Archive for Mid-East News

| December 23, 2013
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Turkey Replaces Iran as Hamas’s Financial Backer

World Tribune reports: Turkey has coordinated the cash transfers with Qatar, ‘The money is channeled through private sources, with full coordination with Erdoğan and his aides’.

By Arutz Sheva staff

 

Israel’s intelligence community has determined that Turkey has replaced Iran as the leading financial backer of Hamas since 2012, reports the World Tribune, citing unspecified “Israeli sources.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – AFP photo

The sources said the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has overseen the transfer of up to $250 million a year to Hamas, and particularly to its governing apparatus in Gaza. Continue Reading »

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| December 22, 2013
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Gen. John Allen: Won’t let attacks on Israel happen under his watch

 

Renowned former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, was chosen by Obama to formulate security arrangement for future peace deal.

Former IDF General Gadi Shamni, ‘Allen is having sleepless nights, he won’t let attacks happen under his watch.’ 

By Yitzhak Benhorin

At the age of 59, US General Gadi Shamni was ready to take on one of the most important security roles the US has to offer. Shortly before his ascension to the role, Allen decided to serve his commander-in-chief in a different manner: He is the man meant to cause Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make history. Continue Reading »

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| December 21, 2013
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Arab League: Not one Israeli in future Palestine & requesting UN to investigate Arafat’s death

 

Arab League chief speaks at a conference of Arab foreign ministers, convened at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to support PA interests.

By & Reuters

 

 

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Araby said on Saturday that there could be ‘not one’ Israeli soldier in the territory of a future Palestine. At a conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, al-Araby – alongside the Libyan foreign minister – was tasked with presenting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with the Arab stance on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

A conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cair

A conference of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Saturday 21, 2013.-

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| December 21, 2013
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Hassan Nasrallah vows that Hezbollah will avenge Israel for arms-commander’s murder

 

Hezbollah’s chief said he is confident Israel was responsible for assassination of Shiite organization’s arms chief near Beirut.

By

 

 

The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group says it is confident based on evidence it has that Israel was behind this month’s assassination in Beirut of a senior Hezbollah commander.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gives an interview to local television station OTV at an undisclosed location in Lebanon, Dec. 3 2013. – Photo: AFP

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech Friday to exact revenge.

Hassan al-Laqis was gunned down in the garage of his nearby apartment building on Dec. Continue Reading »

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| December 21, 2013
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PLO Official: Strip West Bank Residents of Their Israeli Citizenship

Former PA negotiators puts the blame on Israel for failures in peace talks, threatens to coerce other countries to strip ‘settlers’ of Israeli citizenship.

By Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin

 

Mohammed Shtayyeh, Member of the Central Committee of Fatah, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet minister, accused the Israeli government of avoiding political agreements and employing a policy of “settlement” expansion, house demolitions and “killing civilians.”

Shtayyeh was one of the negotiators who submitted his resignation to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas earlier this year.

Ma’an reports Friday that at a restaurant in the PA village of Beit Jala, Shtayyeh claimed the “so-called bilateral Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are not going to take us anywhere”. Continue Reading »

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| December 20, 2013
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Report: Teheran has Assad smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Iraq

 

The weapons transfer through Iraqi airports is done to avoid Israeli air strike on weapons convoys traveling from Syria to Lebanon.

By YASSER OKBI, THE POST CORRESPONDENT

 

 

 

Iran and Syria are reportedly smuggling weapons to Hezbollah through Iraqi airports, to avoid IDF attacks on weapons convoys crossing the border from Syria to Lebanon, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah reported.

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos – Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

According to the report, this method of smuggling arms has been agreed on by the two sides two months ago.

A source in the Iraqi ruling party told the paper that while senior Iraqi officials aide Tehran and Damascus in smuggling weapons to Hezbollah, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unaware of it. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| December 20, 2013
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White House Promises Veto as Senate Promotes New Iran Sanctions

Barack Obama threatened to use his veto  against any new legislation that would impose additional sanctions on Iran.

By Elad Benari

 

The White House on Thursday threatened to use its veto power against legislation that would impose new sanctions on Iran, as senators continued to promote such legislation in defiance of President Barack Obama.

Barack Obama – AFP photo

The threat came hours after a bipartisan group of senators filed a new Iran sanctions measure, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), would impose tougher sanctions on Tehran if it refuses to dismantle its contested nuclear program after the end of a six-month negotiating period. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| December 19, 2013
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Washington Times: Israel may destroy Iran’s heavy-water reactor

 

Former U.S. gov’t scientist wrote in The Washington Times: If Teheran does not uphold the Geneva P5+1 Interim Accord, Israel will probably attack Iranian nuclear instillation.

Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia & a few other Persian Gulf states would secretly applaud.

By Israel Hayom Staff

S. Fred Singer, a physicist who was formerly chief scientist of the U.S. Department of Transportation, wrote in The Washington Times on December 15 that the Geneva Interim Accord on Iran’s nuclear programs may trigger Israeli military action.

The heavy-water reactor at Arak – Photo: AFP

“As these talks continue and drag on, look for a startling development: Israel may attack Iran’s heavy-water reactor — now being completed near Arak — arguing that Iran does not need to manufacture weapons-grade plutonium if its nuclear programs are truly peaceful as claimed.

