* Abdullah: Next weeks critical for ME The next few weeks are critical in reviving the Middle East peace process, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said.

* Lieberman: Iran approval for UN inspection of reactors is a ruse Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman warned Saturday that Iran’s announcement it would allow UN officials to inspect its nuclear reactors is a diversionary tactic.

* Pope urges Peres to advance peace Pope Benedict XVI urged Shimon Peres to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians in his new capacity as the President of the Jewish State.

* Battle rages at Lebanon camp The Lebanese army has continued its bombardment of the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp with artillery and tank fire.

* Russia suspends arms control pact Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended the application of a key Cold War arms control treaty.

* Bahrainis want Iranian ambassador out Over a hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Bahrain.

* Hamas rejects ‘illegal’ government Hamas has dismissed a new Palestinian caretaker government appointed by Mahmoud Abbas, the president, as illegal.

* NATO: Suspension of treaty is step in wrong direction NATO expressed regret Saturday over Russia’s decision to suspend a key arms control treaty in Europe.

* UN chief urges opening of Gaza crossings to avert economic collapse UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Israel to open all border crossing points into the Gaza Strip.

* Israel blows hot and cold towards Syria While inviting new negotiations with Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gives no sign that he is prepared to withdraw from the Golan Heights.

* Iran lifts ban on UN nuclear inspectors Iran has lifted its ban on visits to a nuclear facility by UN experts and will now allow them to inspect the site.

* PM Olmert: Syria’s Assad wants talks, but only with Washington Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Wednesday in Tel Aviv with ambassadors of European Union countries to Israel.

* World Bank says Gaza may face ‘irreversible’ collapse The World Bank said on Thursday the prolonged closure of Israel’s border crossings with Hamas-controlled Gaza could lead to the coastal strip’s “irreversible” economic collapse.

* Report: India, Israel to jointly develop $2.47b. missile system India and Israel will jointly develop a new generation of medium-range surface-to-air missiles in a $2.47 billion project.

* Lebanon camp under heavy shelling The Lebanese army has continued shelling Fatah al-Islam positions in a refugee camp near Triopli.

* Ethiopian aliya enters its final year Dressed in shiny new shoes and suits, and in traditional white cotton clothing, 90 Falash Mura immigrants arrived from Ethiopia Thursday morning to start their new lives.

* Huge telescope set to scour skies One of the world’s largest optical telescopes is set to peer into space for the first time.

* France: Hizbullah not a terror group Hizbullah is part of Lebanese politics and must not be regarded as a terror organization, said the French Foreign Ministry.

* House passes bill to bring troops home in ’08 The House of Representatives voted 223-201 Thursday to require most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by April 1, 2008.

* Russia sticks to its opposition on Kosovo Russia has rejected the latest attempt by EU and US diplomats to outline a compromise UN resolution on the future status of Kosovo.

By: Yisrael Medad – The Jerusalem Post

So, Arabs who use guns can be referred to as “extremists” and moreover, it is right, just and proper to use force against such persons.

If so, why is Israel always being counseled by the State Department, British Foreign Office, the EU and myriad other “human rights” actors to limit its response to terrorist actions aimed almost exclusively at killing infants (Yehuda Shoham), teenagers (Avi Siton and Harel Bin-Nun) and women (Rachel Druck)?

Read more….

* ‘North better off today than 4 yrs ago’ The decision to go to war last summer was justified, and northern Israel was better for it, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

* PM considers allowing Jordanian forces to enter West Bank Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering allowing forces from the Palestinian Bader Division of the Jordanian army to enter the West Bank.

* Syria open to altering ties with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas Syria has signaled to the UN’s Middle East envoy a willingness to change its relationship with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas if progress were made towards a peace deal with Israel.

* Government report: Al Qaeda strongest since September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda is the strongest it has been since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

* Lebanese army pounds refugee camp Two Lebanese soldiers have been killed after the army resumed heavy shelling of a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli.

* Babylonian King’s Eunuch Really Existed! A routine research visit to the British Museum nets a landmark archaeological discovery and proof of the truth of the Bible.

* Rightists warned over plans to rebuild settlement Security officials threatened Wednesday to take action against right-wing activists if they pushed on with plans to march toward the former West Bank settlement of Homesh next week without authorization.

* Photos: Unsupervised Islamic Digging on Temple Mount The Islamic Wakf is digging large ditches on the Temple Mount without archaeological supervision to protect antiquities at Judaism’s holiest site.

* Analysis: Hamas won the battle – and it may win the war, too A month after its takeover of Gaza, it seems Hamas has begun to translate its military achievements into political dividends.

* US and EU revise Kosovo resolution Europe and the US have revised a draft UN resolution on the status of Kosovo.

