Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories

05/11/12

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* Security and Defense: The war between wars “The war between wars.” This is the term that IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz uses to describe the covert operations that the military’s special forces carry out during times of apparent quiet.
* Ashton hopes new talks will end Iran’s nuke program The European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Friday she hoped upcoming talks with Iran would form the basis for Tehran to eventually abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program.
* Arab World: Assad’s Russian lifeline The port of Oktyabrsk is situated on the left bank of the Bug River, 58 km. north of the entry to the Black Sea.
* Earthquake rocks Israel An earthquake was felt across Israel on Friday evening. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.
* Egypt candidates vow to review Israel treaty Egyptian presidential hopefuls Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh traded barbs about their past in a debate.
* Obama gay marriage remarks spark debate among Israeli MKs, ministers Comments by U.S. President Barack Obama in support of same-sex marriage in an ABC News interview on Wednesday have sparked debate in among Israeli ministers and MKs, and also among U.S. Jewish groups.
* Israel Not Invited to NATO’s Chicago Summit Israel will not be invited to NATO’s May 20-21 summit in Chicago.
* Germany: eurozone would survive Greek exit German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble has said the eurozone would survive if Greece left it.
* EU, Iraq sign first-ever partnership deal The European Union and Iraq signed their first partnership agreement Friday.
* Obama makes it clear: He wants a secular, post-Christian, homosexual America President Obama has made it official: He now supports same-sex marriage.

05/10/12

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* Obama’s support for gay marriage splits US Barack Obama has been praised and criticised a day after he became the first sitting US president to publicly support gay marriage.

* Obama gay marriage support seen as world precedent President Barack Obama’s announcement Wednesday that he supports gay marriage boosted the hopes of gay rights groups around the world.

* Spurred by Obama, MK files marriage equality bill Inspired by US President Barack Obama’s declaration of support for same-sex marriages, MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) resubmitted his marriage equality bill.

* Syria unrest: Damascus ‘suicide blasts’ kill dozens Twin suicide car-bomb attacks have killed at least 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus, Syrian officials say.

* Jerusalem Day March Back on Track The police gave official permission Wednesday to hold the annual Flagdance – “Rikudgalim” – march through Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day.

* US House votes to raise security ties with Israel The US House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that reaffirms and enhances US policy commitments to Israel’s security.

* Russia President Putin will miss G8 Camp David summit Russian President Vladimir Putin has told US President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month.

* Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel becomes IAF Commander With an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities looming, the IAF has a new commander: Major General Amir Eshel.

* Israel’s new submarines geared at tackling rising Mideast threats, from the sea With all the attention in recent days given to short-term political developments, an event with long-term implications for regional strategic balance almost escaped serious attention.

* Egypt forces seize missiles, grenade aunchers in Sinai raid Egyptian security forces seized near the Libyan border on Thursday dozens of heavy weapons allegedly bound for the Sinai Peninsula.

05/08/12

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* Egypt Islamist vows global caliphate in Jerusalem Egypt’s Islamists aim to install a global Islamic caliphate with its capital in Jerusalem, a radical Muslim preacher told thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in a clip released Monday.

* Dinosaur gases ‘warmed the Earth’ British scientists have calculated the methane output of sauropods, including the species known as Brontosaurus.

* Israeli PM Netanyahu strikes surprise coalition deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struck a deal with the opposition Kadima party, avoiding the early general election he had sought.

* Israel Warns Hizbullah Over Responding to Attack on Iran A senior Israeli military officer warned that any Hizbullah retaliation to an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would prompt Israel to launch a war in Lebanon.

* Officials warn of Syrian civil war, 7 killed Security forces killed at least seven people in fighting across Syria on Tuesday.

* ‘Egypt launches op to purge Sinai of terrorists’ Security forces in Sinai arrest Egyptians and Palestinians linked to Hamas’s armed wing, according to “Al Shorouk.”

* ‘Israel site of 10,000 cyber attacks a minute’ Some 10,000 cyber attacks occur in Israel every minute.

