Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories

08/14/12

Posted on by
* World Muslim leaders mull suspending Syria Muslim leaders were on Tuesday to mull proposals to suspend war-hit Syria from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

* Former Syria PM: Assad controls only 30% of country Former Syrian prime minister Riyad Hijab said on Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government is falling apart and controls only 30 percent of the country.

* Al Qaeda Kidnaps Children, Teaches Them to Fight West Al-Qaeda has been kidnapping children in Somalia and brainwashing them to launch future attacks on the West.

* Iran brushes off threats by Israel’s ‘brainless leaders’ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters at a weekly press conference that Tehran is unconcerned by the threat of an Israeli attack on the country.

* Groups demand halt of Berlin anti-Israel march The daily (B.Z.) Berliner Zeitung’s popular columnist Gunnar Schupelius has called on the Berlin authorities to ban a pro-Iranian regime demonstration.

* China signs new economic deals with North Korea China says it has signed agreements stepping up economic co-operation with North Korea during a visit to Beijing by a senior Pyongyang official.

* Morsi ‘to Make Changes in Camp David Accords’ Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will discuss, in coming days, making changes in the Camp David Accord signed with Israel.

* Britain Horrified at Nazi Parade in War Festival World War II buffs shocked Britons over the weekend by parading in Nazi uniforms and flying swastikas in an event recalling the war.

* PM greets ‘protectors of Jewish future’ at airport This summer’s second charter aliyah flight from the US arrived on Tuesday, bringing some 350 new olim to Israel.

* Hizbullah Claims Rockets Can Reach All of Israel The Hizbullah terror leadership claimed Monday that its missiles can now reach all of Israeli territory.

08/13/12

Posted on by

* Has Israel Lost the Temple Mount Race? Op-ed:Olympic races don’t mean a thing, but the race for the control of the Temple Mount is one that we must win.

* Iran can build an N-bomb by Oct. 1. Cairo coup hampers Israeli action At its present rate of enrichment, Iran will have 250 kilograms of 20-percent grade uranium, exactly enough to build its first nuclear bomb, in roughly six weeks, and two-to-four bombs by early 2013, DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report.

* Jihadist Tells Iran, Uprising in Jordan Can Help Crush Israel An Islamic Jihad official tells Iran that a popular uprising in Jordan would break the last part of Israel’s “security chain.”

* Israel Assured U.S. will Join War on Its Side – Report Obama administration, Romney camp have reportedly told Israel the U.S. will give it protective umbrella against Iran.

* ‘We could destroy parts of Lebanon to stop rockets’ Former Mossad chief Yatom says rockets from Lebanon, Gaza Strip “can cover all of Israel and that is the main problem.”

* Police Nix “The Temple Mount is In Our Hands” Police bar signs with 1967 commander’s famous cry, “The Temple Mount is in our hands!”

* Iran May Be Reason for New Cabinet Powers for Bibi Netanyahu wants the Cabinet to agree to give him more power over decision-making. A possible attack on Iran may be reason.

* Obama to Dine with Ahmadinejad, Morsi at U.N. Assembly in NY? Ban Ki-moon has invited Obama to join Ahmadinejad, Morsi at a VIP lunch on opening day of U.N. General Assembly in NY.

* Israel’s Dollar Reserves a Weapon Against Iranian War Disaster Gloom and doomers warn that war with Iran could cripple the economy, but Israel has a weapon: $70 billion in dollar reserves.

* A Short History of Results of US Aid to Islamists Good news: The US intends to give Egypt more aid to fight Sinai terror. Bad news: History shows the guns are used against the West.

08/11/12

Posted on by
* Proposal: Jews, Muslims to Split Temple Mount Prayer MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) believes he has found a way for Israel to give Jews the freedom to pray at their holiest site, while avoiding Muslim violence.

* U.S. Slams Israel Over Temple Mount Prayer Policies The annual report on religious freedom by the U.S. State Department slams Israel for limiting the rights of worshipers on the Temple Mount – not Muslim worshipers.

* Decision by Netanyahu, Barak to strike Iran is almost final – Israel TV Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have “almost finally” decided on an Israeli strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities this fall.

* Clinton: US, Turkey ‘preparing for fall of Assad’ US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton landed in Turkey on Saturday morning for meetings with Turkish representatives.

