Archive for January 31, 2013

After Syria Threatened Israel, White House Warns Syria on Weapons

Syria warns it reserves the right to retaliate to alleged Israeli air strike on its military research center.

By Gil Ronen

 

The White House on Thursday warned Syria not to transfer weapons to Hizbullah, as tensions mounted following reported Israeli raids on a military research center and a weapons convoy.

“Syria should not further destabilize the region by transferring weaponry to Hizbullah,” said Ben Rhodes, a US deputy national security advisor.

Syria on Thursday warned that it reserves the right to retaliate to what it says was an Israeli air strike on a military research center near Damascus, as it lodged a complaint with the United Nations. Continue Reading »

After U.S. & Arabs confirm Israel hit Syria, Iran threatens retaliation

Iranian threat: The Israeli air strike will “have serious consequences for Tel Aviv.”

By Israel Today Staff

 

Syria, Hezbollah and several Western officials on Wednesday confirmed that Israel had bombed a military target in Syria hours earlier, though Jerusalem itself is remaining very tight-lipped about the strike.

Iran threatens retaliationUS officials told the New York Times that Israel has notified Washington ahead of time that it was preparing to bomb a convoy transporting sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles from Syria to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah also posted messages to its Al-Manar website acknowledging that Israel had hit a military site connected to the terror group. Continue Reading »

Morsi’s “apes and pigs” slur pursue him in Germany

Morsi in Berlin to gather financial aid for rebuilding his crumbling Egyptian economy, however questions about the hateful, anti-Semitic comments he made, calling Jews “apes and pigs”, pursue him throughout the day.

Morsi: I’m not against the Jewish faith or the Jewish people.

 

By The Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff

Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi turned aside repeated criticism of his past comments referring to Jews as “the descendants of apes and pigs” as he visited Germany on Wednesday, insisting that the remarks were taken out of context and were aimed at criticizing Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and President of Egypt Mohammed Morsi, left, address the media during a joint press conference after a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin – Photo: AP

A key focus of Morsi’s one-day visit to Berlin was to seek support to rebuild a crumbling Egyptian economy.

Continue Reading »

Will Hezbollah use Chemical Weapons?

Reports of Israeli attack come amid mounting concerns over transfer of Syrian chemical weapons to terrorist organizations.

Israelis in the meantime are making sure their gas masks are up-to-date.

By Ben Sales

 

TEL AVIV (JTA) — Israeli planes reportedly struck a Syrian weapons transport on the Lebanese border amid increasing fears that the country’s chemical weapons stockpile could fall into the hands of Hezbollah.

The strikes, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, were reported to Reuters by a Western diplomat and anonymous regional sources who said that warplanes had struck the convoy as it passed from Syria into Lebanon. Continue Reading »

Thursday’s Updates of Israel’s reported strike on the Syria-Lebanon border

The target of the IAF attack was apparently an arms convoy moving from Syria to Lebanon, but it is still not clear exactly where the strike occurred because of contradicting reports, or whether the SA-17 Missile cache also included chemical weapons.

International media reported Wednesday that Israel launched an overnight air strike on Lebanon’s border with Syria, after carrying out four separate flyover missions in Lebanese air space.

Map of Israel-Syria-Lebanon borders

The target of the reported attack was apparently an arms convoy moving from Syria to Lebanon, but it is still not clear precisely where the strike occurred, or whether the cache included chemical weapons. Continue Reading »

UN calls for immediate withdraw from settlements and sanctions against Israel

In the UNHRC’s harshest condemnation of Israeli since 1967, the 3 UN investigators report Israel is in violation of the Geneva Conventions and must ‘cease all settlement activities without precondition’.

By JTA

 

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A United Nations investigation into the impact of Jewish West Bank settlements on the Palestinian population said that Israel should immediately begin to withdraw all settlers from the territory.

The report issued Thursday by the U.N. Human Rights Council based in Geneva said that settlement violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions and that failure to withdraw could lead to a finding of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Continue Reading »

WSJ: U.S. knew in advance of Syria strike by IDF

Wall Street Journal quotes U.S. gov’t official as acknowledging the IDF strike targeted a convoy of trucks in Syria carrying Russian-made advanced missiles to Hezbollah.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

American officials have told the New York Times that Jerusalem had given the US advance warning of an Israeli air strike at dawn on Tuesday on a convoy carrying weapons in Syria, close to the Lebanese border.

IAF F-16i (Sufa) – Photo courtesy: Israel Air Force

IAF F-16i (Sufa) – Photo courtesy: Israel Air Force

American officials said overnight Wednesday that the strike had targeted a suspected shipment of anti-aircraft missiles, the Wall Street Journal and Times reported.

Wednesday’s strike on the the convoy, which has not been officially confirmed by Israel, came after hours of what Lebanese army sources described as repeated invasions of its airspace by Israeli warplanes.

Continue Reading »

Moscow protests Israeli ‘unprovoked attack’ on Syria

Addressing reports of Israeli strike in Syria, Russia says it is ‘concerned about  attacks on the territory of a sovereign country.’