* Google Earth Outs Hizbullah Bases Recently uploaded satellite images to Google Earth reveal what appears to be a Hizbullah terror training ground constructed after the 2006 Lebanon War.

* 3,000-year-old artifacts fuel Biblical archaeology debate Two rare 3,000-year-old models of ancient shrines were among artifacts presented by an Israeli archaeologist on Tuesday.

* French olim: Hollande bad for Jews Many French nationals in Israel were unhappy Monday with Paris’ newly elected President Francois Hollande.

05/07/12

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* Space weather expert has ominous forecast Mike Hapgood, who studies solar events, says the world isn’t prepared for a truly damaging storm. And one could happen soon.

* Euro declines on French and Greek election results The euro fell against the dollar and the pound on Monday following weekend election results, which cast doubt on European austerity plans.

* Vladimir Putin inaugurated as Russian president Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as president of Russia in a lavish ceremony in the capital, Moscow.

* Netanyahu announces September 4 election date Prime minister says a broad coalition will be formed to deal with Israel’s needs

* PA Flags Wave for Hollande; ‘I Will Visit Israel’ Palestinian Authority and Syrian flags were waved in a Paris celebration of Hollande’s victory.

* This Week in History: Israel joins United Nations Despite the contentious relationship Israel has continuously had with the UN, its admission to the world body remains an important landmark.

* Bigger and brighter ‘supermoon’ graces the night sky A “supermoon” has graced the skies, appearing bigger and brighter than usual, as it comes closer to the Earth – and is likely to bring higher tides.

* Be afraid, exultant Greek neo-Nazis warn rivals Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn warned rivals and reformers Sunday that “the time for fear has come” after exit polls showed them securing their entry in parliament for the first time in nearly 40 years.

* Syria holds parliamentary vote as violence rages Gov’t touts elections as a milestone of political reform; opposition dismissed move as a facade masking widespread killing.

* US wants ‘urgent’ Iranian steps in nuclear talks EU says Tehran must suspend sensitive atomic activities; major powers set to meet in Baghdad in coming weeks.

05/05/12

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* Police Block March to Temple Mount Jerusalem police have ruled that activists cannot hold a march to the Temple Mount this Sunday.

* Hundreds of Jordanians protest Israel peace deal Hundreds of Jordanians burned Israeli and US flags in Amman on Friday and called for the cancellation of the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace accord.

* Putin returns to presidency in a changed Russia Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency on Monday will technically give him greater powers than he wielded as prime minister.

* Hundreds held after fierce Cairo clashes in which soldier killed Military prosecutors have detained over 300 Egyptian protesters following clashes outside the country’s Defense Ministry.

* French election: Sarkozy and Hollande keep silence French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his challenger Francois Hollande are observing a mandatory election silence ahead of Sunday’s run-off vote.

* Greek elections to usher in anti-bail-out parties Greece’s two main parties are set for heavy losses in Sunday’s (6 May) elections.

* Gloom builds for euro zone, United States In Europe, the purchasing managers indexes (PMIs), which primarily cover services, suggested a recession across the continent’s currency union could now extend to mid-year and be deeper than previously thought.

* Some U.S. aid to Iraq bought ‘protection’ from militias, insurgents The United States has determined that hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding was relayed to militias in Iraq.

* Ex-IDF intelligence chief: A nuclear Iran more dangerous than military strike Former Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said on Saturday that a nuclear Iran would be more dangerous than carrying out a military strike on Iran.

* Conservative factions dominate Iran’s run-off elections Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, now out of favor with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suffered more setbacks in a run-off parliamentary election seen as a pointer for next year’s presidential race.

05/04/12

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* Netanyahu holding elections so he is free to deal with Iran in September-October Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling early elections so that he and his government will be free to deal with Iran’s nuclear program this September-October.

* Egypt imposes curfew in Cairo amid violence Egypt’s army imposed an overnight curfew around the defence ministry in Cairo on Friday.