* Netanyahu to UN chief: Your place is not in Tehran “Mr. Secretary-General, your place is not in Tehran,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu bluntly told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday.

* Behind the Lines: Turks fear ‘Kurdish Spring’ Turkish forces have launched a major offensive in recent days against positions held by the PKK rebel movement in the area of the Turkish-Iraqi border.

* Sinai vacuum a boon to Gaza rocket men Israeli sources say there is evidence Egypt’s north Sinai region is becoming not only a rallying point for jihadist gunmen but a firing range for Gaza’s indefatigable rocket builders.

* ‘Hezbollah can hit Europe any time, without warning’ Hezbollah could attack Europe at any time and with little to no warning, US State Department’s counter-terrorism coordinator Daniel Benjamin said.

* White House: We Have Eyes Inside Iran’s Nuclear Facilities White House spokesman Jay Carney sought to reassure Israel on Friday .

* Gantz: We Need to be Prepared for a Multi-Front War IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz warned on Thursday that despite the IDF and the Shin Bet’s ability to foil this week’s terror attack near the border with Egypt, there are no guarantees.

08/10/12

Posted on by
* Proposal: Jews, Muslims to Split Temple Mount Prayer MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) believes he has found a way for Israel to give Jews the freedom to pray at their holiest site.

* Netanyahu and Barak said to be pushing for an Iran strike this fall Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are both pushing for an Israeli strike on Iran this fall.

* Iran’s nuclear program designed to ‘finish off’ Israel, Hezbollah MP says Hezbollah MP Walid Sakariya told Lebanese television this week that the nuclear weapon Iran is allegedly developing is intended to annihilate Israel.

* IDF plans supply depots protected against missiles The IDF plans to build underground supply depots that will be protected in the event of a major missile bombardment on military bases throughout the country.

* Russian, Iranian advisors spotted in Syria by opposition Syria has been using senior officers from Iran and Russia to help quell the Sunni revolt against President Bashar Assad.

* Egypt tribes back offensive against militants in Sinai In talks with Interior Minister Ahmed Gamal al-Din, they also backed plans to destroy smuggling tunnels into Gaza.

* Pro-Palestinian site publishes what it says are 100 Israeli pilots’ names and ID details A pro-Palestinian website has published what it says are the names of and information about 100 Israeli Air Force pilots.

* Pro-Islamist elected to head Libya assembly Libya’s newly empowered top legislative body has elected as its president late a veteran opponent of Moamer Kadhafi’s ousted regime who is seen as pro-Islamist.

* Baghdad at 1,250: a far cry from past glories Baghdad was once the capital of an empire and the centre of the Islamic world.

* Ministry not interested in religious freedom report The Religious Services Ministry said Thursday that “it was not interested” in responding to the US State Department’s report on religious freedom around the world in 2011, which included Israel.

08/09/12

Posted on by
* Egyptian Cleric: People Thirst for Jews’ Blood Hamas’s Al Aqsa TV has aired sermons by an Egyptian cleric in which he says that people he meets everywhere “thirst for the blood of the Jews.”

* Stuxnet-like virus discovered in Israel, Lebanon A new cyber surveillance virus has been found in the Middle East that can spy on financial transactions, email and social networking activity.

* Iran: Abrupt Assad fall would be ‘catastrophic’ Iran said an abrupt end to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad would have catastrophic consequences for his country.

* ‘US, Israeli intel Iran closer than ever’ Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday said that a recently reported US intelligence report is closer than ever to Israel’s own intelligence estimates on Iran.

* US Helping Gulf States Build Defense Against Iran Attack Fearing an Iranian attack on strategic and essential oil and military facilities in the Middle East, the United States is helping Gulf countries build a missile defense system.

* Sinai: Egypt sends reinforcements as offensive builds Egypt has deployed extra troops, tanks and other armoured vehicles to the Sinai peninsula in an escalation of its military offensive in the area.

* Barak: Iran Strike – Only with Government Vote An Israeli strike on Iran would happen only with the authorization of the government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

* U.S. Slams Israel Over Temple Mount Prayer Policies The annual report on religious freedom by the U.S. State Department slams Israel for limiting the rights of worshipers on the Temple Mount.

