BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS – EU Announces: P5+1 Struck Deal with Iran

BREAKING NEWS

Iran & 6 world powers have reached an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Still no details of deal.

By Elad Benari

Iran and six world powers have reached a deal regarding Iran’s nuclear program, after hours of talks in Geneva.

Iranian, P5+1 delegations in Geneva October 15, 2013 – Reuters

The European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, announced early Sunday morning that an agreement has been reached between Iran and the group known as the P5+1.

France’s Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, confirmed as well that a deal has been reached. Details of the agreement have not yet been made public. Continue Reading »

israelandstuffcom | November 24, 2013

Iran announces plans for 2 more nuclear power plants

Fars news agency reports, new construction declaration made by top nuclear official at Tehran conference.

By Haaretz

Iran’s atomic agency is planning to construct two more nuclear plants, a top official at the agency said in a conference in Tehran on Saturday.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.- Photo: AP

“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has put construction of the second and third (nuclear) power stations on its agenda due to the government’s programs and the emphasis laid by the President (Hassan Rouhani),” said AEOI Deputy Chief Hossein Khalfi, according to the Iranian Fars news agency. Continue Reading »

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

israelandstuffcom | November 23, 2013

Cairo expels Turkish ambassador, Ankara says Egyptian envoy “persona non grata”

Egypt accuses Ankara of backing Muslim Brotherhood, inciting against current gov’t.

Turkey deems Egyptian envoy “persona non grata.”

By REUTERS

CAIRO – Egypt said on Saturday it was expelling Turkey’s ambassador and accused Ankara of backing organizations bent on spreading instability – an apparent reference to the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.

Turkish Prime Minsiter Tayyip Erdoğan. – Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkey, which had forged close ties with Egypt under Morsi, responded by declaring the Egyptian ambassador, currently out of the country, persona non grata.

“We are saddened by this situation,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Turkey Egypt

israelandstuffcom | November 23, 2013

Palestinian identified as 2nd Iran embassy bomber

Lebanese authorities identified the 1st suicide car-bomber as Lebanese with ties to extreme Sunni Muslim groups & 2nd as Palestinian from southern Lebanon.

By Reuters

Lebanese authorities have identified the second suicide bomber who attacked the Iranian embassy in Beirut this week as a Palestinian man with ties to a fugitive Lebanese Islamist cleric, a security source said on Saturday.

Two Lebanese men remove a dead body from a burned car, at the scene where two explosions have struck near the Iranian Embassy killing many, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday Nov. 19, 2013. – Photo: AP

Lebanese authorities had identified the first suicide bomber a day earlier as a Lebanese man with ties to hardline Sunni Muslim groups. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Iran, Lebanon, Palestinian terrorism, Syrian unrest

israelandstuffcom | November 23, 2013

Rouhani tells the West: Ignore Israel, Make the Deal

Iran’s President Rouhani tweeted Israel is only concerned about its own interests when it warns against a deal over Iran’s nuclear program.

By Elad Benari, Canada

As world powers and Iran continued talks in Geneva in hopes of reaching a deal about Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s president on Friday called on the West to ignore Israel and reach a deal with his country.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani – Reuters

“The world powers should reach an independent decision that is disconnected from Israel’s position,” President Hassan Rouhani tweeted.

“Israel is only concerned about its own interests, and it does not think about the interests of the world,” he charged. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Hassan Rouhani, Iran, Iran Nuclear Program

Isolation is Pushing Hamas to Further Radicalize

Hamas is dictating ever harsher Sharia restrictions on the Palestinians of Gaza as it loses backing throughout the region.

By Aviel Schneider

Hamas finds itself increasingly isolated and under pressure after the fall of its Muslim Brotherhood patrons in Egypt, the combined Israeli-Egyptian effort to shut down Gaza’s smuggling and terror tunnels, and Iran’s newfound reluctance to fund the group.

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

Hamas’ response to this situation has been increasing radicalization. In Gaza today, the Islamists rule by brute force, imposing something of a reign of terror. Continue Reading »

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

2 day-old lion cubs die in Gaza zoo

Although acknowledging “a lack of experience & resources for the birth & treatment of cubs”, zoo workers blame Israel for death of cubs born to smuggled in felines, AFP reports.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

Two lion cubs born in a zoo in the Gaza Strip died Thursday two days after their birth.

2 day-old lion cubs Fajr and Sijil are seen at a zoo in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, on November 19, 2013 – Photo AFP, Mohammed Abed

“The lions named Fajr and Sijil died today due to a deterioration of their health at birth,” Shadi Hamad, supervisor of animals at the Hamas-run Bissan park told AFP.

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza, Gaza zoo

American mainstream media bias & Iran’s ‘right’ to continue enriching uranium

How did so much of mainstream media get it wrong & reach the conclusion that Iran had “slowed down” or “frozen” its nuclear program when in actuality, not only has Iran been enriching more uranium, it has also been quietly working on the next big expansion of its Natanz facility?

