.
* Turkish president says “worst case” unfolding in Syria Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Monday the “worst-case scenarios” were now playing out in Syria and Turkey would do everything necessary to protect itself.
* Study: One-Third Of Adults Under 30 Have No Religious Affiliation One-fifth of American adults have no religious affiliation, and this number is increasing rapidly.
* ‘Palestinians have not abandoned armed struggle’ The Palestinians have not abandoned the option of armed struggle against Israel, a top Fatah official in the West Bank said on Monday.
10/08/12
* Israeli planes trigger sonic booms over Lebanon in possible response to drone dispatch Hezbollah silent on claims it sent the unmanned aircraft downed over Israel on Saturday.
* Eurozone rescue fund launched The eurozone’s new permanent fund to bail out struggling economies and banks has been formally launched at a meeting of finance ministers in Luxembourg.
* Call to Separate Jews, Arabs on Temple Mount A movement of Temple Mount organizations is calling to completely separate Jews and Arabs on the site.
* Al Qaeda Winter Pakistan-based al Qaeda is secretly setting up sleeper cells and a clandestine network of jihadists to destabilize and take over Libya while hiding under a new cover name to prevent exposure and attacks, according to an internal Pentagon report obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
* ‘Israeli death toll no less than 10,000 if it attacks Iran’ Former chief of IRGC Mohsen Rezaei says in the event of an Israeli military strike against Iran, it will deal a “mortal blow” as deterrent power; adds Israel only speaks of war to “win concessions” from next US president.
* Israel to Host 2015 Int’l Space Conference Israel has become one of the world’s aeronautic space powers – and in 2015, will step up to host an international space conference.
* ‘Iran withdraws elite Qods Force brigade from Syria’ ‘The Sunday Times’ reports Iran has withdrawn 275 members of elite brigade from Syria in face of domestic economic crisis.
* Afghanistan’s government ‘could collapse’ after 2014 – report A new report on Afghanistan warns that the departure of Nato forces in 2014 could be followed by the government’s collapse and even civil war, unless steps are taken now.
* Catholic leaders gather to counter decline of faith Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday opened a meeting of Roman Catholic Church leaders from around the world to debate how to counter rising secularism on the 50th anniversary of the momentous Second Vatican Council.
* U.S. Army Officers in Israel to Prepare for Joint Drill U.S. army officers have begun arriving in Israel ahead of joint military maneuvers between the countries’ armed forces.
10/06/12
* Friday prayers end in riots on Temple Mount Riots broke out on the Temple Mount on Friday afternoon as hundreds of Muslim worshipers threw stones at police officers.
* IDF shoots down drone that penetrated deep into Israel The IDF shot down a foreign drone that had penetrated deep into Israeli airspace on Saturday afternoon.
* WSJ: Unrest in Tehran altering Israel’s stance The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the protests in Iran linked to the country’s weakening currency are causing Israeli officials to reconsider the likelihood of a strike against Iranian nuclear targets in the coming months.
* Iran denies offering new plan on nuclear impasse Iran denied on Saturday a US media report that it had offered a “nine-step plan” aimed at solving its stand-off with the West over its disputed nuclear program.
* London council set to remove ‘anti-Semitic’ mural showing Jewish bankers A mural painted on a wall in East London depicting Jewish bankers apparently exploiting black men is set to be removed following complaints that it has anti-Semitic undertones.
* Turkey ‘responds to fresh Syrian mortar fire’ Turkey has fired into Syria for a fourth day after a Syrian mortar landed near a Turkish village.
* Number Of Gay And Bisexual TV Characters At Highest-Ever Level The number of gay and bisexual characters on scripted broadcast network TV is at its highest-ever level in the season ahead, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
* Jordanians demand constitutional reform in mass rally More than 10,000 Jordanians demanded widespread constitutional reforms on Friday.
* Security and Defense: Fighting with faith The office of Lt.-Col. Amichai Segal at battalion headquarters in the middle of the northern West Bank, is surrounded by rocky, hilly agricultural country.
* ‘Controversial anti-Islam ads set for Washington DC’ A federal judge ordered the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency to begin displaying controversial anti-jihad advertisements beginning Monday in Washington DC.