Hezbollah demands int’l condemnation of ‘aggressive, criminal’ Israel

Ynet

 

Russia said on Thursday it was very concerned about reports of an Israeli attack in Syria and that any such action, if confirmed, would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country.

Soviet made SA-17 anti-aircraft rocketsThe remarks were issued as Hezbollah called on the international community to condemn the alleged strike.

“If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Continue Reading »

Hamas Denies Discussing Two-State Solution or End of ‘Resistance’

Hamas has denied a Saudi report where the terrorist organization has expressed support for a 2-state solution to end the Arab- Israeli conflict.

By Chana Ya’ar

 

Hamas has denied a Saudi media report the terrorist organization has expressed support for a two-state solution to end the Arab- Israeli conflict.

Jordan's King Abdullah meets Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal at the Royal Palace in Amman

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal at the Royal Palace in Amman – Reuters

Hamas political bureau chief, Khaled Mashaal, reportedly asked Jordan’s King Abdullah II to inform U.S. President Barack Obama at a meeting at the end of February that Hamas would support the plan, according to Jordanian officials quoted Wednesday by the Al-Sharq newspaper. Continue Reading »

Geneva to receive the annual UNHRC report on Jewish settlements

The annual settlements investigation is the 6th council probe into Israeli activity in the Palestinian territories, or at its borders.

 

A UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission on West Bank settlements is set to release its report in Geneva late Thursday morning.

UNHRCIsrael cut its ties with the council when it first ordered the probe last March. Jerusalem refused to cooperate with the three-member mission or to allow it entry into Israel, including into Area C of the West Bank, where the settlements are located.

The settlements probe is the sixth council investigation into Israeli activity in the Palestinian territories or on its borders, including in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Continue Reading »

Saudi Report: Hamas chief agreed to 2-state solution

Saudi newspaper reported that King Abdullah II set to inform President Obama of Hamas’ willingness to accept 2-state solution

By Elior Levy

 

Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Mashaal has asked Jordan’s King Abdullah II to inform US President Barack Obama that Hamas accepts the principle of a two-state solution, Saudi Arabia’s al-Sharq newspaper reported.

According to the report, which quoted Jordanian sources, Mashaal expressed willingness to stand behind a solution that will see a Palestinian state being established on the 1967 borders during a meeting with the king on Monday.

King Abdullah is scheduled to visit Washington in late February and convey the message to Obama, according to the report. Continue Reading »

US Law Enforcement Officials in Israel for Counter-Terrorism Training

15 U.S. participants from 6 North-East states begin a counter-terrorism training program in Israel.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

A delegation of law enforcement executives from the United States is participating this week in a counter-terrorism training program in Israel sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.

The 15 participants from Connecticut, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are meeting with commanders from the Israel National Police, security experts and intelligence analysts to learn how the nation prevents and responds to terror attacks.

The group is attending high-level briefings on the operational response to terrorism, border and airport security, maintaining safety and access to holy sites, the role of advanced technology in policing, and the effective use of the media during a crisis. Continue Reading »

Syria: Israeli planes attacked research center near Damascus

Syrian army command claims 2 people were killed & 5 wounded in the attack on the site in Jamraya, and denies earlier reports that IAF planes had struck a convoy carrying weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

By REUTERS

 

 

Israeli warplanes attacked a military research center in Damascus province at dawn on Wednesday, Syria’s military command said, denying reports that the planes had struck a convoy carrying weapons from Syria to Lebanon.

Two people were killed and five wounded in the attack on the site in Jamraya, which it described as one of a number of “scientific research centers aimed at raising the level of resistance and self-defense.”

Continue Reading »

Israel reach historic agreement with Vatican, seating them at Last Supper site

The Pope will finally have official seat in the Last Supper room on Mount Zion, Jerusalem

Outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon: This is a historic achievement and a symbol that will encourage Christian tourism.

By Shlomo Cesana

 

 

A historical agreement has been signed between Israel and the Vatican, ending a 20 year dispute. Israel has granted the pope an official seat in the room where the Last Supper is believed to have taken place, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

Pope Benedict XVI and Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel did not give up its control over the room, as the Vatican had demanded, but Israel did decide to allow Vatican representatives a special modicum of control over the site.

Continue Reading »

Cartoonist of anti-Israel illustration apologizes for timing of publication

“I am not, and never have been, anti-Semitic.” declares Gerald Scarfe

By JTA

 

The illustrator of an editorial cartoon depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall on the bodies of Palestinians and using their blood as cement apologized for the timing of its publication.

This anti-Israel cartoon that appeared in the Sunday Times of London on International Holocaust Remembrance Day was called a 'modern day evocation of the ancient blood libel charge.'  (From Sunday Times)

Anti-Israel cartoon appeared in the Sunday Times of London on Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day

In a statement printed on his official website, Gerald Scarfe emphasized that “I am not, and never have been, anti-Semitic.”

He said the drawing, published Jan. 27 — International Holocaust Memorial Day — in the Sunday Times, was “a criticism of Netanyahu, and not of the Jewish people: there was no slight whatsoever intended against them.” Continue Reading »