Set Free Ministries, International

Palestinian Rockets Contiue to Hit Israel
Palestinians in Gaza fired a rocket that landed in the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, a Kassam rocket hit a parking lot in a kibbutz, damaging several cars. On Friday, two rockets landed south of the city of Ashkelon and near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. The Israel Air Force responded to the attack by striking tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip. (Shmulik Hadad ,Ynet News, February 8, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

UN Halts Aid to Gaza in Dispute with Hamas
The UN aid agency that serves more than half the residents of the Gaza Strip suspended humanitarian shipments on Friday, accusing Hamas of confiscating UN material for the second time in a week. The UN Relief and Works Agency said Hamas seized 10 trucks filled with rice and flour. Earlier in the week, the agency had accused Hamas of confiscating blankets and food from a UN warehouse. In a statement from New York, the world body said the suspension would remain in place "until the aid is returned and the agency is given credible assurances from the Hamas government in Gaza that there will be no repeat of these thefts." John Ging, head of the relief agency in Gaza, said Hamas' actions had "crossed a red line." "We're not going to bring aid in here and let it be hijacked by Hamas or anyone else." (Griff Witte, Washington Post, February 7, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Cyprus Ship Is Carrying Prohibited Weapons-Related Material from Iran
A ship detained by Cyprus appears to be carrying banned weapon-related material from Iran prohibited under UN resolutions, a senior Cypriot source said on Saturday. A UN panel monitoring compliance of sanctions said that on the basis of evidence provided, the Cyprus-flagged "Monchegorsk," sailing from Iran to Syria, is carrying a cargo that is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. (Reuters, February 7, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas Leader in Tehran Rules Out Permanent Truce
The political supremo of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, on Sunday ruled out any "permanent ceasefire" with Israel. "The resistance is against a permanent ceasefire," Meshaal said at a news conference in Tehran, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported. Meshaal met Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said that Hamas' recent "victory will lead to more such victories" against Israel. Meshaal thanked Khamenei for the "strong support given by Iran which had a big role in the victory of the people of Gaza." (AFP, February 1, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Rocket Fire Worsens
Palestinians in Gaza fired at least five Kassam rockets and eight mortar shells at Israel on Sunday. Two soldiers and a civilian were wounded. In addition, Israel Defense Forces soldiers exchanged fire with Palestinians near the Kissufim crossing on Sunday. On Saturday, a Grad rocket struck south of Ashkelon. (Yuval Azoulay ,Ha'aretz, February 2, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Gazans Describe Using Schools to Shoot Rockets at Israel
Nuaf Atar said Hamas set up rocket launchers and fired rockets into Israel from within school compounds since they knew Israel would not bomb the schools. Zabhi Atar revealed that Hamas used food coupons to entice Palestinians to join its ranks, and Hamad Zalah said Hamas took control of UNRWA food supplies transferred to Gaza and refused to distribute them to people affiliated with Fatah. (Yaakov Katzt , Jerusalem Post, February 1, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Israel's Netanyahu: Existing settlements will grow
The front-runner in Israel's election next month said he would allow existing West Bank settlements to expand as the population grows — a policy likely to face opposition from the Palestinians and the new U.S. administration. "I have no intention of building new settlements in the West Bank," Netanyahu was quoted as saying. "But like all the governments there have been until now, I will have to meet the needs of natural growth in the population. I will not be able to choke the settlements." (Amy Teibel Alfred de Montesquiou, The Associated Press, January 26, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas Says Abbas Must End Its Peace Talks with Israel
The Palestinian Authority must end its peace talks and security coordination with Israel if it ever expects to reconcile with Hamas, Osama Hamdan, Hamas' representative in Lebanon, said Sunday. Hamdan also vowed that Hamas will continue to bring in arms to Gaza. (AP/Fox News, January 25, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

How Iranian Frogmen Bring Weapons to Hamas
According to an Israeli security source, the IDF has encountered Iranian-leased weapons ships anchored ten miles out to sea opposite Rafiah in Egyptian waters. The weapons are packed in waterproof containers which travel under the surface. During the night, Iranian frogmen transport the containers and tie them to Palestinian fishing vessels located closer to shore. The Palestinian vessels return to Gaza, towing the containers underwater to avoid detection. (Nadav Zeevi and Amir Buhbut, Maariv-Hebrew, January 23, 2009)

Israelis Announce Cease-Fire in Gaza
Israel announced Saturday that it would cease fighting in Gaza at 2 a.m. on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel had succeeded in dealing a harsh blow to Hamas that would make it think twice about resuming firing rockets into Israel. Hamas never lost its capacity to launch strikes on Israel. On Saturday, Palestinians aimed about two dozen rockets into Israel. (Craig Whitlock and Jonathan Finer, The Washington Post, January 18, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Ahmadinejad congratulates Mashaal on 'victory'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has telephoned Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal and congratulated him on his "victory" in the battles against Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported Monday. The Iranian president went on to say that "the Zionist criminals must be prosecuted". (Hanan Greenberg, YNet News, January 19, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Israel to Boost Gaza Aid But Won't End Blockade Until Kidnapped Soldier Is Freed
Israel said on Sunday it will be prepared to sharply increase the flow of food and medicine to Gaza if the cease-fire holds, but it ruled out fully lifting a blockade until a captured Israeli soldier is freed. "You can't have anything close to full normalization of the crossings as long as Gilad Shalit remains a hostage," said Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Olmert. (Reuters, January 18, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

President Bush strongly backed Israel's actions
US President George W. Bush strongly backed Israel's actions in Gaza in his final press conference Monday before leaving office next Tuesday. He said that he hoped the current violence would conclude by the time his term ends, but said that a sustainable ceasefire was needed and that "the definition of a sustainable ceasefire is that Hamas stops firing rockets at Israel... the choice is Hamas's to make." Asked how he felt about Israel's reaction, he stressed that "Israel has a right to defend herself." He added that he would like to see Israel be "mindful" of innocent civilians, but that the country faced a serious challenge. (Hillary Krieger, The Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Rocket hits Ashdod kindergarten
A kindergarten wall in Ashdod was struck by a Grad rocket fired from Gaza on Sunday afternoon, leaving ten people in shock and the facility heavily damaged. "Thankfully, no children were in the kindergarten, and no one was badly hurt," a police officer said. By the evening hours, 16 rockets were fired at southern Israel, and paramedics had evacuated four lightly injured people to hospital. (Yaakov Lappin, The Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas Terrorists Hide in Red Crescent Ambulances
A senior military officer who is commanding forces fighting inside Gaza said on Sunday that Hamas terrorists hiding inside Red Crescent ambulances were trying to cross the IDF line separating northern Gaza from the south. (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, January 12, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Major clashes between IDF and Hamas reported in north Gaza
Major clashes between IDF troops and Hamas gunmen were reportedly taking place late Monday evening in the northern Gaza Strip. The clashes marked the first time the IDF extended its ground operation into the densely populated Gaza urban centers. Meanwhile, seven IDF soldiers were wounded Monday afternoon, four moderately and three lightly, in exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Hamas gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip. The soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment. In the early hours of Monday morning, five IDF soldiers and an officer were lightly to moderately wounded in the tenth day of Operation Cast Lead. Overnight Sunday, the IAF attacked more than 30 Gaza targets, including an underground Hamas bunker, weapons caches and sites from where Grad rockets were fired at Ashkelon. (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, January 5, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Remains Firmly Behind Israel
From the White House to Capitol Hill, U.S. officials remained firmly behind Israel. Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that Israel did not seek U.S. approval before a ground operation against Hamas in Gaza. "They have said, now, for a period of months...that they didn't want to have to act, where Gaza was concerned," Cheney said. "They had gotten out of there three years ago. But if the rocketing didn't stop, they felt they had no choice but to take action. And if they did, they would be very aggressive, in terms of trying to take down Hamas. And that's exactly what's happened." Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin - the top two Democrats - and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell all described Israel's actions as understandable. "I think what the Israelis are doing is very important," Reid said. "I think this terrorist organization, Hamas, has got to be put away." Said McConnell: "Hamas is a terrorist organization. Imagine in this country (the U.S.) if somebody from a neighboring country were lobbing shells at our population. We'd do exactly the same thing. I think the Israelis are doing the only thing they can possibly do to defend their population." (Ben Feller, AP, January 4, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

School in Israel Hit by A Rocket
On Monday afternoon, a Grad-type rocket slammed into an empty kindergarten in Ashdod. No one was wounded in the attack, though massive damage was caused to the building, and thirteen people were treated for shock. At least 30 rockets had been fired at the South by mid afternoon, including a Grad that slammed into the Yavne area, east of Ashdod - some 40 kilometers from Gaza. On Sunday, around 50 rockets were fired into southern Israel, lightly wounding three people. Due to the continuing attacks, schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions within a 40-kilometer range from Gaza remained closed Monday. (The Jerusalem Post, January 5, 2009) Click here to read the entire article

Five wounded, 1 critically, as rocket hits Ashdod bus stop
In another of the attacks, Hanni Al-Mahdi, 27, of the Beduin town of Aroer in the Negev, was killed and at least 14 people were wounded when a Grad-type missile hit a construction site in Ashkelon's center.Five Israelis were wounded on Monday night - one critically, one seriously and three lightly - when a rocket fired by Gaza terrorists hit an Ashdod bus stop. The rocket was one of over 70 fired at southern Israel Monday. In another of the attacks, Hanni Al-Mahdi, 27, of the Beduin town of Aroer in the Negev, was killed and at least 14 people were wounded when a Grad-type missile hit a construction site in Ashkelon's center. (The Jerusalem Post, December 29, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Barak: This is 'all out war' on Hamas"
If Hamas doesn't immediately stop the criminal and intentional firing of rockets, Israel will use all the legal resources and courses of action at its disposal to force the enemy to stop its aggressive and illegal action against its citizens," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday following a security assessment at the Defense Ministry. Barak also called on Palestinians to stay away from areas where Hamas was conducting its terrorist activity. (The Jerusalem Post, December 29, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Orders Muslims to Defend Palestinians in Gaza
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians against Israel's attacks in Gaza, state television said.  Khamenei also criticized some Arab governments for their "encouraging silence" towards the Israeli raids in Gaza. (Zahra Hosseinian Reuters, December 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel frees 224 Palestinian inmates
Israel released 224 Palestinian prisoners Monday in a gesture to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who welcomed the former inmates in Ramallah, but said the "joy won't be complete until Israel frees all Palestinian prisoners.". Earlier, the High Court of Justice canceled the temporary injunction issued by Justice Elyakim Rubinstein late Sunday night delaying the release of the prisoners. The injunction had followed petitions charging that some of the prisoners had "blood on their hands." The State responded Monday morning to the petitions, claiming that a check of the prisoners to be released proved that none of them were convicted of harming Israelis. (Yaakov Lappin and Dan Izenberg, The Jerusalem Post, December 15, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Tens of Thousands Mass in Gaza for Hamas Anniversary
Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters massed in Gaza City on Sunday to mark the 21st anniversary of the Islamist movement's founding. Ismail Haniya, the head of the Hamas administration in Gaza, boasted that "Hamas is stronger and will remain stronger because it draws its strength from God." Top Hamas official Mahmud Zahar boasted that the group had grown "from a support base of a few thousand people to a backing of millions in Arab countries and around the world." "It has succeeded in striking at Israel's national security." (AFP, December 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iranian Ship Heading to Gaza Has Hidden Agenda
An Iranian Red Crescent vessel due to set sail for Gaza this week carries a "hidden agenda," providing cover for an attempt by Tehran's al-Quds Force to spread its influence and possibly ferrying intelligence agents, Prof. Raymond Tanter, president of the Washington-based Iran Policy Committee, warned on Saturday. Iran's Red Crescent Society and other Iranian charities, such as the Imam Relief Committee and the Persian Green Relief Institute, were all "agents of the Iranian regime to carry out its subversive activities," Tanter said. "In Iraq, the Red Crescent operates as a cover for the Quds Force." (Yaakov Lappin , The Jerusalem Post, December 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Bush Vows to Deny Iran Nuclear Weapons
President George Bush reiterated Friday his pledge that the U.S. would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. "We have made our bottom-line clear. For the safety of our people and the peace of the world, America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon," Bush told the Saban Forum in Washington. (UPI, December 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Obama: Iranian Nuclear Weapons Are Unacceptable
President-elect Barack Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday: "We need to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran, making very clear to them that their development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable, that their funding of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizbullah, their threats against Israel, are contrary to everything that we believe in and what the international community should accept, and present a set of carrots and sticks, in changing their calculus about how they want to operate." (MSNBC.Com, December 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Rocket Fire Continues
Palestinians in Gaza fired two Kassam rockets toward Israel Sunday evening that landed near two different kibbutzim. Eshkol Regional Council Head Haim Yalin, who lives in close proximity to the landing site of one of the rockets, said: "We heard a very loud blast; the houses shook. Unfortunately, these attacks have been going on all day long." (Shmulik Hadad, Ynet News, December 8, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IAF jet flies bodies home for burial
An Israeli Air Force jet left India for Israel Monday, carrying 2-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, orphaned son of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and Rivka, who were among the slain in the Mumbai Chabad House attack, along with his parents' remains and the Indian woman who rescued him, Sandra Samuel.
Six civilians were killed in the center in the three-day terror siege that ended Saturday morning, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David said. In all, more than 170 died in attacks on 10 targets across the Indian city.
Among the Jewish victims were two other Israelis: Bentzion Kruman, an American-Israeli from Bat-Yam, Yocheved Orpaz of Givatayim. The fifth and sixth victims were Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum, a US citizen who lived in Jerusalem, and Norma Swartzblatt-Rabinovich, a Mexican Jewish woman who had planned to immigrate to Israel later this week. (Ruth Eglash, The Jerusalem Post, December 1, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaeda Leader Calls on Americans to Embrace Islam
Al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri appeared in a new video posted Friday calling on Americans to embrace Islam to overcome the financial meltdown, which he said was a consequence of the Sept. 11 attacks and militant strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Al-Zawahri called on the American people to "embrace Islam to live a life free of greed, exploitation and forbidden wealth." Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, also took aim at Egypt's government, blaming it for the blockade of Gaza because it has kept its border with the territory sealed. (Washington Time, November 29, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Eight IDF Troops Hurt in Palestinian Mortar Strike, Soldier Loses Leg
Eight Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded Friday after Palestinians in Gaza fired mortars at a military base near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Doctors had to amputate the leg of one of the soldiers who was brought to the hospital in serious condition. (Amos Harel and Yanir Yagna, Ha'aretz, November 29, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Barak: Hizbullah has 42,000 missiles
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday cautioned that Hizbullah had greatly improved its capabilities since the Second Lebanon War and was in possession of rockets that could reach as far south as Dimona.. "Hizbullah has three times the ability it had before the Second Lebanon War and now has 42,000 missiles in its possession, as opposed to the 14,000 it had before the war,"(Barak said in a Knesset speech. (The Jerusalem Post, November 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel: West Must Unite with Russia, China Against Iran
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the U.S. and Europe should put aside differences with China and Russia over human-rights and missile-defense issues to focus on working together to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Barak noted that Israel faces threats not only from Iran, but also from its proxies in south Lebanon and Gaza. More than 140 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel from Gaza over the past two weeks (Gwen Ackerman and Calev Ben-David, Bloomberg, November 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