By Dore Gold

Last weekend, the International Atomic Energy Agency published one of its regular reports on the status of the Iranian nuclear program. This report was particularly important because it was coming out right before this week’s critical meetings in Geneva between Iran and the P5+1, where it would be decided whether sanctions against Iran would be reduced in exchange for concessions on the Iranian nuclear program. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Iran Nuclear Program

14 US senators promise new legislation imposing stricter Iranian sanctions

14 Democratic and Republican US senators vow to work together on additional legislation imposing new tougher sanctions on Iran over upcoming weeks.

Republican proposes bill mapping out final agreement, seeking to restrict Obama’s capacity to offer sanctions relief & to pass it as quickly as possible.

By Bradley Klapper

A group of 14 Democratic and Republican US senators said on Thursday they would work together on legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran over the coming weeks, and work to pass it as quickly as possible.

US Senate

“A nuclear weapons capable Iran presents a grave threat to the national security of the United States and its allies and we are committed to preventing Iran from acquiring this capability,” they said. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Iran Nuclear threat, US Senate

Arab Bank: Can’t Deposit,Withdraw ‘Bonus’ Given to Released Murderers, it’s ‘Terror Money’

Arab Bank in Ramallah refuses to transfer/deposit/withdraw Israeli released terrorists’ monthly stipend from Abbas’ Palestinian Authority.

The new policy comes as bank faces terror funding lawsuits.

By Dalit Halevi, Ari Yashar

A released terrorist claims that the Arab Bank in Ramallah refused to transfer the monthly salary he receives from the Ministry of Prisoners into his private account, calling the salary “terror money.”

Each of the 26 terrorists released in the second batch of “gestures” to the Palestinian Authority (PA) received a $50,000 grant. In addition, those imprisoned over 25 years received senior governmental posts with a 14,000 shekels ($4,000) monthly salary, and those imprisoned under 25 years are to receive a monthly 10,000 shekels ($2,800) stipend. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Arab Bank, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian prisoners, Palestinian terrorists, terror funding

Gaza in Deep Sewage, Hamas Refuses to Buy Fuel

Under Egyptian Siege, and no longer able to smuggle stolen or cheap fuel via tunnels, and refusing to pay taxes to PA on purchased fuel, raw sewage is flooding Gaza City neighborhood, with 13 more sewage stations close to overflowing because pumps aren’t running.

By Gil Ronen

Raw sewage has flooded streets in a southern neighborhood of Gaza City in recent days, threatening a health disaster, writes the New York Times. The reason: cheap diesel fuel can no longer be smuggled in from Egypt, because Egypt’s army has shut down the smuggling tunnels that connected Gaza with Sinai.

The Hamas government shut down Gaza’s lone power plant on November 1, causing a pump station to flood. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gaza, Gaza blockade, hamas

34,600 illegal Palestinian Arabs working in Israel

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reports the unemployment rate in the PA areas at 19.1% and in Hamas controlled Gaza is at 32.5%.

By YASSER OKBI, THE POST CORRESPONDENT

The number of Palestinians from the West Bank working Jewish settlements there and in Israel has increased from ninety-six thousand in the first quarter of the year to 103 thousand in the third quarter.

Palestinian greenhouse worker in Jenin – Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The numbers were released in a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.

51,000 of the Palestinian workers employed in Israel had work permits while 34,600 did not have permits, according to the report. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Palestinian Authority, unemployment

Azerbaijan Police arrests Iranian for planning attack on Israeli embassy

Iran’s Quds Forces operative Hasan Faraji displayed “suspicious behavior” while wandering around Israel’s embassy in Baku.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

An Iranian national was arrested in Azerbaijan two weeks ago on the suspicion he was planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Baku, Channel 10 reported on Wednesday.

Hasan Faraji, a suspected Iranian Quds Forces operative.- Photo: Screenshot Channel 10

Hasan Faraji, 31, was arrested by Azerbaijani police after displaying “suspicious behavior” while wandering around the Israeli embassy in Baku on October 31. Faraji, who resisted arrest, was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention, according to the APA news agency

According to Channel 10, Faraji is a part of the Iranian Quds Forces, a special unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that, among other roles, is tasked with planning and executing terrorist attacks against Israeli targets overseas. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Azerbaijan, Iranian terrorists

Gulf States team with Israel in ‘strange alliance’ against Tehran

Talks of emerging deal between Iran & the West bring unprecedented public ties between Israel and the Gulf.

Jerusalem sees a nuclear Iran as existential threat.

Sunni states of the Persian Gulf finds the Shiite republic of Iran mortally dangerous to region.

Associated Press

When US Secretary of State John Kerry made another stop in the Middle East this month, he received an expected earful over Washington’s outreach to Iran: Don’t trust Tehran, tighten sanctions even more, anything short of complete nuclear concessions is a grave mistake.

US Secretary John Kerry and Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisal – Photo: AP

Kerry’s meeting wasn’t in Israel, though. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: Gulf states, Iran Nuclear threat, Israel Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia