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Iran: Anti-Regime Protests

Clashes broke out on Friday between Iranian security forces and anti-government protestors in Tehran, during Iran´s annual Qods (Jerusalem) Day. According to reports, opposition supporters chanted "death to the dictator" and "Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon; I give my life for Iran". They were attacked by paramilitary forces who roamed the streets of the Iranian capital as part of attempts to intimidate the protestors as government organized marches were held. In Second Square in Teharn’s Sadeqiya district, some 200 protesters chanted “down with the principle of the velayat-e faqih” (absolute clerical rule). They too were attacked by police and paramilitary forces. The crowd continued to chant “death to the dictator” as clashes ensued. Protests also took place in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Friday, as dozens of people in [mehr]

Growing Tidal Wave of Anger May Drown Obama in November

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu More polls point to a GOP tidal wave of victory in November’s Congressional elections and U.S. President Barack Obama facing the humility of being a one-term president. Just when Democrats thought ”things could not get worse,” even surveys from center-left media such as CNN show that the president may repeat former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s embarrassment of being dumped after one term. An Associated Press report posted on YouTube states that Americans do not believe President Obama’s optimism. The thunderbolt that struck the Democratic party last week was a Gallup Poll that gave the Republican party a record 10-point margin over the Democrats in a survey that simply asked respondents if they prefer a Democratic or Republican candidate. The GOP edge is the largest in 68 years, dating back to 1942, when the [mehr]

´Islam Will Conquer Italy and the Entire West´

MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) has released a transcript of excerpts from a televised sermon given by Egyptian cleric Salem Abu Al-Futuh. Airing on Al-Nas TV on August 18, it features Al-Futuh’s confident predictions that Islam will take over the entire West, beginning specifically with Italy and ending with North and South America. The transcript of Salem Abu Al-Futuh’s talk: The nation of Islam will return – despite our current crisis and despite the arrogance of the West. The West is bound to be destroyed. Just like Allah destroyed the Byzantine and Persian empires, he will destroy the West at the hands of the Muslims. This is an unequivocal promise. These countries will convert to Islam. Islam will reach these countries. … Let us examine the divine sequence: First, the Caliphate will return. Then, the Muslims will [mehr]

No Peace Is To Be Had With Genocidal Jew-Killers

Laura: Regarding the genocidal islamic jihadists who slaughtered four Jews near Hevron, including a pregnant woman. These are the sub-human monsters Israel is expected to negotiate with and surrender Jewish land to. The idea of land for peace is ludicrous. What it really amounts to is land for more terror and the shedding of Jewish blood. There is no peaceful coexistence to be had and nothing to compromise with those whose aim is the obliteration of the Jewish homeland and the genocide of Jews. Bibi should declare that talks are null and void. As far as the media is concerned, the murder of Jews by islamic terrorists is caused by Israel’s “occupation” and these people were “settlers”, therefore understandable and justifiable according to the msm. The only problem the media sees with this slaughter of Jews is how it will effect the bogus [mehr]

Gaza Celebrates Jewish Deaths with Candy

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon says that while PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) talks peace in Washington, his men encourage terrorism back at home – and Gazans celebrate terrorism by giving out candy. Ayalon decried the fact that the PA minister for prisoner affairs recently visited the Abu Hamid family, four sons of which have been sentenced to life for murdering Israelis. The official, Isa Karaka, shared the Ramadan break-fast meal with the family, and praised the mother for the way in which she has contributed to the struggle for independence. Karaka also visited the home of suicide terrorist Iyat Al-Ahres in Bethlehem, who blew herself up outside a supermarket in Kiryat Yovel in Jerusalem in 2002, killing two Israelis. “While peace talks are underway in Washington,” Ayalon railed out, “Abu Mazen’s ministers continue to [mehr]

An expanded Israel will be both democratic and Jewish

By Ted Belman The NYT published an Op-Ed by Gadi Taub titled In Israel, Settling for Less He warns the the religious settlers numbering 130,000 out of 500,000 settlers by their “actions could spell the end of the Israel we have known.” [..] The consequences of these differences are huge. If the settlers achieve their manifest goal — making Israel’s hold on the territories permanent — it will mean the de facto annexation of a huge Arab population and will force a decision about their status. In Israel proper, the Arab minority represents about a fifth of its 7.2 million citizens, and they have full legal equality. But between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, there are roughly equal numbers of Arabs and Jews today. His argument is only as good as his facts and they are lousy. The most recent and authoratative [mehr]