IDF: Iran May Go Nuclear in 6 Months; NATO: Go It Alone According to the IDF, Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within six months.

* Hizbullah official: IDF can’t face us Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, Hizbullah’s leader in south Lebanon said on Tuesday that the IDF does not have the ability to face his party another time.

* Waqf Temple Mount excavation raises archaeologists’ protests The Waqf Muslim religious trust is digging a ditch from the northern side of the Temple Mount compound to the Dome of the Rock.

* Report: Beijing backs Syrian Golan claim Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday that his country supported Syria’s rights to the Golan Heights.

* Euro Hits New High Against U.S. Dollar The euro shot to an all-time high against the U.S. dollar Tuesday on concerns about the American economy that were fueled by discouraging growth forecasts from key U.S. retailers and homebuilders.

* IDF wary of possible war with Syria Predicting that war with Syria could erupt if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not begin peace negotiations with Damascus, the latest IDF assessment also states that such a conflict would be “at least 10 times worse” than last summer.

* U.S. Navy sends carrier to Gulf but no build-up A U.S. aircraft carrier is heading to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet area of operations, which includes the Gulf.

* ‘Abbas creating military dictatorship’ Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has come under heavy criticism from Palestinians.

* New EU treaty to be communications ‘prority’ for Brussels The European Commission is planning on making the promotion of a new treaty one of its main tasks in the coming months.

* Pontiff asserts Catholic primacy Pope Benedict XVI asserted yesterday that the Roman Catholic Church is the “one church” that Christ “established here on Earth”.

* ‘Time running out for Iran strike’ Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, said that time to launch an effective military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations was running out.

* Iraq fears Turkey troop build-up Iraq says Turkey has 140,000 soldiers along its border, prompting fears of an incursion against Kurdish guerrillas.

* ‘Hamas army’ established in Gaza, intelligence source says Hamas’ military industry is giving serial production numbers to the roadside charges and Qassam rockets it manufactures.

* US Iraq chief warns of long war The head of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has told the BBC that fighting the insurgency is a “long term endeavour” which could take decades.

* Ten EU FMs tell Blair road map is dead, call for int’l conference A group of 10 EU foreign ministers has called for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the road map peace plan dead.

* World will face oil crunch ‘in five years’ The world is facing an oil supply “crunch” within five years that will force up prices to record levels and increase the west’s dependence on oil cartel Opec.

* ‘New rules for new wars’ The Geneva Convention on armed conflict and the 100 year-old Hague Rules on war need to be “fine tuned” to meet the challenges posed by 21st century asymmetrical warfare.

* Syria rejects offer to hold peace talks Damascus has rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s offer to hold peace talks with President Bashar Assad.

* Jumblatt: Syria trying to destabilize Lebanon Widespread media reports of Syria warning its nationals to flee Lebanon ahead of a major outbreak of violence and civil war there are “unfounded,” contended Lebanon’s Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt.

* Hamas denies Abbas charges it is letting Al-Qaida enter Gaza Hamas officials Tuesday hotly denied allegations by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Iraqi FM Warns Against U.S. Withdrawal Iraq’s foreign minister warned on Monday that a quick American military withdrawal from the country could lead to civil war and the collapse of the government, as pressure on the Bush administration for a pullout grows.

* Government to set up tent city for Darfur refugees Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter says tents will be erected near jail in south to provide temporary shelter for Sudanese refugees.

* Palestinian PM holds Israel talks Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has met the Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, for the first time since Mr Fayyad took office last month.

* Report: Iran general gives nuclear info Ali-Reza Asghari, the Iranian general who went missing in Turkey nearly half a year ago, is currently being held in a secure US intelligence facility, it was reported on Sunday.

* Jordan celebrates Petra’s pick as one of 7 wonders of the world Jordanians rejoiced Sunday over the inclusion of the ancient city Petra in the new seven wonders of the world, celebrating their victory with a fireworks display in the capital and dancing in the early morning hours.

* Sadr movement warns Iraqi PM to back off as no-confidence vote reported brewing against him Followers of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr accused Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki Sunday of attacking them in order to appease his US allies, and warned him his days in office might be numbered.

* Arab League team due for 1st-ever visit The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan are expected to lead an Arab League mission to Israel this week for talks on the Arab peace initiative adopted in 2002 and readopted at an Arab League summit in Riyadh in March, a Foreign Ministry source said.

* Al-Qaeda threatens war against Iran The leader of an al-Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq, who was thought to have beeen killed by US forces, has threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shias in Iraq within two months.

* Iraqi official: Lawmakers cutting short summer recess Iraq is on target to meet by September key political benchmarks set by the U.S. Congress, Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Sunday.