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| December 19, 2013
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U.S. Designates Another Palestinian Group as Terrorists

 

U.S. State Department designates al-Qaida-linked Usamah Amin al-Shihabi as associate of Lebanese-based militant Palestinian terrorist group Fatah al-Islam.

By JTA

 

 

WASHINGTON — The US State Department added a Lebanon-based Palestinian Islamist linked to al-Qaida to its list of designated terrorists.

Palestinian fighters of the Fatah al-Islam group undergo military training with children. - Photo: Reuters

Palestinian fighters of the Fatah al-Islam group undergo military training with children. – Photo: Reuters

A statement issued Wednesday by the State Department said Usamah Amin al-Shihabi was an associate of Fatah al-Islam, “a Lebanese-based militant group formed in 2006, whose ultimate goal is the institution of Islamist sharia law in the Palestinian refugee camps and the destruction of Israel”. Continue Reading »

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| December 19, 2013
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UN Security Council condemns all military activity on Syrian Golan Heights


Security Council warns Golan fighting could jeopardize the existing ceasefire between both Syria and Israel.

By

 

 

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned all military activity on the Golan Heights by the Syrian army and opposition fighters warning that it could “jeopardize the ceasefire” between Syria and Israel.

Fire caused by clashes between Syrian army, rebels near Quneitra.

Golan Heights fire caused by clashes between Syrian army and rebels, June 6, 2013. – Photo: AFP

The council approved a resolution Wednesday extending the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force until the end of June. The force, known as UNDOF, was established after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| December 19, 2013
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Palestinian Politicians Target One Another in PA Violence

Palestinian Authority violent infighting sees assassination attempts as minister targeted in shooting or gangster behavior when lawmaker  physically assaulted fellow Fatah official.

By Maayana Miskin

 

A Palestinian Authority minister came under attack on Wednesday, the Bethlehem-based Maan news reports.

Minister of Islamic Endowments Mahmoud Habbash was targeted by unknown gunmen shortly after arriving at his office in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah. The masked men opened fire in the direction of the office.

Al-Bireh’s guards returned fire, and the shooters fled the scene. No casualties were reported.

Earlier Wednesday a scuffle broke out between a PA lawmaker and a senior Fatah official. Continue Reading »

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| December 18, 2013
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Former Egyptian President Morsi to stand trial for conspiring with Hamas & Hezbollah

 

Egyptian prosecutor says ousted Islamist president Morsi committed acts of violence & terrorism with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Morsi is also being charged with conspiracy in “terrorist plan” with Hamas Palestinians from Gaza and with Lebanese terror groups.

Prosecutor says charges could result in execution.

By REUTERS
 

CAIRO – Egypt’s public prosecutor ordered former President Mohamed Morsi and 35 other Islamists to stand trial on charges including conspiring with foreign groups to commit terrorist acts in Egypt and divulging military secrets to a foreign state.

Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi

Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi – Photo: REUTERS

The charges leveled against Morsi and other top Muslim Brotherhood members on Wednesday could result in their execution.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| December 16, 2013
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Professor Alan Dershowitz: Ignore Int’l Law, it’s out of date, unjust

Israel legal advocate urges Israel to act as it sees fit on Iran. Int’l law is ‘a construct in the mind of a bunch of left wing academics.’

 

Video: Professor Alan Dershowitz explains irrelevancy of Int’l Laws

By Gil Ronen

 

 

Esteemed advocate Alan Dershowitz says that Israel should ignore international law when deciding how to deal with Iran.

Professor Alan Dershowitz: Obama is making a mistake with P5+1 agreement – Photo: Dudi Vaaknin

International law is “a construct in the mind of a bunch of left wing academics,” he said, in a lecture at the Institute of National Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv last week “There is no basis for international law in any reality. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| December 16, 2013
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Susan Rice consults Israeli officials about Iran nuclear deal

Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser  met with her Israeli counterpart last week in hope of gaining support for P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran.

By Reuters

 

 

President Barack Obama‘s national security adviser Susan Rice played host to a series of meetings with Israeli officials last week to try to gain their support for an interim deal with Iran aimed at containing Tehran’s nuclear program.

U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice (R) with Secretary of State John Kerry and Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power in September 2013. – Photo: Reuters

The meetings, announced in a White House statement on Sunday, arose from talks between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month as the United States tried to persuade a skeptical Israel to support the Iran deal. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| December 15, 2013
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IDF of High Alert: Israeli soldiers comes under fire from Lebanon

 

Lebanese army says their soldiers opened fire on IDF soldiers who crossed border from Rosh Hanikra; Lebanese also say one of their soldiers is missing, may be in Israel.

By and

 

 

A round of fire struck Israel from Lebanese territory on Sunday, in an incident still being investigated by the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel's border with Lebanon.

Archive photo showing IDF soldier on Israel’s border with Lebanon. – Photo: Yaron Kaminsky

Reports from within Lebanon indicate that Lebanese soldiers opened fire at an Israeli force that crossed the border in Rosh Hanikra.

The IDF was concerned at first that the incident was a Lebanese attempt to distract the Israeli force to enable armed militants to cross the border, but an investigation has concluded that there was no infiltration. Continue Reading »

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