Watch: New Romney’s Presidential Ad Blasts Obama’s Record on Israel

Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign has released an ad that criticizes the Obama administration’s treatment of Israel.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

A week after returning from his trip to Israel, Poland and London, the Mitt Romney presidential campaign released a new advertisement, entitled “Cherished Relationship,” which criticizes the Obama administration’s treatment of Israel and draws clear distinctions between the incumbent’s record on Israel and Romney’s record on Israel.

Netanyahu meets Mitt Romney in Jerusalem - Reuters

Netanyahu meets Mitt Romney in Jerusalem – Reuters

“Who shares your values?” the ad begins, with a voice-over adding, “As president, Barack Obama has never visited Israel and refuses to recognize Jerusalem as its capital. Continue Reading »

Possible Infiltration from Gaza Border as Dozens of Rocket fired into Israel

20 Egyptian soldiers killed by local extremists who then reportedly tried to infiltrate into Israel. Dozens of rockets fired at Sderot area.

By Gil Ronen

 

IDF forces exchanged fire with terrorists who fired mortar shells at Israel Sunday evening near Kerem Shalom, on the border with Gaza.

There was reportedly also an infiltration into Israel by an enemy vehicle during the exchanges of fire. The IDF reportedly hit the vehicle from the air and the terrorists in it were killed.

Initial reports from Gaza said that members of an extremist Islamic group attacked two Egyptian army posts in the Egyptian part of Rafiah with anti-tank rockets and gunfire, killing 15 Egyptian officers and soldiers. Continue Reading »

The Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin): UK company servicing Iran tankers

Inmarsat risks criminal proceedings in US courts, saying satellite distress system was not sold to Iran, but part of “public service obligations”.

By JOANNA PARASZCZUK

 

A Tel Aviv-based civil rights group accused UK satellite operator Inmarsat plc at the weekend of admitting it provides its technology to Iranian oil tankers.

Iranian crude oil supertanker "Delvar" - Photo: Tim Chong/Reuters

Iranian crude oil supertanker “Delvar” – Photo: Tim Chong/Reuters

Shurat Hadin (Israel Law Center) warned Inmarsat last month that the company could risk civil as well as criminal proceedings in US courts if it did not stop supplying its guidance services to Iranian military vessels and tankers.

Rich Harris, Inmarsat’s Senior Vice President told Shurat Hadin that the group’s allegations had no basis, and that Inmarsat is not violating sanctions. Continue Reading »

Bloomberg Report: ‘Israel has enough gas to last 150 years’

Bloomberg news agency reports Mediterranean explorations have uncovered $240 billion worth of gas, far more than Israel can ever use.

By Ynet

 

 

Gas exploration companies Noble Energy Inc., Delek Group Ltd. and others have discovered enough natural gas to supply Israel’s domestic needs for the next 150 years, an investigative report published by Bloomberg news agency claimed on Saturday.

Noble Energy gas rig

 

 

“The gas would be worth about $240 billion, equal to Israel’s annual economic output, based on today’s prices in the UK,” the report claimed.

The report described Israel’s ongoing debate over how to manage the gas discoveries. Continue Reading »

Another Palestinian militant riding his motorcycle in Gaza dies from Israeli air strike

The 2nd militant member of the Popular Resistance Committees was wounded in the ‘surgical strike’.

By Avi Issacharoff and Gili Cohen

 

An Israel Air Force craft targeted a motorcycle traveling in the Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday, killing one militant and wounding another.

IDF strike - AP - 10.3.2012

A Palestinian trying to extinguish a fire after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. – Photo by AP

According to initial reports, the attack was a surgical strike against a member of the Popular Resistance Committees militant organization.

An IDF statement released after the attack said that the assault was a joint operation by the army and the Shin Bet, adding that militant squad targeted belonged to a global Jihad organization. Continue Reading »

Rumsfeld Supports Netanyahu: Sanctions are not Enough

Donald Rumsfeld says PM Netanyahu is totally correct: Sanctions won’t work, & Israel should not tell the US of its plans to attack Iran

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is totally correct that sanctions will not stop Iran’s drive for nuclear capability, and Israel would not have to advise the United States of any plans to attack Iran, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told Fox News.

“I think the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu, is probably correct. Their intelligence on Iran is excellent. Sanctions tend not to work very well over a long period of time, and they do have the effect, tending to damage and hurt the people, as opposed to the governments,” said the former Cabinet officer in the Bush administration. Continue Reading »

Israel bars five foreign ministers from meeting Abbas in Ramallah

Only the 7 foreign ministers of countries with ties to Israel will be allowed to attend meeting of Non-Aligned Bloc called by PA President Abbas to discuss renewed statehood bid at the UN.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas [file photo]

PA President Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: Luis Galdamez / Reuters

Israel will allow through its gates the foreign ministers of seven countries that have ties with Israel making their way to an emergency meeting Sunday of the ‘Palestine Committee’ of the Non-Aligned Movement in Ramallah, but not those foreign ministers from countries without ties with Israel.

Government officials said a decision was made Sunday to allow the foreign ministers of Egypt, India, Colombia, South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe to attend the conference.