* Israel pumping Syrian water to Kinneret – experts Water experts say Israel pumping water from Golan Heights springs whose natural stream leads to Syria.

* Report: Syria removing Syrian Golan military checkpoints The London based Al-Hayat reported Saturday that Israel was “concerned” that Syria’s decision to remove military checkpoints on the road to Kuneitra on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights could be a preparation for war.

* EU downsizes Gaza-Egypt border monitoring mission The EU is scaling back its monitoring mission at the Gaza-Egypt border.

* Rice: Iran is increasingly dangerous Iran is becoming increasingly dangerous, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

* Brussels questions EU capitals over approach to Islam Following failed car bomb attacks at two UK airports leading to the arrest of Muslim suspects, Brussels is pooling ideas on how to tackle radical Islam.

* US concerns over China weapons in Iraq The US has raised concerns with the Chinese government about the discovery of Chinese-made weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan.

* Turkish government and military agree on Iraq incursion plans Turkey’s government and military have agreed on detailed plans for a cross-border operation against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

* Report: Settlements spreading out Nine of every 10 Jewish settlements sprawl beyond their official boundaries in an attempt to grab more land in the West Bank.

* Jewish groups slam Vatican Latin prayer for conversion of Jews Some Jewish groups have complained about the prayer for the Jews contained in the old form of the Latin Mass.

* Al-Qaeda linked to operations from Iran Evidence that Iranian territory is being used as a base by al-Qaeda to help in terrorist operations in Iraq and elsewhere is growing.

* Arab Parliament stages Hamas, Fatah reconciliation bid The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammad al-Saqr, arrived in Amman Friday saying he was planning to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Ross: Risk of war Dennis Ross, the former senior American Middle East peace negotiator, says he thinks “there is a risk of war” between Israel and Syria this summer.

* Policy planning institute: Future of Jewish people is not assured A working paper prepared for next week’s Conference on the Future of the Jewish People, sponsored by The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, contains the following assessment: “The future of the Jewish People is not assured, though there are great opportunities” for thriving.

* Pakistan cleric makes defiant vow The deputy leader of radical Islamic students besieged at the Red Mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has said he would rather die than surrender.

* Hamas has rockets than can hit IDF planes Senior defense officials are extremely concerned by the fact that Hamas has recently seized large quantities of anti-aircraft missiles, antitank rockets and Katyusha rockets.

* Emirates aims to redraw world aviation map The chairman of Emirates Airlines – Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum of the ruling family of Dubai – has grand ambitions, and a bankroll to match.

* Al-Qaida deputy calls on Muslims to follow 2-pronged strategy Al-Qaida’s deputy leader sought to bolster the terror network’s main arm in Iraq in a new video released Thursday.

* Guam becomes key US military base The US is spending billions of dollars and moving troops in the Asia Pacific to strengthen bases in outlying US territories.

* Papal directive seen as a step backward Pope Benedict XVI is expected in a directive Saturday to encourage priests to use the traditional Latin mass.

* Japan moves to build missile system Japan has said it is seeking to build an anti-missile system as quickly as possible and will move its Air Defence Command to a US military base.

* 45 Muslim doctors planned US terror raids A group of 45 Muslim doctors threatened to use car bombs and rocket grenades in terrorist attacks in the United States during discussions on an extremist internet chat site.

* Iranian Missiles Could Threaten Israel from Syria Iran is planning to deploy, in Syria, missiles that can hit Israel.

* Al Qaeda’s No. 2 says end of West imminent, video shows In a newly released videotaped message similar to a “fireside chat,” al Qaeda’s second-in-command issues advice and directives for the Muslim world.

* Ya’alon: Land for peace concept failed The concept of land for peace has proven a failure in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

* Russians threaten to counter US shield Russia could site cruise missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania.

* Former COS Yaalon: Pal. State No Longer Practical or Relevant ÒWe have to replace the conception of a two-state solution Ð it is not relevant anymore,Ó former Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio Thursday morning.

* George Bush goes wobbly When Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C., in June 1957, his 500-word talk effused good will.

* Analyst Suspects Kadhafi Phobia in AU Summit Outcome The Ninth Ordinary Summit of the African Union is in the history books following its conclusion in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

* China Tries to Prevent Weapons in Darfur China’s special envoy to Sudan pledged Thursday that Beijing will try to prevent the weapons it sells to Sudan from being used in violence-wracked Darfur.

* Poland stays tough on EU treaty Poland has reaffirmed it will not bow to pressure from its EU partners and is set to push for a fresh debate.

* Regaining the Land of Israel Spirit: Five New Sites Planned “We have forgotten our destiny,” people are complaining – and five new Jewish settlement sites are being planned in Judea and Samaria.