The Influence of Christian Interests in Setting the Route of the Security Fence in Jerusalem
In March 2002, at the height of a terror campaign in which 1,804 Israelis were killed in Palestinian suicide bombings, the government of Israel decided to take a defensive measure to block terrorists from reaching Israeli population centers by establishing a physical obstacle. Even Israel's worst enemies confessed that the security fence saved Israeli lives.In building the security fence, great efforts were invested and solutions were provided to meet the unique needs of the Christian churches in the region to guarantee freedom of religion and religious observance, and free access to holy places. The establishment of the security fence was a vital measure for the security of Israel's citizens and those members of all faiths visiting Israel. Only when visitors to Jerusalem enjoy a sense of security can there be normal life, religious observance, and pilgrimage to the holy sites. The author was in charge of planning the security fence between the West Bank and Israel. (Col. (res.) Danny Tirza, Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, November December 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IDF Video Shows Gaza Gunners Firing Rockets at Israel
A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck a residential yard in the southern town of Sderot on Sunday, leaving one person with light shrapnel wounds. Several other people were treated for shock. This was the third rocket to hit the Negev on Sunday, as violence between Israel and the coastal territory continued for a second week. Some 17 rockets and mortar shells hit southern Israel over the weekend, including four advanced Grad-type missiles. (Ha'aretz, November 17, 2008) Click here to watch the video.

Israel Urges "Greater Force" vs. Iran Nuclear Work
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Sunday for a stronger international campaign against Iran's nuclear program to "thwart it with greater force." "We must increase our measures to prevent Iran from achieving its devious goals," Olmert told Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. "Iran cannot become nuclear. Israel cannot afford it...the free world must not accept it....We must unite our forces as part of the international community, led by the United States of America. We must confront Iran's malevolent diligence." Olmert called for further sanctions against Iran, saying: "It must become more costly to Iran to pursue nuclear weapons than to give it up." (Reuters, November 16, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Poll: Americans Continue to Back Israel
According to a poll of Americans released Sunday, 66% said the U.S. should back Israel while only 6% said it should support the Palestinians. Some 72% agreed that even with U.S. domestic problems, the country must work to prevent a nuclear Iran. (UPI, November 16, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinians Fire 13 Rockets at Israel
Palestinians in Gaza fired at least 13 Kassam rockets and one mortar round into Israel over the weekend. Two rockets struck south of Ashkelon. (Avi Issacharoff and Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz, November 10, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IAEA reportedly finds traces of enriched uranium in Syria
Investigators from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which works under the auspices of the United Nations, have found traces of enriched uranium in Syria, a potential sign that the country had been attempting to develop a nuclear program, Reuters quoted diplomats familiar with the IAEA investigation as saying. According to Monday's report, the uranium was discovered at the same site which was allegedly bombed by IAF jets in September 2007. (The Jerusalem Post, November 10, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaeda Extremists Planning Mass-Casualty Attacks in Britain
Secret enclaves of al-Qaeda extremists based in London, Birmingham and Luton are planning mass-casualty attacks in Britain, according to a leaked government intelligence report. The document, drawn up by the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Defense, MI5 and Special Branch, states that "some thousands" of extremists are active in the UK. They are predominantly UK-born and many are believed to have been trained in overseas terrorist camps. The report states: "For the foreseeable future the UK will continue to be a high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda. It will face a threat from British nationals, including Muslim converts, and UK-based foreign terrorists, as well as terrorists planning attacks from abroad." (Sean Rayment , Telegraph-UK, November 9, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Archeologist finds 3000-year old Hebrew text
An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he says is the earliest-known Hebrew text, found on a shard of pottery that dates to the time of King David from the Old Testament, about 3,000 years ago. Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says the inscribed pottery shard -- known as an ostracon -- was found during excavations of a fortress from the 10th century BC. Archaeologists have yet to decipher the text, but initial interpretation indicates it formed part of a letter and contains the roots of the words "judge," "slave," and "king," according to the university. That may indicate it was a legal text, which archaeologists say would provide insights into Hebrew law, society, and beliefs. (CNN, October 30, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Pentagon: Iran Will Soon Be Able to Attack Europe
Speaking in the Czech Republic, Pentagon official Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering III told the country's Parliament that it would not take long before Iran will be able to strike against every single European country. The U.S. too would be within reach of Iranian missiles in five to six years, Obering said. French intelligence officials believe that Iran will be able to build its first nuclear bomb in the summer of 2009. That means that one year from now, Iran will be able to destroy an entire European city by just one strike. Not only would this put Europe and later the U.S. at risk, it would also dramatically alter the balance in the region. (Michael van der Galien, PoliGazette-Netherlands, November 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Burning flags, Iranians cheer US Embassy takeover
Iranian state TV says thousands of Iranians nationwide have demonstrated to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy by militant students. In Tehran, crowds gathered outside the former U.S. Embassy Monday and chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while burning flags of the two countries. Iran held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since the takeover. (AP/International Herald Tribune, November 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Forces Attack Syrian Village Near Iraq Border
U.S. military helicopters attacked an area along Syria's border with Iraq Sunday, killing eight people, the Syrian government said. Four helicopters struck the Sukkariyeh Farm near the town of Abu Kamal. A U.S. military official in Washington confirmed the raid, saying the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the U.S. was now "taking matters into our own hands." The official said the special forces raid targeted elements of a network that sends fighters from elsewhere in the Middle East to Syria, where elements of the Syrian military are in league with al-Qaeda and other fighters. (AP/International Herald Tribune, October 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Forces Attack Syrian Village Near Iraq Border
U.S. military helicopters attacked an area along Syria's border with Iraq Sunday, killing eight people, the Syrian government said. Four helicopters struck the Sukkariyeh Farm near the town of Abu Kamal. A U.S. military official in Washington confirmed the raid, saying the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the U.S. was now "taking matters into our own hands." The official said the special forces raid targeted elements of a network that sends fighters from elsewhere in the Middle East to Syria, where elements of the Syrian military are in league with al-Qaeda and other fighters. (AP/International Herald Tribune, October 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel Heading Toward Elections
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni informed President Shimon Peres on Sunday that she has failed in negotiating the formation of a new government, and the president will most likely call for general elections. "The nation will choose its leaders," Livni said. (Ronen Medzini, Ynet News, October 26, 2008)