* Russia Threatens Arms Race And Preemptive Strike Against ABMs I’m going to violate the first law of punditry by conceding that I don’t get it when addressing Russia’s moves on the eve of a crucial missile defense conference with NATO in Moscow.

* Israel’s atomic arsenal could fall victim to a new U.S. nuclear policy On February 17, Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited the Hiroshima memorial for the victims of the first atomic bomb used on people in human history.

* Hundreds of Jordanians protest Israel peace deal Hundreds of Jordanians burned Israeli and US flags in Amman on Friday and called for the cancellation of the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace accord.

* EU PLOT TO SCRAP BRITAIN A covert group of EU foreign ministers has drawn up plans for merging the jobs currently done by Herman Van Rompuy.

* Sarkozy’s chances fade two days before French runoff Opinion polls suggested Sarkozy could squeeze Socialist challenger Francois Hollande’s lead down to around five percentage points from as much as 10 in the last few days.

* Johns Hopkins Astronomer Discovers How Black Holes Work Johns Hopkins is again at the center of groundbreaking research.

* Google Street View exposes secret Israeli base Classified details about a secret base in the Tel Aviv area have been exposed by Google Street View.

* IAEA: Access to Iran army site ‘priority’ in talks Gaining access to a key Iranian military facility will be the priority for the UN nuclear watchdog when it resumes talks with the Islamic state in mid-May.

05/03/12

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* Russia warns on missile defence deal with Nato and US The warning came after the Russian defence minister said talks on missile defence were nearing a dead end.

* Al Qaeda Magazine Calls for Firebomb Campaign in US The men who launched al Qaeda’s English-language magazine may have died in a U.S. missile strike last fall.

* Six army battalions called up under emergency orders to meet growing threat on Egypt, Syria borders The IDF has issued emergency call up orders to six reserve battalions in light of new dangers on the Egyptian and Syrian borders.

* Saudi Arabia warns Iran over Gulf islands, Bahrai Saudi Arabia repeated on Wednesday that it would not tolerate threats to the Gulf Arab states’ sovereignty.

* Police Block March to Temple Mount Jerusalem police have ruled that activists cannot hold a march to the Temple Mount this Sunday.

* Abbas asks Blair to intervene on prisoners Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday asked Tony Blair, the Quartet Middle East envoy, to intervene on behalf of Palestinian prisoners.

* Syria uprising creates chemical weapons concerns With an uprising in Syria loosening the grip of president Bashar Assad, world powers are worried that he could lose control of a secret stockpile of chemical weapons.

* Israel gets fourth Dolphin-class submarine from Germany Israel received a fourth Dolphin submarine from Germany on Thursday.

* Despite Embargo, Iran and Syria Freely Import Weapons Despite a worldwide arms embargo, Iran has been able to import over a half billion dollars’ worth of weapons over the past several years.

* Israeli PM Netanyahu ‘set for easy poll win’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to sail to an easy victory in early general elections likely to take place in September.

05/02/12

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* Barack Obama pledges to ‘finish the job’ in Afghanistan Speaking a year after Osama Bin Laden’s killing, Mr Obama thanked US troops and hailed plans to end combat operations.

* Taliban kill 7 in Afghan capital after Obama visit The Taliban struck back less than two hours after President Barack Obama left Afghanistan on Wednesday.

* U.S. pressing UN Human Rights Commissioner to put off West Bank settlements probe The Obama administration is trying to delay the establishment of a panel appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

* Jordan’s King Abdullah warns against ‘settlement’ building in Jerusalem Jordan’s King Abdullah criticized Israel on Wednesday for plans to build some 1,100 hotel rooms in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Matos.

* Netanyahu’s Likud moves to dissolve Knesset ahead of early Israel elections Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset on Wednesday.

* ‘I Love Jews But Hate Israel’ T-Shirt Sparks Controversy CafePress, the online retailer that sells custom made products, removed the “I Love Jews But Hate Israel” T-shirt from its site after the Simon Wiesenthal Center sent a letter to the company.

* Critic: Reputation of United Church Tarnished by Israel Boycotts In recent years, the United Church of Canada has been hijacked by a small group of anti-Israel activists.

* Israel’s military censor to monitor Facebook, Twitter, blogs Israel’s military launched a new system this week to monitor information on the Internet.

* Egypt army signals willingness to hand over power Egypt’s military might hand over to civilian rule earlier than planned.

* Security Officials: Elections Won’t Affect Iran Policy Senior security officials said Wednesday that early elections will have no impact on Israel’s decision on whether to strike Iranian nuclear sites.

05/01/12

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* Officials Watch for Terrorists With Body Bombs on US-Bound Planes With the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death looming, American and European authorities told ABC News today that they fear al Qaeda may soon try to explode U.S.-bound aircraft with explosives hidden inside the bodies of terrorists.

* Syria violence ‘leaves 30 dead’ despite UN monitors At least 30 people have been killed in renewed violence in Syria on Tuesday despite a ceasefire, activists say.

* Obama’s New Campaign Slogan “Forward!” Is a Hitler Youth Marching Tune Barack Obama’s latest campaign slogan “Forward!” also happens to be a Nazi marching tune.

* New Obama slogan has long ties to Marxism, socialism The Obama campaign apparently didn’t look backwards into history when selecting its new campaign slogan, “Forward” – a word with a long and rich association with European Marxism.

* May Day marches: Activists protest against austerity Labour activists have been holding marches and rallies in Europe and around the world to mark May Day, at a time of austerity and social unrest.

* Egypt foils Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi ambassador An attempt to kidnap and assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Cairo by a group of Iranians was thwarted on Tuesday.

* ‘Turkey foiled Iranian terror plot against Israelis’ The government downgraded its travel warning for Israelis heading to Turkey to the lowest of four possible levels Tuesday.

* Ancient seal found in Jerusalem A small stone seal at least 2,600 years old and bearing a Hebrew name has been found near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* Pentagon report paints mixed picture of war in Afghanistan The U.S. military presented a mixed picture of the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

* Obama’s War on Not Terrorism Is the War on Terror over? The Obama administration doesn’t seem able to decide.

04/30/12

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* Iran Optimistic as Obama Capitulates Tehran’s envoy to the IAEA is upbeat ahead of nuclear talks after learning the United States is unlikely to oppose continued enrichment

* London Olympics: Jerusalem Capital of ‘Palestine,’ not Israel On official website, Israel had no capital; capital of “Palestine” was Jerusalem. Israelis protested, error was fixed.

* New blasts mar Syria truce, killing 20 Twin blasts targeting security buildings killed more than 20 people in the northwest Syrian city of Idlib on Monday, a monitoring group said.

* Leading candidate in Egypt presidential race calls Israel peace accord ‘dead and buried’ Amr Moussa tells a mass rally in south Egypt that the Camp David Accords with Israel should be ‘consigned to the shelves of history.’

* Occupy Wall Street Plans Global Disruption of Status Quo Occupy Wall Street demonstrators plan marches across the globe tomorrow calling attention to what they say are abuses of power and wealth.

* Benzion Netanyahu to be laid to rest in Jerusalem PM Netanyahu’s father was prominent Revisionist Zionist activist in the US, served as secretary to Jabotinsky.

* Israel Building Security Wall Along Lebanese Border The wall is intended to protect the city of Metulla from sniper fire coming from the Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila.

* Turkey to Block EU From NATO Summit Unless OIC Attends Turkey said it will block EU participation in NATO summit unless the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is allowed to participate

* Connecting rural China to the Internet via Israeli technology Alvarion has set up a wi-fi network that will let residents of the most out-of-reach areas of China connect to the web

* Israeli prime minister explores early elections In a political development with global implications, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled he soon might call early elections — a decision that could put Mideast peace efforts on hold for months.