The truth about “the occupation” and “the settlements”

By Ted Belman The pro-Palestinian propaganda machine has succeeded in stigmatizing the Israeli occupation and the settlements. Time and again we hear about the “brutal occupation” and the “illegal settlements”. We rarely hear the truth in opposition to these lies. Occupation. Israel is accused of occupying the West Bank and Gaza. In fact these territories are described as “The occupied Palestinian territories.” Not only are they not occupied in a legal sense, but also they are not “Palestinian” lands in a sovereign sense.. The Fourth Geneva Convention (FGC) is a treaty between signatory states that are called High Contracting Parties (HCP). It regulates the obligations of one HCP who occupies the land of another HCP. It defines the terms “Occupying Power” and “Occupied State”. Thus [mehr]

Left-Wing PR-Campaign: PA Wants Peace

A new left-wing public relations campaign seeks to persuade the Israeli public that the Palestinian Authority truly wants peace – despite all indications to the contrary. The aggressive initiative includes quotes from leading PA spokesmen, billboards, and widespread media coverage. The objective is to imbue the Israeli public with the sense that the ball is in its court, and that the PA leadership is truly ready to make peace. Rejection of Offers, Culture of Hate This, despite the PA’s refusal in recent years to accept generous proposals proffered by ex-Prime Ministers Barak and Olmert that included some 98% of Judea and Samaria. The campaign also does not mention what some have called the “Palestinian Culture of Hate,” which includes the naming of educational camps, sports tournaments, streets and more in [mehr]

The US should back Israel and not undermine her

By Ted Belman I was one of four bloggers asked by The Hill to write a 500 word essay in answer to this question, “Can the Obama administration forge a peace agreement, and what steps should it be taking in Mideast policy?” It picked two bloggers from each side although only two were posted. The Hill has enormous traffic so I was honoured and relished the opportunity to address a large audience. My dilemma was in deciding how best to use the 500 words. Here’s my essay. Should I have used the words differently? You can go to the link above to read my opponent’s piece of trash. Time for a paradigm shift in the peace process One cannot answer this question without regard to the religious, historical and legal context for the conflict. The conflict has continued for over 100 years and for good reason. More than 3,000 years [mehr]

Good News, Israel

Compliments of Anglo Saxon Raannana Real Estate Quote for the Week An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head. (Emil Zatopek. One of the greatest marathon runners ever. And it applies to swimmers, sailors and all those sportsmen and women who brought honor to Israel this week [see items below]) · It’s been a good week for Israeli sportsmen and women so we’ll give them pride of place in this edition of GN: ü Israel has participated faithfully in the Olympic Games since 1952, regrettably with scant reward in terms of medals – a bronze went to Judoka, Yael Arad in 1992 and our first – and only – gold was brought home by sailor Gal Friedman in 2004 – It would seem that all that is about to [mehr]

From Iran´s Nuclear Ambitions to Online Hate

by Dan Verbin Rabbi Abraham Cooper was in Toronto last week to address members of the Simon Wiesenthal Center on a range of issues of importance to the Jewish community. Speaking with Shalom Life, Cooper, the Associate Dean of the center, noted that Toronto has 24,000 Simon Wiesenthal Center members out of a total of 400,000 worldwide. “Canada’s grassroots support is very loyal. I wanted to give them a perspective and update,” he said. One of Cooper’s biggest concerns at the moment is Iran’s nuclear program. He recently met with a senior official of the White House’s National Security Council to address a Congressional vote on the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty in which Israel was named for the first time, but Iran was not mentioned. In terms of what to do to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons, he [mehr]

Dallas Celebrates Israel

Thousands brave heat to celebrate Israel in downtown Dallas. By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News At an outdoor celebration of Israel on Sunday, there was plenty of live music, dancing, kosher food – and heat. But the 105-degree scorcher did not spoil the fun for the thousands who came downtown to the “Party on the Plaza: A Celebration of Israel” in front of American Airlines Center throughout the afternoon. Organizers estimated at least 5,000 attended. Rabbi Adam Raskin, president of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas, said the large crowd, especially given the temperatures, showed the strength of Dallas’ support for Israel. “There’s so much passion, so much excitement here,” Raskin said in a speech at the event, which was shown on several large screens in the plaza. The Jewish Community Relations [mehr]

Bibi and Me at the Peace Talks

by Jerrold L. Sobel It’s so nice of the State Department to send Imam Abdul Rauf, the “Ground Zero Imam” on a taxpayer paid goodwill tour through the Middle East. No doubt it’s money well spent. Speaking in the capital of that country, Manama, Rauf loudly proclaimed that he’s out to “Americanize Islam,” What he exactly meant by this wasn’t clarified. Some skeptics might say he was momentarily confused and meant to say his goal was to “Islamize America.” While fund raising for the Ground Zero Mosque; oops did I say that? I meant while he was spreading goodwill, the Imam’s wife, Daisy Kahn, weighed in on the Mosque issue with the following statement: “Dropping the Plan is definitely not an option at all.” She went on to say, that organizers were in consultation with leaders of the American Muslim [mehr]

CHARLES M. BLOW, NYT:

Oy Vey, Obama

Is President Obama good for the Jews? For more and more Jewish-Americans, the answer is no. In a Pew Research Center report issued on Thursday and entitled “Growing Number of Americans Say Obama Is a Muslim” (tragic in its own right), there was another bit of bad newsor Obama: the number of Jews who identify as Republican or as independents who lean Republican has increased by more than half since the year he was elected. At 33 percent it now stands at the highest level since the data have been kept. In 2008, the ratio of Democratic Jews to Republican Jews was far more than three to one. Now it’s less than two to one. This is no doubt a reaction, at least in part, to the Obama administration having taken a hard rhetorical stance with Israel, while taking “special time and care on our relationship with the Muslim world,” as Robert Gibbs, [mehr]

Iran Adds Missile-Launching Assault Boats to Arsenal

Iran announced Monday its growing arsenal soon will include homemade two high-speed missile-launching assault boats to patrol the Persian Gulf. The statement came one day after the Islamic Republic showed off a new unmanned aerial bomber, which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called an “ambassador of death” to its enemies, particularly Israel and the United States. The new assault boats are aimed at fending off any attempts by the West to impose a blockade of the Gulf, through which 40 percent of the world’s gas and oil flows in tankers. The official Iranian news agency IRNA said the two Iranian-produced speedboats, dubbed Seraz and Zolfagar, will help “provide security to the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and Strait of Hormuz." Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that the Zolfagar vessel “is designed for quick assaults on [mehr]

Israel and the West

By David Solway, FrontPageMag In his thought-provoking book The Lucifer Principle [1], Harold Bloom, relying on years of zoological research, points out how “a strange thing happens when humans and other animals are cornered by the uncontrollable. Their perceptions shut down, their thoughts grow more clouded, and they have a harder time generating new solutions to their problems.” This kind of syncope can manifest itself in a number of different ways: a feigned lack of interest when presented with a threat, as when a once-dominant ape pretends to focus on a banana peel rather than respond to the challenge mounted by a formidable claimant to his throne, or when a rat frustrated by its powerlessness before an intimidating rival will attack a lesser member of the pack. These are useful concepts and insights that can help us get a bead on the crucial issues of [mehr]

Terrorist´s Killer, Victim from Same Yeshiva

One of the terrorists responsible for the ambush that killed IDF soldiers Eliraz Peretz and Ilan Sviatkovsky was killed this week in battle with soldiers. The terrorist, senior Islamic Jihad member Bassem Darmeh, died in a shootout after attempting to plant bombs targeting soldiers along the Gaza security fence. The shootout occurred in the same region in which the attack on Peretz and Sviatkovsky´s unit took place five months earlier. Late on Thursday it was revealed that the soldier who took out Darmeh, an elite IDF unit commander whose name was revealed only as “Lieutenant Y,” is a graduate of the premilitary preparatory program Bnei David in the Samaria town of Eli. Bnei David strives to promote the view of “serving in the IDF as a value and a privilege,” according to program coordinators, as it teaches Torah. Eliraz Peretz [mehr]

Palin leads the way on energy

Sarah Palin’s guest appearances this week in a 3-part series from Alaska with FOX News Channel’s Greta Van Susteren have hopefully opened some eyes regarding the 20-million-acre ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), NPR-A (National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska), the North Slope, Prudhoe Bay and the entire issue of drilling for oil and natural gas in the “Last Frontier.” The recent disastrous deep-water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is “all the more reason why we (the U.S.) should start looking back to on-shore drilling — at all the reserves that are rich in oil and gas — and start tapping into them again,” Gov. Palin said in the national interview as she and husband Todd flew with the FOX-TV crew from the Arctic Circle at the northern tip of Alaska to the oil-pipeline terminus at the port of Valdez, 800 miles [mehr]

Remembering Ze´ev Jabotinsky on his 70th Yahrtzeit

On Wednesday evening, August 18th, several hundred people gathered at the Park East Synagogue on Manhattan´s Upper East Side for a tribute to the life and legacy of famed Zionist leader and visionary, Vladimir Ze´ev Jabotinsky, on the occasion of his 70th yahrzeit. Due to the geo-political realities of the age of terrorism, security was tight at the venue and attendees went through airport style checks as they entered. Sponsored by the Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI) organization, which has roots in the Jabotinsky movement, the evening began with an introduction by AFSI chairman Herbert Zweibon. He spoke of his organization´s efforts towards educating future generations of Israeli youth about Jabotinsky´s life and teachings. "We have sponsored essay contests in Israeli high schools on what Jabotinsky stood for and we are proud to say that his legacy [mehr]

Jerusalem Mufti: Watch Out for Religious War

Is a Moslem cleric making one war-provoking statement too many? Jerusalem Mufti Muhammad Hussein says Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, Hevron could start a religious war. Muhammad Hussein, known as the “Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine,” calls on all Moslems to take action to save the “holy places” and to support the Palestinian intifada. In keeping with the recent Moslem line that Judaism is barely linked with the Holy Land, Hussein says that Israel is “working subversively to take over Moslem holy sites," Arab affairs correspondent Dalit HaLevi reports. Speaking with the Arabic-language internet site Ilaf on Tuesday, Hussein said that Israel has invested great efforts to erase the Islamic characteristics of Jerusalem, Hevron and other cities, in order to falsely prove Judaism’s connection with these places. Just a few [mehr]

Palestinian Journos Test Big Media´s Double Standards

Veteran journalist Khaled Abu Toameh laments Big Media´s lack of interest in a story about the PA arresting several university lecturers. Unable to report the story themselves for fear of retribution, they offered the story to several North American and European correspondents and editors with more protekzia. Nothing doing. Only one foreign journalist agreed to write about the story. His colleagues gave different excuses for turning their backs on the story. Some said they were concerned about their personal safety should they report a news item that was likely to anger the Western-funded PA security forces in the West Bank. Others simply blamed their editors in New York, Paris, London and Toronto for turning down the story as "insignificant." The kicker: [mehr]

Iran Plans Third Nuclear Plant

Iran will begin building a third nuclear enrichment site within a year, the head of Iran´s atomic program Ali Akbar Saleh announced Monday. He did not name the location of the planned facility, but said it will be built somewhere that cannot be targeted in an air strike. Iran has one operational nuclear enrichment plant in the city of Natanz, and a second is being built at a mountain site in Fordo. Iranian officials say their country´s nuclear program is meant to provide energy for civilian use. However, they have refused to grant international inspectors access to nuclear facilities. In addition, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to “wipe Israel off the map,” and Iran is openly supportive of terrorist groups that target Israel and Western nationals, including Hamas and Hizbullah. These are moves that add to Western [mehr]

Barak Gives Thumbs Up for F-35 Advanced Fighter

Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced on Sunday formal approval for purchasing the American F-35 Stealth fighter plane. Imminent completion of the deal has been rumored for nearly a month. The F-35 plane in Israel "will give the Air Force the best capability in the short and long range and allow Israel to maintain aerial superiority,” he said in a statement. The confirmation comes at the same time that Saudi Arabia and the United States are completing deals for $60 billion for more than 80 F-15 planes and more than 130 attack helicopters. Purchasing the F-35 may alleviate worries that the weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries will destroy Israel’s military advantage. A Pentagon official said last month that “the ball is in their [Israel’s] court to close a $3 billion to buy 19 of the warplanes. Lockheed Martin, the [mehr]

Report: Turkey Used Chemical Weapons Against Kurds

According to a report that was published on Thursday in the German magazine Der Spiegel, German experts have confirmed the authenticity of photographs that show that PKK fighters in Turkey were killed by chemical weapons. The photographs in question were given in March by activists to a German human rights delegation, comprised of experts, journalists and politicians from Turkey’s Left Party. The photos feature burned, maimed and scorched body parts, so much so that he victims are scarcely even recognizable as human beings. Hans Baumann, a German expert on photo forgeries has confirmed the authenticity of the photos, which according to Turkish-Kurdish human rights activists show eight members of the Kurdistan Workers´ Party (PKK) underground movement, considered a terrorist movement by the UN, EU and NATO. They are believed to have been killed in September [mehr]

PA Summer Camp Named for Terrorist Murderer of 37

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reports that a public Fatah event under the auspices of PA chief Abbas included a song celebrating the infamous Coastal Road terror attack. The 1978 bus-hijacking massacre was perpetrated by Fatah terrorists who murdered 37 Israelis. In addition, the Palestinian Authority has named two summer camps after Dalal Mughrabi, the female terrorist who led the Coastal Road attack. The song chosen to be performed at the Fatah event glorified the Coastal Road murderers as "birds of prey" and "heroic." It also depicted the various stages of the attack, which started when terrorists landed by sea from Lebanon. PMW also notes other recent [mehr]

Nazareth Illit: Mayor Brings Jews Back in Droves

Nazareth Illit, which has recently come under threat of an Arab demographic takeover, now is headed to be the religious-Zionist capital of the lower Galilee. A new Hesder yeshiva opened in the city today, on the traditional Rosh Chodesh Elul opening day. The yeshiva is a branch of the Hesder yeshiva in Maalot, in northwestern Israel, headed by Rabbi Yehoshua Veitzman. Thirty students from Maalot are to form the core nucleus of the new yeshiva. Today’s opening ceremony featured dancing, singing and an emotional “Shehecheyanu” blessing by Mayor Shimon Gepso. “I feel as happy as if a new baby had been born to me,” he said. “This is a festive day for Nazareth Illit, which is changing face and galloping forward to a new future of growth and settlement.” To this end, Gepso has renovated an old school building to house 15 [mehr]

Iran Links Second Uranium Centrifuge Cascade

Iran has moved its nuclear development program up another notch, activating a second centrifuge cascade in its race to enrich uranium. The Islamic Republic had notified the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency in March of its intent to link a second cascade to one that had already been brought online in February. The second set of 164 centrifuges, like the first, is located at the Natanz pilot fuel enrichment plant. The IAEA told the Associated Press the move has enabled Iran to produce enriched uranium at up to 20 percent in the two linked cascades. On July 17, “Iran was feeding nuclear material to the two interconnected 164-machine centrifuge cascades, contrary to U.N. Security Council resolutions affirming that Iran should suspend all enrichment related activities” when agency inspectors visited the facility, according to IAEA [mehr]

Gaza Arabs Get Second Chance on Greenhouses

The U.S. will be giving Gaza Arabs a second chance, providing them with new greenhouses to replace the Gush Katif originals they demolished. In 2005, as Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza and forcibly removed the Jewish residents of the area, a group of Jewish American donors came together to ensure that the famed Israeli greenhouses that produced $200 million of produce per year would not go to waste. The greenhouses were purchased for $14 million – much of it provided by the Gates Foundation - and turned over to Gaza Arabs. But within hours of the withdrawal, many of the buildings had been damaged beyond repair. Terrorists and looters stripped them of their piping and electronic equipment and tore down their walls. Some greenhouses remained, several of which were destroyed in a second round of looting in 2006. Now Gaza Arabs are going to get a second [mehr]

Arab League Blasts Israel for Dismantling Fake Cemetery

The Arab League Assistant Secretary General for Palestinian Affairs Mohamed Sobeih on Saturday condemned the digging up of what he said were Muslim graves in Jerusalem´s Mamillah cemetery by Israeli authorities. According to a report filed from Cairo by Chinese news agency Xinhua, the cemetery “includes the graves of the companions of Prophet Mohammed” and “is the biggest and oldest graveyard in the Palestinian lands.” The report completely ignored the facts reported by Arutz Sheva in an exclusive feature: the tombstones were brand-new constructions and were being faked, in an attempt to grab some land from Independence Park (Gan HaAtzmaut). Sobeih told reporters: "The Arab League is closely following up this heinous crime when Israel has planned to establish a museum of tolerance instead of the cemetery." "Israel is [mehr]

Reflections on Ze´ev Jabotinsky

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Vladimir "Ze´ev" Jabotinsky, the greatest Zionist leader of the last century. A brilliant orator, writer and statesman, he was in addition a linguist, poet and playwright. He was also Shmuel´s mentor. Therefore, we quote Shmuel in full on this most remarkable man. The column below appeared in the October 18, 1980 edition of the Jerusalem Post, marking the 100th anniversary of Jabotinsky´s birth. (Shmuel eventually did go on to write the biography he mentions -- his two-volume "Lone Wolf.")] REFLECTIONS ON JABOTINSKY By Shmuel Katz z”l Ze´ev Jabotinsky For some time, I have considered writing a biography of Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Immediate preoccupations have interposed delays; but I suspect I may also have shied away from the formidability of the task. This may be the [mehr]

Report: UN Teaches Jihad in Jerusalem

The Palestinian Authority continues to incite young schoolchildren to armed struggle against Israel in its textbooks – textbooks that are used by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to teach incitement in Israel´s capital city, says investigative reporter David Bedein, who spoke in an interview with Arutz Sheva´s Hebrew-language news service. The books in question include passages praising terrorists killed while attacking Israel as “martyrs”. They also teach children that Arabs descended from those who fled Israel during the War of Independence have a right to “return” to Israel. Bedein´s finding that the textbooks in Arab schools in Jerusalem are as problematic as those used in PA schools elsewhere is backed by a frank interview with PA Minister of Education Lamis al-Alami, who spoke with a member of [mehr]

UN Calls Meeting to Avoid ´Misunderstandings´

Israel and Lebanon should coordinate their activities along their shared border with the United Nations, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander Alberto Asarta Cuevas said in a three-way meeting with representatives from the IDF and the Lebanese army. Notifying UN troops regarding border activities will “minimize the scope for any misunderstandings,” Asarta said. He praised the three-way meeting as “constructive.” The meeting followed an exchange of fire along the border this week in which one Israeli commander, three Lebanese soldiers, and one Lebanese journalist were killed. A Lebanese soldier opened fire at Israeli soldiers as Israeli workers cut a tree on Israel´s side of the border; Lebanon later accused Israel of sparking the firefight by crossing the border. The UN confirmed Wednesday that Israeli troops had not [mehr]

Ahmadinejad Escapes Assassination Attempt; Suspect Arrested

Arab sources reported Wednesday that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escaped an assassination attempt in the city Hamadan and that several people were wounded. The Iranian conservative Khabaronline.ir website said that the attacker was arrested. The Arabic-language Arabiya website, which is considered responsible and has published several articles against Ahmadinejad, reported that the “Iranian presidency confirms that President Ahmadinejad escaped an assassination attempt as his procession was targeted by a bomb.” Iran has not commented. Arabiya said that Ahmadinejad’s procession was targeted by a bomb. Other sources said only that “an object," possibly a grenade, was thrown at the convoy. After the reported attempt, Ahmadinejad continued with his schedule and addressed a crowd. Iran’s semi-official media reported in [mehr]

Capt. Lakia: a War Hero Who Singlehandedly Killed 2 Terrorists

Captain Ezra Lakia, who was seriously wounded Tuesday in a Lebanese Army sniper ambush, received a Divisional Commander Citation from the Commander of Division 162 in 2002, for an act of bravery during Operation Defensive Shield. On Tuesday, July 23, 2002 (14 Av 5762), a platoon from Haruv Battalion was sent to look for terrorists, one week after a horrific terror attack on a passenger bus near Emanuel that killed nine. Then-Lieutenant Lakia commanded the force. Two terrorists were waiting in ambush, and when the soldiers were 50 meters away from them, they opened fire. Lt. Lakia gave an order to open fire and then charged at the two terrorists himself, killing them both. He received the Divisional Commander Citation for professionalism, leadership and [mehr]