10/05/12
* Friday prayers end in riots on Temple Mount Riots broke out on the Temple Mount on Friday afternoon as hundreds of Muslim worshipers threw stones at police officers.
* Gates: No blank check from US to Israel on Iran Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated on Thursday that Washington must make it clear to Israeli leaders that the US must not permit Israel to harm American interests.
* ‘Netanyahu’s mind made up on calling early election’ Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has already made a final decision to seek a February 12 election rather than try to pass the 2013 state budget.
* Revolt of the Spooks Weeks before the presidential election, President Barack Obama’s administration faces mounting opposition from within the ranks of U.S. intelligence agencies over what career officers say is a “cover up” of intelligence information about terrorism in North Africa.
* Video, Photos: Thousands March in Jerusalem Thousands of people from around the world marched in Jerusalem on Thursday to express support for the State of Israel.
* US Rejected Iranian Compromise Iran offered a “nine-step plan” to defuse tensions over its unsupervised nuclear program.
* Kissinger: Iran Strike is an American Decision Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said on Thursday that a decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities should be an American decision.
* Jordan’s Islamists rally for elections boycott Thousands of Jordanians rallied on Friday to call for a boycott of upcoming legislative elections.
10/04/12
* Int’l Christian lawmakers vow to stop Iranian nukes Dozens of parliamentarians from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday to throw their support behind an effort to put pressure on their respective governments to stop Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.
* Turkey okays military force, stresses int’l cooperation Turkey’s parliament gave authorization on Thursday for military operations outside Turkish borders if the government deemed them necessary.
* Arabs Riot for Third Day on Temple Mount For the third morning in a row, Arabs rioted on the Temple Mount, attempting to attack groups of Jews who sought to visit the holiest site in Judaism during the Sukkot holiday.
* Experts: Iranian military stuck in the past ran may be technologically advanced but its military capabilities are so limited it can’t risk war on its own soil, Israeli experts claim.
* UN scrambles to defuse tensions between Turkey, Syria UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was “alarmed by escalating tensions” between Syria and Turkey .
* Facebook surpasses one billion users as it tempts new markets Facebook now has more than one billion people using it every month, the company has said.
* Islamists versus Monarchy to Rally Friday in Amman A showdown is shaping up between Jordan’s monarchy and Islamist forces, with rival demonstrations scheduled for this Friday.
* Israel’s Vatican envoy: Offending Christianity harms Israel Zion Evrony, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church, stressed on Wednesday that the latest attacks on Christian holy sites in Jerusalem are damaging Israel’s public image.
* IDF intel chief: Syria violence getting closer The fighting between Syrian rebels and forces that are loyal to President Bashar Assad has moved closer to the Israeli border, with some errant mortars landing in the area.
* UN: Palestinian statehood bid likely in November n November the Palestinians are likely to present to the United Nations General Assembly a resolution seeking to upgrade their statehood status.
10/3/13
* Armed Syrians Cause Evacuation at Hermon Site Armed Syrians were spotted near Israel’s northern border on Wednesday.
* Fear of Israeli Attack had Iran Firing at its own Jets While an Israeli threat of an attack against Iran is speculated daily in the international media, classified Pentagon intelligence papers reveal that it was actually in 2008 that Iran was so fearful of an Israeli attack they mistakingly fired at their own airliners.
* Iran Claims it was Target of Cyber Attack Iranian officials claim cyber attackers targeted their country’s infrastructure and communications companies Wednesday.
* Thousands Participate in Priestly Blessing at Western Wall The annual Priestly Blessing from Jerusalem, chanted by thousands of Kohanim, male descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron the Levite, the first High Priest, went forth Wednesday.
* Easy living in the sacred space of the sukkah The sukkah of my youth was an elegantly makeshift affair.
* A late-blooming Arab Spring in Jordan? Muslim Brotherhood, opposition groups, call for massive rally in Amman to demand reform and boycott upcoming elections.
* Iran rehearsed attacking Haifa and Dimona The Iranian military is using firing ranges designed to resemble Haifa and Dimona to rehearse an air attack on Israel.
