Mid-East News

German FM Tells President Peres: Nuclear-armed Iran is not an option

Germany’s FM Westerwelle met with President Peres in Jerusalem and voices his support for U.S. Sec. of St. Kerry’s effort to renew the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Friday, and said that Iranian nuclear weapons “are not an option for Germany.”

Westerwelle and Peres, May 17, 2013 – Photo by Yosef Avi-Yair Engel

Westerwelle also voiced support for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts to renew Israel-Palestinian peace talks. “I promise you Germany is one hundred percent behind Kerry’s initiative,” Westerwelle told Peres, adding that renewing talks “is not only in the interest of two states and two peoples, but in the interest of the entire world.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Germany, Iran Nuclear Program, Shimon Peres

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Israeli air strikes expected on Russian S-300 shipment to Hezbollah

WSJ reports: Another set Israeli airstrikes could target a new Russian transfer of Yakhont advanced anti-ship missiles if given to Hezbollah

Russia expediting delivery of its S-300 surface-to-air defense systems to Syria

CIA Director John Brennan in Jerusalem to discuss recent events.

By Shlomo Cesana, David Baron, Daniel Siryoti & Israel Hayom staff

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that another round of Israeli airstrikes could target a new Russian transfer of advanced anti-ship missiles in the near future. Israeli and Western intelligence services believe the Yakhont missiles, which have been sold by Russia to Syria in recent years, could be transferred to Hezbollah within days, the newspaper reported on its website Friday.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: IAF strike, Israel Russia, S-300 Missiles, Syria Unrest

Egyptian security close Gaza border crossing

In response to the abduction of 7 members of the Egyptian security forces by Islamist gunmen, Egyptian police-officers lock & block the gates at the border crossing to Gaza.

In the meantime, hundreds of Palestinians are stranded on both sides.

By Reuters

Egyptian policemen blocked the crossing into the Gaza Strip on Friday to protest against the kidnapping of Egyptian security forces in the Sinai, witnesses and sources said.

Egyptian soldiers standing guard - Reuters - August 10, 2012.

Egyptian soldiers standing guard on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border, to cross from the Sinai peninsula to Gaza, in August 2012. – Photo: Reuters

Locals said police had placed barbed wire across the entrance to the border and closed the gates with chains, leaving hundreds of Palestinians stranded on both sides of the fence. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Egypt, Gaza, Islamic Jihad, Sinai Terrorism

Russia will honor commitment to transfer S-300 missiles to Assad

Israel’s PM Netanyahu couldn’t convince Putin to reconsider decision regarding sale of S-300 missiles to Syria.

Russian foreign minister reiterates: Russia will make good on commitments.

Yoav Ziitun

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Thursday that Russia would remain committed to previously signed arms deal “regarding agreements pertaining to aerial defense weapons.”

Putin, Netanyahu meet – Photo: EPA

Despite the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew for a lightning visit to Russia with the clear intent of preventing the sale of S-300 missiles to Assad’s regime, the Russians reiterated two days later that they refused to budge from their commitments. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Israel Russia, S-300 Missiles, Syria Unrest

Turkey’s PM Erdoğan confirms his June visit to the West Bank & Gaza

At the joint White House press conference with Turkey’s PM Erdoğan, President Obama cites need for further evidence before making decision on Syria.

PM Erdoğan: Turkey is in ‘full consensus’ with the U.S. on a need to end Syria bloodshed.

By Jack Khoury and Reuters

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Thursday that he plans to travel to the Gaza Strip in June, for a trip that will also include a visit to the West Bank.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama during a joint news conf

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Barack Obama during a joint news conference in the White House, May 16, 2013.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Barack Obama, Bashar Assad, Chemical Weapons, Gaza, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Syria

Hamas & Hezbollah run NY smuggling ring evading $80 million in taxes

The New York state Attorney General’s Report: NYPD bust cigarette-smuggling ring funneling $Millions to terrorist groups.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

New York law enforcement late Wednesday busted a smuggling ring, consisting of suspected members of Hamas and Hezbollah, that has been funneling millions of dollars of funds to terrorist organizations from the sale of tax-free cigarettes, the New York Daily News reported citing local law enforcement officials.

Woman smokes a cigarette – Photo: Daniel Munoz/Reuters

According to the report, The New York state attorney general and the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested 16 members of the group.

The ring had infiltrated the market with the sales of over one million cartons of tax-free cigarettes smuggled from Southern states, where they were bought at cheaper prices, legal authorities were reported as saying .

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: hamas, Hezbollah, smuggling, terrorists

Gaza Legislative Council wants flogging & hand amputation in law

Many Gazans alarmed by harsh draft law from the Gaza Legislative Council that includes Islamic mandatory flogging or amputation for certain punishments.

By Hazem Balousha
Translated by: Kamal Fayad

The penal code drafted by Hamas hard-liners in the Gaza Legislative Council has caused widespread debate not only inside Palestinian society, but also among the political and parliamentary leadership of Hamas, because it included forms of punishment such as flogging and hand amputation, in addition to criminalizing acts not mentioned in the current law.

Members of Hamas police take part in a graduation ceremony in Gaza City, Dec. 17, 2012. – Photo: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

The presidency of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza has released the draft penal code to civil-society organizations, Palestinian factions and Islamic scholars for discussion prior to its ratification by council members, who all belong to the Hamas movement in Gaza.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza, hamas, Sharia law

Fatah & Hamas agree to hold general elections in 3 months

Brokered by Egypt, rivaling Hamas & Fatah terrorist factions reach “historic deal,” for holding long overdue general elections in Gaza & the West Bank by upcoming summer.