Ahmadinejad Challenges Obama to a ´Man-to-Man´ to Debate

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has challenged U.S. President Barack Obama to a public and "man-to-man" debate when the Islamic Republic leader visits the United Nations next month for the next session of the General Assembly. President Obama is unlikely to accept the offer. Ahmadinejad criticized the American leader for missing “historic opportunities" and being under the influence of Israel. "Somebody should answer questions whether the U.S. government is dominated by the Zionists, or the Zionist regime is controlled by the U.S. government,” he added. In a live state television address to expatriate Iranians, he stated, "We are hopefully coming for the UN assembly. We are ready to sit down with Mr. Obama face-to-face and put the global issues on the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose solutions are better. We think [mehr]

Rabbi: Romania Disaster Reminds Us to Support IDF

The helicopter crash in Romania in which six IDF Air Force crewman were killed should serve as a reminder to respect IDF soldiers despite objections to expulsions of Jews from Gaza, and from outposts in Judea and Samaria, Rabbi Zev Sharon told Arutz Sheva´s Hebrew-language news service. "Despite our political dispute with the IDF – our soldiers are heros willing to risk their very lives to protect the Jewish people and the land of Israel,” he explained. Rabbi Sharon heads the pre-military preparatory program (mechina) in Maaleh Efraim. The disaster in Romania “emphasizes the complexity” of the relationship many have with the IDF, he continued. “Career officers took part in expelling Jews from Gush Katif, among them many pilots... But we cannot forget for a second that the same pilots who participated in the Gush Katif expulsion are [mehr]

Al-Qaeda Creating an Army in Yemen

The heads of Al-Qaeda in Yemen claimed Thursday to be creating an army in the country´s south. In an audio recording posted online, terrorist commander Mohammed Sayeed al-Omda said Al-Qaeda will soon have a fighting force of 12,000 soldiers based in the cities of Aden and Abyan. Omda issued a threat to continue attacking Yemeni troops. “This is a message to the Yemeni government forces and National security service: Our swords are ready and we are going to cleanse the land,” he declared. Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for two fatal attacks on government targets in Yemen since June, and is suspected of being behind an additional two attacks in the same period. The international terrorist group accuses the Yemeni government of joining with “crusaders” and killing Muslims in the battle against insurgent groups. Al-Qaeda poses a [mehr]

Nazi Guard, 89, Charged in Germany with 430,000 Deaths

Never too late for justice: A suspected former Nazi death camp guard, aged 89, has been charged in a German youth court with participating in the mass murder of 430,000 Jews at the Belzec death camp in occupied Poland. Samuel Kunz, the world´s third most wanted Nazi suspect according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is accused of guarding in Belzec starting in January 1942 – at the age of 20. German law stipulates that those accused of crimes between ages 18 and 21 can be brought to trial as either minors or adults; the judge then decides whether the convict should be sentenced as an adolescent or an adult. The German authorities decided to try Kunz as an adolescent, giving him hope that his sentence will be relatively lenient. His trial will be held in Bonn, the former capital of what used to be West Germany. Kunz also allegedly served as a guard in the Trawniki-SS training camp. He [mehr]

´Our Campaign is Not Anti-Obama, Just Pro-American Israeli´

With that in mind, the American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC) kicked-off of its “Get out the Vote” campaign among Americans living in Israel for the November 2010 U.S. Congressional elections. AIAC held a press conference in Jerusalem. AIAC Chairman Harvey Schwartz explained the initiative. "It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 potential American voters living in Israel. They have a right (and an obligation) to vote in – and can have a significant impact on -- the upcoming U.S. Congressional elections." The congressional elections are viewed by many in Israel and America as a possible turning point which could swing the American government away from the policies of Barack Obama, who many say is anti-Israel. Scwatz insisted, though, that the AIAC campaign was not levelled against Obama. "This is most definitely not an anti-Obama [mehr]

Obama Warns Abbas: ‘Start Talks or Else’

A secret 36-page memo based on Obama administration statements indicates that the president warned Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to start direct talks with Israel or risk losing American support for the recognition of the PA as a country. The Associated Press reported it has possession of the document, under the letterhead of the Palestinian Negotiations Department and which indicates the warning came from President Barack Obama via U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell. It shows that the Obama administration has resigned itself to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remaining head of Israel´s coalition government. “Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is not in political danger of being replaced,” the document states. It adds that Abbas is under pressure from both the Arab world and within the PA, whereby his consent to direct [mehr]