* Barak: New U.S. intelligence report raises urgency over Iran’s nuclear program Defense Minister Ehud Barak confirmed on Thursday Haaretz’s report that President Barack Obama recently received a new National Intelligence Estimate report on the Iranian nuclear program.

* The starting gun sounds for EU elections 2014 May 2014 might seem a long way off for ordinary folk, but not for budding MEPs.

08/08/12

Posted on by
* PA Libel: Israel Using Chemicals to Erode Al-Aqsa A news story on Palestinian Authority television recently accused Israel of using chemicals to erode the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to cause it to collapse.

* Iranian Hate ‘Worst since Nazi Germany’ Columnist Colbert King issued a strong warning against Iranian anti-Semitism this week in a column for the Washington Post.

* Syrian army claims victory in Aleppo Syrian troops launched a broad ground assault Wednesday on rebel-held areas of the besieged city of Aleppo.

* ‘Jalili visited Beirut to support Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah’ A Lebanese MP has dubbed this week’s visit by Saeed Jalili, the head of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, to Beirut a deliberate message of support for Iran’s proxy Hezbollah.

* Egypt launches first air strike on militants in Sinai since 1973, killing at least 20 Egypt launched air strikes in the Sinai region close to the border with Israel on Wednesday, killing at least 20-23 suspected Islamic militants.

* Iranian TV Claims Starbucks Blocks Its Website A cup of coffee at Starbucks won’t buy access to Iran’s official Press TV website, the media outlet claims, based on a blogger.

* Revealed: Israeli-Arab Hizbullah Cell had Bombs, Guns Police and the Shin Bet have nabbed an Israeli-Arab terrorist cell affiliated with Hizbullah.

* Abbas: We’ll go to UN for statehood no matter whose toes we step on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is adamant about gaining UN recognition of Palestine as an occupied state rather than a disputed territory.

* Turkey issues ‘frank, friendly’ warning to Iran As bilateral relationship strains, Turkish FM tells Iranian counterpart not to blame Ankara for ongoing violence in Syria.

* King Abdullah: Assad may seek Alawite enclave Jordanian King Abdullah II told “CBS This Morning” that Syrian President Bashar Assad will stick to his guns.

08/07/12

Posted on by
* Iran reaffirms ‘unbreakable’ alliance with Syria’s Assad Iran assured Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday that his country was a vital partner in its regional anti-Israeli alliance.

* Syria crisis: Iran pledges support for ‘vital partner’ During talks in Damascus, Saeed Jalili said Syria was an essential part of an “axis of resistance”.

* Putin changes his mind again: Flotilla of warships may dock in Syria Russia, in yet another revision of naval exercise plans, says its warships could dock in Syria.

* Egyptian Fighter Jets in Sinai? Israel Says It isn’t So The Egyptian military has stationed jet fighter planes at the El Arish airbase in Sinai following the combined terror attack Sunday.

* Jordan’s Abdullah: Syria Chemical Weapons ‘Scare Us All’ King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed his concern over the situation in neighboring Syria.

* Rover shoots movie during descent Nasa has provided almost 300 thumbnails from a sequence of pictures that will eventually be run together as a colour hi-def movie.

* Nigeria church attack in Kogi state ‘kills 19’ At least 19 people have been killed in a gun attack on a church in central Nigeria, officials say.

* Egyptian Protesters Demand to End Ties with Israel Dozens of protesters demonstrated outside the residence of Israel’s ambassador to Egypt in Cairo on Monday night.

* Fight for control of a Jerusalem neighborhood makes Time cover The clash between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis in a Jerusalem neighborhood has made the latest cover of Time magazine.

* Susita Site Yields Surprises The 13th year of Haifa University’s archeological digs at the Susita site just east of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) has yielded several surprises.

08/06/12

Posted on by

* Netanyahu: Khamenei ‘Not a Rational Leader’ Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explains in closed conversations why he is seriously considering attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.

* IDF Knew Sinai Attack Was Imminent, Prevented Disaster Israeli intelligence prevented a catastrophe by forewarning soldiers of Sunday night’s terrorist attack, which was foiled at the border.

* South China Sea: Beijing attacks US ‘trouble-making’ Chinese state media have hit out at US “trouble-making” on the South China Sea, two days after Beijing summoned a US diplomat on the issue.

* Syria Prime Minister Riad Hijab defects Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab has defected from President Bashar al-Assad’s government to join “the revolution”, his spokesman says.

* Nasa’s Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars The US space agency has just landed a huge new robot rover on Mars.

* Saudi invites Iran for extraordinary Muslim summit Saudi King Abdullah invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for an extraordinary summit of Muslim leaders to be held this month in the holy city of Mecca, state news agency SPA reported Sunday.

* A Kurdish spillover: Violence in Turkey The Syrian turmoil is causing great concerns for Turkey and relations with its Kurdish community.

* The Region: Why Israel is economically advanced Romney mentioned the gap between the Israeli and Palestinian economies, by which he meant democracy, liberty, free enterprise and the rule of law.

* ‘Everybody thinks Europe is a Christian continent’ EU institutions avoid God. But for some religious leaders in EU-aspirant countries, member states’ Christian origins are still politicaly important.

* Hamas on full alert after Sinai attack Hamas said on Monday that its security forces in the Gaza Strip are on the alert after Egypt’s army vowed to avenge the killing of 16 guards by gunmen near the Israeli border.

08/04/12

Posted on by
* Muslim Brotherhood establishes militia inside Syria The Muslim Brotherhood has established its own militia inside Syria as the country’s rebels fracture between radical Islamists and their rivals.

* PA to renew statehood bid at UN General Assembly Following failure of September 2011 statehood bid, the PA will file a new application next month, says the PA foreign minister.

* U.S. Discreetly Plans for Post-Assad Syria Even with fighting raging in Syria and President Bashar al-Assad digging in, the State Department and Pentagon are quietly sharpening plans to cope with a flood of refugees.

* Japan Concerned By Chinese Buildup And Use Of Military Muscle The Japanese Defense Ministry, in its report for 2012, expressed alarm at the growing Chinese buildup and the thirtyfold escalation in defense spending in the past 24 years.

* An Attack on Iran ‘Within Weeks or Months’ Aharon Ze’evi-Farkash, former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, predicted on Friday that an Israeli attack on Iran could take place in the near future.

* Coptic Church head slams Egypt’s new government Egypt’s new government fails to fairly represent Christians, the acting head of the Coptic church said on Saturday.

* For the United Statelets of Europe Alfred Heineken did more than just brew beer. He also thought about things, like the future of Europe and how best to proceed.

* Iran Tests Missile with New Guidance System Iran’s defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, says that Tehran has tested a new version of its Fateh 110 short-range missile.

* Assad Transfers Missiles to Lebanese Border Syrian President Bashar Assad has transferred a battery of advanced missiles to the al-Masna border crossing.

* Iran Under a Threat from a ‘Soft War’, Says IRGC Chief The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, admitted on Friday that the main threat to his country is the “soft war” being waged against it.

08/03/12

Posted on by
* Iran commander: We have reached a sensitive, fateful stage Members of Iran’s top leadership brass on Friday expressed concern about the state of the Islamic Republic as its economy continues to spiral due to international sanctions.

* ‘Russia sends navy vessels, marines to Syria base’ Moscow is sending three large landing ships with marines aboard to a Russian naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus.

* Iran Could Have Nuclear Weapons Within a Year, Says Expert Dr. Ephraim Asculai, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, said on Thursday that he doubts the sanctions being imposed on Iran will lead its leaders to give up the country’s nuclear weapons program.

* Palestinian Model: Hitler’s Jungvolk What is the Palestinian Arab model for children? Hitler’s “Children’s Army” at the end of World War II.

* Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood Hopes for Islamic State The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria said on Thursday that the country post-Assad will be an Islamic state.

* PA prepares for showdown over statehood bid The next international showdown over “Palestine” seems inevitable.

* UN Sponsored Summer Camps Canceled In Favor of Hamas There are no reports of any United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) sponsored summer camps in Gaza in 2012 as opposed to previous years.

* Palestinians brace for repercussions over UN statehood bid The Palestinians are bracing for possible punitive reactions by the United States and Israel if they go ahead with plans to seek UN General Assembly recognition of “Palestine”.

* 4,000 march in 10th annual Jerusalem Pride Parade Four thousand people marched in the 10th annual Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade in the capital on Thursday.

* ‘Russia sends navy vessels, marines to Syria base’ Moscow is sending three large landing ships with marines aboard to a Russian naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus.