PA President tells Meretz MKs: No progress in peace talks with Israel

PA Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinian refugees will not be returning to Jaffa & Acre

By GIL HOFFMAN, KHALED ABU TOAMEH
 

 

There has been no progress made whatsoever in the first four meetings between Israeli and Palestinian delegations since diplomatic talks restarted, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas told a visiting group of Meretz MKs in Ramallah on Thursday, a party spokeswoman said.

Mahmoud Abbas with a visiting group of Meretz MKs in Ramallah, August 22, 2013.

Mahmoud Abbas with a visiting group of Meretz MKs in Ramallah, August 22, 2013. – Photo: Courtesy Palestinian Authority

Abbas said he was not optimistic that the talks will succeed, but he “hoped they were not a waste of time” and that an agreement could be reached between Israel and the Palestinians over the next six months.

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Residential Areas in Galilee Sustain Hits Despite Iron Dome

 

The IDF’s Iron Dome battery deployed in northern Israel  intercepted one rocket launched at a northern Israeli city, but failed to intercept 2 other rockets that hit 2 other Galilee communities.

IAF has launched an investigation into these misses.

By Ahiya Raved

 

 

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a rocket for the first time along the Israeli-Lebanese border Thursday, but apparently, out of the four rockets that were launched from Tyre, Lebanon, two managed to hit residential areas.

UN troops in Shavei Zion (Photo: Adham Muhammad)

UN troops in Shavei Zion – Photo: Adham Muhammad

Seeing as the Iron Dome battery intercepted only one Katiusha, the IAF is investigating how two other managed to reach Israel – one in Kibbutz Gesher HaZiv in the Western Galilee and the other in Moshav Shavei Zion in the Western Galilee. Continue Reading »

Israel Air Force Strikes Back at Lebanon Following Rocket Attack

Israel Air Force struck at terror target south of Beirut, a few hours after Lebanese terrorists fired 4 rockets at Israel’s Galilee.

By Elad Benari

 

Israeli aircraft struck a terror target south of Beirut on Thursday night, said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

Israeli Fighter Jet F-16

Israeli Fighter Jet F-16 – Photo courtesy: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

 

According to the statement, a direct hit was identified and all aircraft returned safely to their bases.

The IDF statement said that the airstrike came in response to Thursday afternoon’s rocket attack from Lebanon at northern Israel.

“Yesterday’s attack is a blatant breach of Israeli sovereignty that jeopardized Israeli civilian life. Continue Reading »

After rocket attack, PM Netanyahu: We’ll harm those who harm us

 

After the rocket fire at Western Galilee from Lebanon, the P.M. says Israel is ‘utilizing various means, in defense prevention. Anyone who harms us should know we strike back’

Attila Somfalvi

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed rocket fire from Lebanon at the direction of Israel’s Western Galilee, saying “We are working on all fronts,” the prime minister added; “in the north and in the south, so as to protect the citizens of Israel from these attacks.”

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Photo: AP

srael’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Photo: AP

Netanyahu stressed that the State was “utilizing various means, in both defense and prevention, and acting responsibly. Continue Reading »

Lebanon Fired 4 Rockets into Northern Israel; IDF No Retaliation yet

Lebanon fires at least 4 rockets toward Israel; residents of Akko, Nahariya urged to stay close to bomb-shelters.

By Gil Ronen and Ari Soffer

 

At least four rockets were fired from Lebanon Thursday afternoon, with at least one confirmed as having struck in the area of Nahariya.

Fired at IsraelSeveral residents have been treated for shock.

IDF Radio reported that bomb shelters in the northern city of Akko (Acre) have been opened for public use, and the IDF is urging residents of the north to remain close to shelters.

The IDF has denied earlier reports from Arabic media that it responded to the rockets with artillery fire. Continue Reading »

Muslim man’s unceasing quest for his Jewish mother

 

 

One day Urdu poet Mahfooz Ahmad Khan received a letter from his unknown London-based Jewish aunt, that made him aware of his Jewish maternal side.

Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi, Tazpit

It is the stuff of which films are made and novels are written. His absorbing story is such that it connects three continents, Asia, Europe and North America, five countries India, Israel, Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan, and two communities seen as natural adversaries today – the Jews and the Muslims.

Family photo: The small child is Mahfooz Ahmad Khan and the bigger child is his brother. The lady holding the elder child is their Jewish mother, Rahmah alias Rehana, and the man on the extreme left is their father, Maqbool Ahmad Khan.

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Tripoli: A Sunni Hezbollah Commander Assassinated

Masked gunman on motorbikes shoot dead a Sunni militia commander, Hassan al-Mouri, along with 2 other men who were near him amid rising sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

By Ari Soffer

 

A leading supporter of the Hezbollah terrorist group was assassinated in Tripoli on Thursday.

Sunni Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon – Reuters

Al-Mouri was gunned down by “masked men on motorbikes,” along with a security official and a bystander, according to a security source quoted by the Lebanese Naharnet website.

The 40 year-old leader of a pro-Hezbollah Sunni militia was standing at the entrance to his home along with the two other men when the gunmen drove up and shot them. Continue Reading »

UN probes Israeli response to rockets, but not Syria chemical attack on civilians

 

UN hypocrisy is always reaching new heights. This time the UNSC declined to investigate claims of a Syrian chemical weapons massacre.