Continue Reading »

Netanyahu: Even if US attacks Iran, Israel won’t be spared

In closed talks, PM says missiles will be fired at Israel even if US strikes Iran, and thinks the likelihood of a US strike is small

Itamar Eichner

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in closed talks over the weekend that a United States strike on Iran will not necessarily minimize the chances of a missile attack on Israel, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Sunday.

“I would prefer that the US attack Iran, but the likelihood of that is small,” he said. “In any case – even if the US attacks, missiles will be fired at Israel.”

This scenario is not as grave as the possibility that Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, he said. Continue Reading »

Isreali Ambassador: Palestinians have ‘guaranteed majority’ for UN membership

Amb. Prosor tells radio stations that PA will likely receive non-member observer status, and says: ‘Nothing will change on the ground’

By Reuters

 

The Palestinians’ bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations would find majority support there but would not bring them closer to statehood and peace with Israel, Israel’s UN envoy said on Sunday.

Prosor - David Bachar - February 2011

Isreali Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor.- Photo: David Bachar

Citing stalled peacemaking and Israeli settlement-building on occupied West Bank land where they seek sovereign independence, the Palestinians said on Saturday they would renew a bid to win UN.recognition as a state.

Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, accused the Palestinians of trying to recapture international attention that has shifted to crises in Iran, Egypt and Syria. Continue Reading »

As War Looms, Israel Upgrades its Missile Shield

Israel Defense Official: Anticipating an attack by Iran & Syria , Israel is upgrading its US-backed Arrow Missile Shield

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

 

Israel is racing against an attack by Iran and Syria and is upgrading its

An Arrow anti-ballistic defense battery.

An Arrow anti-ballistic defense battery.

US-backed Arrow missile shield in the wake of a possible a chemical weapon attack from Syria, a defense official told Reuters Sunday.

An experiment on the Arrow

An experiment on the Arrow
Israel news photo: IDF spokesman

The new “Block 4” generation of guided interceptor rockets, radars and technologies for synchronizing Arrow with U.S. systems was being installed in deployed Israeli batteries, a process that would take several weeks, the official told the news agency. Continue Reading »

Palestinians to seek UN statehood bid at General Assembly

Palestinian FM Riyad al-Malki says Palestine will seek status of non-member observer state during next UN General Assembly, a move that will allow them to join UN agencies & Int’l Criminal Court

 

By Reuters

 

The Palestinians will next month renew a bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations, their foreign minister said on Saturday, a move which could strengthen their statehood claims after talks with Israel stalled.

Riyad al-Malki Photo: AFP

FM Riyad al-Malki
Photo: AFP

Palestinians are listed as a UN observer “entity” with no voting rights. They will ask to be made a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly on Sept. Continue Reading »

IDF Stops Syrian Infiltration on Northern Border

IDF soldiers intercept a Syrian man while infiltrating the Golan. Commanders believe infiltrator was planning attack.

By Maayana Miskin

 

A Syrian man attempted to infiltrate northern Israel on Saturday. The man disguised himself as a shepherd in order to get close to the border fence, then attempted to cut through the fence.

Soldiers spotted the man and fired warning shots. When the man did not respond, they fired at his legs.

The would-be infiltrator was hit. He was taken for medical care in Syria, and his condition is not clear.

IDF commanders believe the man planned to either carry out a terrorist attack or gather information in preparation for an attack. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Beilinson Hospital transplants record 30 corneas

Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus report that Cornea transplants take place 3 times more than past monthly average.

 

Thirty people received corneas at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in July to restore or improve their sight – a record three times the monthly average.

Eye examination - Photo: Courtesy Rabin Medical Center

Eye examination – Photo: Courtesy Rabin Medical Center

The corneas came from deceased Israelis who had ADI organ donor cards or whose close relatives had given their permission, or from abroad.

Prof. Irit Bechar, head of the cornea service at the Petah Tikva hospital, said that the number of donations and operations was unprecedented. Continue Reading »

Syrian Rebels report: Iranian snipers in Syria aiding Assad

Syrian rebel leader: Over 3,000 Iranian snipers have arrived in Damascus to join Assad’s regime, & claims army can no longer trust local troops.

By Roi Kais

 

Over the past few weeks more than 3,000 Iranian snipers have arrived in Damascus to aid the forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Al-Arabiya reported, citing a leader of one of the rebel groups operating in the civil war-torn country.

The head of the Joint Military Council, one of the groups fighting to maintain control of the city of Aleppo, told the Dubai-based television network that the Syrian army no longer trusts its local troops, who are now considered potential defectors. Continue Reading »

21 dead in Damascus’ Palestinian refugee camp after being hit by mortar shells

Unclear if Palestinians were fired on by Assad’s forces or opposition, says Syrian activists.

 

 

Mortar shells rained down on a crowded marketplace in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital, killing 21 people as regime forces and rebels clashed on the southern outskirts of Damascus, activists said Friday.

Shelling in Homs, Syria.

Shelling in Homs, Syria. – Photo by AP

The Britain-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights, which reported the deaths, said the shells hit Yarmouk camp Thursday as shoppers were buying food for the evening meal. The activists would not speculate on who was firing.

“We don’t know where the mortars came from, whether they were from the Syrian regime or not the Syrian regime,” said Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Observatory. Continue Reading »