By Daniel Siryoti and Israel Hayom Staff

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have agreed to form a unity government within three months, Israel Radio reported Wednesday.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – Photo: AP

Deputy Hamas Politburo Chief Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah spokesman Azzam al-Ahmed both confirmed that a breakthrough was achieved in the latest round of Egyptian-brokered talks meant to facilitate a Palestinian reconciliation, and that a timetable for setting the general elections in the Palestinian Authority has been set.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: elections, Hamas Fatah, Palestinian Authority

Unknown Palestinian group claims it fired rockets onto Mount Hermon

The group said that it “attacked an observatory of the Zionist entity on the occupied Golan Heights with missiles on the anniversary of return, avenging the martyrs of return [who died] last year.”

By JTA

JERUSALEM — A previously unknown Palestinian group took responsibility for two rockets that hit Mount Hermon, a popular Israeli tourist site in the Golan Heights.

Exploded rocket fired into Northern Israel (archive) – IsraelandStuff/PP

The group, which calls itself the Abdul Qader Husseini Battalions of the Free Palestine movement, said in a statement issued Thursday that it fired the projectiles that struck Mount Hermon on Wednesday.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Golan Heights, Mount Hermon, Palestinian attack, rocket attack

Hamas predicts ‘unity gov’t’ within 3 months

In wake of talks currently held in Cairo, Hamas Dep. Politburo head Mousa Abu Marzook, reports Palestinian reconciliation achieved and unity gov’t to be formed by July.

Ynet

A reconciliation is in sight between the divided factions governing the Palestinians, as Hamas announced it has reached a deal with rival Fatah regarding the formation of a new unity government within three months.

אבו מאזן וחאלד משעל בקהיר (ארכיון) (צילום: EPA)

Mashal & Abbas in Cairo – Archive: EPA

Hamas’s deputy politburo chief, Musa Abu Marzook, spoke with the Palestinian news agency Ma’an and claimed that representatives from both sides have decided to go forward with the deal in wake of the talks held in Cairo. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Hamas Fatah, Musa Abu Marzook

Israel warns Assad: If you or your proxies attack us, we’ll end your reign

Israeli Official reports to the New York Times that if Hezbollah or Assad’s forces attack Israel, “he will risk forfeiting his regime, for Israel will retaliate.”

By Barak Ravid

“If Syrian President Assad reacts by attacking Israel…he will risk forfeiting his regime,” a senior Israeli official told the New York Times on Wednesday.

A photo released by Syria's state news agency allegedly showing the damage caused by Israel's airstr

A photo released by Syria’s state news agency allegedly showing the damage caused by an Israeli strike. – Photo: AFP

The Times’ White House correspondent Mark Landler wrote that the official contacted the newspaper on his own initiative.

Landler added that the official had been briefed in the last two days by other senior Israeli officials, who have intimate knowledge of the recent developments in Syria. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Bashar Assad, Hezbollah, Syria, Syrian unrest

Dutch Court won’t charge local company on Israel’s ‘Security Wall’

A Palestinian rights organization al-Haq & Dutch lawyer had petitioned the Dutch courts to prosecute Lima Holding B.V. for war crimes for providing equipment for constructing Israel’s ‘Security Wall’.

By The Associated Press

Dutch authorities say they will not prosecute a company for renting out equipment used to construct Israel’s West Bank separation fence.

Children walking in front of a mural painted on the West Bank separation fence, -. Photo: Reuters

A Dutch lawyer and Palestinian rights organization al-Haq had asked the Dutch to prosecute Lima Holding B.V. for war crimes for providing the equipment.

In a statement Tuesday, the National Prosecutions Office said that investigations revealed that Lima, known in the Netherlands as Riwal, rented cranes and aerial platforms that were used in construction work in the occupied territories. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Courts, Palestinians, Security wall, West Bank

UN Agency & Red Cross caught Delegitimizing Israel

A U.N. director comes under fire for photo op holding map that erased Israel.

The ICRC planted 150 trees that were named after convicted terrorists & murders.

A senior United Nations official was recently caught posing for a picture in Lebanon while holding “a map that erases the State of Israel and presents all of it as ‘Palestine,’” according to an Israeli media monitoring organization.

U.N. official holds map erasing Israel / palwatch.org screenshot

Ann Dismorr, director of the United National Relief Works Agency’s (UNRWA) Lebanon bureau, posed on May 3 on Arabic television holding a map that clearly erases the Jewish state of Israel and replaces it with “Palestine,” according to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), which posted several photos of Dismorr.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: anti-Israel, ICRC, Palestinian propaganda, UN, UNRWA

UNIFIL fear Hezbollah terrorists

Again, UN peacekeeping forces that Israel depends on to keep its borders peaceful are under-maned, under-equipped, & under-trained to actually have to deal with performing their duties.

By Aviel Schneider

The peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are increasingly coming into hostile and even violent contact with the Hezbollah terrorist militia near the Lebanon-Israel border. The Lebanese troops who had taken control of the border after the last war in 2006 have largely been redeployed as a result of mounting tension on the country’s eastern border due to the ongoing Syrian civil war.

UN peacekeepers fear Hezbollah terrorists

UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon – Israel Today

Taking advantage of this power vacuum, Hezbollah has entered the area in force, and is daily confronting the blue helmets of UNIFIL. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Hezbollah, UN, UNIFIL

israelandstuffcom | May 14, 2013