By Ryan Jones

 

The United Nations on Wednesday again revealed its true colors when it stopped short of ordering an official probe into charges that the Syrian government had killed hundreds of its own citizens in a chemical weapons attack.

United Nations Security Council - Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

United Nations Security Council – Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

 

That decision was especially interesting to Israelis, who are still irked by the UN’s massive and widely-publicized probe into the Gaza War that began in late 2009 after Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorists escalated missile attacks against southern Israel. Continue Reading »

Jewish convict arrested for sending Netanyahu a death threat

An incarcerated right-wing extremist Israeli man was reportedly angered by gov’t’s decision on Palestinian prisoner release.

 

 

An Israeli prisoner at Hadarim Detention Center in central Israel has been arrested for sending a death threat to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – Photo: Gali Tibbon/Pool

The 22-year-old prisoner was apparently angry at the prime minister’s decision to release Palestinian security prisoners.

He then sent Netanyahu a letter containing a death threat, prompting his arrest. According to the Israeli media, the prisoner was found to be in possession of more than one self-styled knife, commonly known as “shivs.”

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Israel & Jordan Working on Water Deal

 

The Kingdom of Jordan, thirsty for water from the huge influx of displaced Syrian refugees, are to get Kinneret water from Israel’s north, in return for supplying desalinated water from Jordan’s soon to be built, southern Aqaba plant.

By Roi Kais

 

 

Israel and Jordan are holding advanced negotiations over water exchanges between the two sides, Ynet has learned.

The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) – Photo: Hagai Aharon

According to the developing outline, a water desalination plant will be built in Aqaba, and Jordan will supply Israel with the product to be used in the Negev.

In return, Israel will supply Jordan with water from the Kinneret to be used in the north of the Hashemite Kingdom. Continue Reading »

Thai court convicts 2 Iranian terrorists for bomb plot near Israeli embassy

The 2 Iranians were arrested after bomb destroyed their Bangkok apartment less than a km from the Israeli embassy.

 

 

Two Iranian men were convicted Thursday of taking part in a botched bomb plot that was exposed last year when an accidental explosion blew apart the Bangkok villa where they were staying.

Bangkok apt - Reuters - Feb 2012

The Bangkok apartment where the bomb exploded. Feb 2012 – Photo: Reuters

Israeli and Thai officials have said the plot was aimed at Israeli diplomats in Bangkok, the capital, though Iran denied the allegations and neither defendant was charged with terrorism or attempting to kill Israelis. Continue Reading »

Hamas Tells Egypt: Open the Border Crossing

Gaza’s terrorist rulers urge the Egyptian gov’t to reopen the Rafiah border crossing that was closed after the latest terrorist attack left 25 Egyptian security personnel executed.

By Elad Benari

 

Gaza’s Hamas rulers urged Egypt on Wednesday to reopen the border crossing with Gaza that was closed after Islamist terrorists killed 25 Egyptian security personnel in northern Sinai earlier this week.

The officers were killed as they were travelling in two buses which came under attack from armed men close to the town of Rafiah, on the Gaza border. As a result of the attack, Egypt closed down the Rafiah crossing between the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza. Continue Reading »

Liberman plans to turn the Negev’s Arad into Israel’s Hollywood

 

Bayit Yehudi MK pictures Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery & Brad Pitt among a host of Hollywood’s greatest coming to Israel’s future state-of-the-art movie studio he hopes will be built in Negev town.

 

 

When casual observers arrive in the sleepy Negev Desert town of Arad, they see Sudanese workers, cacti, and a lot of dust.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. – Photo: REUTERS

But on a visit to the city Wednesday, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Avigdor Liberman said he sees Hollywood stars Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt coming soon to a state-of-the-art movie studio he hopes will be built there.

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Netanyahu names deputy Mossad chief Israel’s new National Security Advisor

Yossi Cohen, Israel Defense Prize recipient  to replace out-going Major-General Yaakov Amidror as Israel’s latest National Security Advisor.

ByAttila Somfalvi

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to appoint Deputy Mossad Director Yossi Cohen as the new national security advisor. Cohen, 52, married and the father of four, was only known as “Y” until recently. He will be replacing Major-General Yaakov Amidror.

Mossad Emblem

Mossad Emblem

Cohen has been serving in Israel’s security establishment for the past 30 years. In the last two years he served as deputy to the chief of Mossad, Tamir Pardo. He was also the director of Tzomet, the international network operation headquarters of the Mossad, and received the Israel Defense Prize. Continue Reading »

PA Threatens to Sue Israel in Int’l Court Over Building New Homes

Contrary to the spirit of making peace with Israel,  Palestinian Authority member is threatening to sue Israel over building plans they were informed about prior to the commencement of negotiations.

By Ari Soffer

 

The Palestinian Authority threatened Wednesday to sue Israel through international bodies if it continues expanding Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, warning that they would put an end to talks unless building in Jewish areas came to a halt.

“These are not just dots on a map,” PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said of more than 2,000 new Jewish homes which were approved for construction ahead of a resumption of peace negotiations late last month. Continue Reading »