* Blessings and Celebrations as Thousands Gather in Hebron Thousands of Jews from across the country came to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot in the holy city of Hebron.
* 25 international MPs assert Israel’s right to preemptively attack Iran A group of 25 non-Jewish parliamentarians from 17 countries on Wednesday signed a resolution justifying a potential Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
* Human Rights Watch reports on ‘severe’ Hamas abuse of Palestinians An international rights group said Wednesday that Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip commit rampant abuses against Palestinian prisoners.
10/02/12
* At Christian gathering, 25 international lawmakers to support ‘red lines’ on Iran Two dozen parliamentarians from 17 countries will come out in support of the Israeli government’s Iran policy.
* Brotherhood calls on Jordanians to take to streets The Arab Spring blossomed – and sometimes wilted – in nearly every country in the region aside from Jordan.
* White House secret meetings examine al-Qaeda threat in North Africa The White House has held a series of secret meetings in recent months to examine the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s franchise in North Africa.
* U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Bombed Twice in Run-Up to 9/11 Anniversary In the five months leading up to this year’s 9/11 anniversary, there were two bombings on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
* 70% of Americans hold favorable view of Israel, new poll finds Seventy percent of Americans view Israel favorably, according to a survey conducted by the Foreign Policy Initiative.
* Peres: Best To Get Rid of ‘Modern Haman’ Ahmadinejad without War “All of us would prefer to get rid of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the modern Haman, without war,” President Shimon Peres told former Chief Sephardi Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
* Police Ignore Arab Death Threats at Jews on Temple Mount Police ignored threats by Arabs to butcher Jews ascending the Temple Mount but arrested an Arab for trying to stab a police officer.
* Hizbullah Threatens to ‘Conquer the Galilee’ A new Hizbullah video highlights the terrorist organization’s latest campaign – “liberating the Galilee.”
* US Pressures EU To Oppose PA Statehood Ploy at UN The Obama administration has warned European Union countries that granting the Palestinian Authority Non-Member Observer status in the United Nations would have “significant negative consequences.”
* Russia warns NATO to stay away from Syria Russia told NATO and world powers on Tuesday they should not seek ways to intervene in the Syrian war or set up buffer zones between rebels and government forces.
10/01/12
* “Rejoice…Be Wholly Happy”, Says the Bible on Sukkot – Tonight Sunday evening at sundown is the start of the holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles), one of the three major festivals (shlosha regalim) of the Jewish calendar in which, in Temple days, the Jewish People were enjoined to “go up to Jerusalem.”
* The stalemate in Turkish-Israeli relations How the rise of Turkey’s JDP party has reshaped Ankara’s foreign policy and its ties to Jerusalem.
* White House Hack Attack Chinese hackers break in to White House military office network in charge of the president’s nuclear football.
* A Tour of Syria’s Chemical Weapons Syrian chemical weapons sites revealed as defector adds new details on regime’s plans to use nerve gas.
* Iraq to check Syria-bound Iran flights for arms Iraqi FM says Iranian planes passing through Iraq’s airspace will be subject to random inspections to prevent arms shipments.
* Erdogan Reiterates Tough Stance on Israel Turkish PM Erdogan: No restoring relations with Israel unless it apologizes over Marmara incident.
* Obama’s ‘Quiet Campaign’ to Muslim-Americans A pro-Obama website aimed at Muslim-Americans raises concerns over how to deal with the Muslim community in America.
* Perot:Fiscal nightmare means USA could be taken over Ross Perot, the billionaire who shook up the 1992 presidential campaign, has largely remained silent since his emergence on the nation’s political stage nearly two decades ago and as he emerges from the shadows (in part to drum up interest in his forthcoming autobiography), he’s remaining silent about one more thing: the current top candidates running for office.
* Christians ‘flee Egypt town after death threats’ Several Christian families have fled their homes in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula after receiving death threats from suspected Islamist militants, officials and residents told AFP on Friday.
* Terrorist Groups, Hate Signs: There’s an App for That ADL launches new app that will enable law enforcement officers to access information on hate symbols and terrorist organizations.