U.S. Takes to Air to Hit Islamic Militants Inside Pakistan
The White House is intensifying a campaign of airstrikes by the Central Intelligence Agency against militants in the Pakistani mountains. According to American and Pakistani officials, attacks by remotely piloted Predator aircraft have increased sharply in frequency and scope in the past three months. (Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, October 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran: We arm ME 'liberation armies'
A top Revolutionary Guards commander has said Iran is supplying weapons to "liberation armies" in the Middle East, a state-run news agency reported - the first official confirmation the country provides weapons to armed groups in the region. Gen. Hossein Hamedani, deputy commander of a volunteer militia that is part of the elite Revolutionary Guards, did not provide specific details. But Iran is widely believed to provide weapons to Hizbullah. The US military has also accused Iran of arming Shi'ite militias in Iraq. (The Jerusalem Post, October 27, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Message from CUFI's Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville- October 20, 2008

Senior Iranian Official Recommends that Iran Mark London as a Target
In an October 18, 2008 article on the Iranian website Aftab, Wahid Karimi, director of the Europe and U.S. department in Iran's Foreign Ministry, recommends that Iran mark London as a target, since it is the capital of the country that is the U.S.'s closest ally in Europe. This, says Karimi, would be with the aim of ensuring that the Bush administration does not attack Iran in its final weeks, after the U.S. presidential election next month and before Bush officially leaves office on January 20, 2009. (The Middle East Media Research Institute, October 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Aids Militias from Iraq
For the past several years, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force and Lebanese Hizbullah have trained Iraqi Shiites to launch attacks against American forces in Iraq, according to accounts given to American interrogators by captured Iraqi fighters. Now, more than 80 pages of newly declassified intelligence documents for the first time describe in detail an elaborate network used by Iraqis to gain entry into Iran and train under Iranian supervision. Brian Fishman, director of research at the Combating Terrorism Center and a co-author of a new study about Iran's political and military influence in Iraq, concludes that Iran aims to attack American troops in Iraq to "demonstrate a credible deterrent against a U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities." Some prisoners told American interrogators that a separate training course run by Hizbullah in Lebanon was far superior to the training in Iran. To get to the training course in Lebanon, Iraqis were taken to an airport in Iran, where they flew to Damascus and then were driven to the Lebanese border. In Lebanon, they said they participated in training, led by Hizbullah operatives, in "weapons inventory control," "project planning" and communications. (Mark Mazzetti , The New York Times, October 18, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Message from CUFI's Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville- October 20, 2008
"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head… Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” (Ezek. 33:2-4, 7)

Biblically, a watchman was a guard on the walls of the city. He was charged to be always awake and alert watching the terrain within his view. At the first sign of danger he was to sound the alarm. The Hebrew word “SHOMER” is often used to describe his duties. During the time of the watchman’s guard duty he was to be sleepless and keenly focused, like a leopard lies in wait (Jer. 5:6). In the early days of the last century before Israel became a state, the guards of the Jewish settlements were known as the “HASHOMER.” They were the first heroic line of defense against their many enemies.
No informed person can doubt that our nation and Israel are in grave danger and in need of watchmen who will sound the alarm. To this audience I do not need to recite the accumulating dangers we all face. Let’s focus on the duties of a watchman.

As a retired Marine and the father of three Marines, I hearken back to the first challenge all of us had in boot camp.
We had to memorize the eleven General Orders for Sentries (watchmen). These orders have never changed and are the bedrock upon which Marines continue to enforce security. The General Orders apply equally in time of war and peace. “Woe be unto the unfortunate recruit who can not shout out, verbatim and without hesitation, all eleven of them. Such a recruit will incur a firestorm of wrath from his Drill Instructor.” Marion F. Sturkey(Marion F. Sturkey)

Space limits me from listing all eleven orders, but I will summarize the key components.

Take charge of your post and alertly observe everything within view and hearing. Immediately report all violations and pass on calls from other posts. Sound the alarm in case of fire or disorder. Never leave your post until properly relieved. Especially be watchful at night.

The Prophet Ezekiel was solemnly commissioned as a sentry by God Himself to be a watchman.

"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head… Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” (Ezek. 33:2-4, 7)

During the reconstruction and refortification of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time, the progress was noted by the enemies of the Jews when they heard that the gaps in the walls were being closed they became even angrier.

“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” (Neh. 4: 8,9).

Note that the threat was countered by two actions; they prayed and they posted watchmen. Matthew Henry’s commentary on this approach is extremely insightful.

“The hindering of good work is what bad men aim at, and promise themselves success in; but good work is God's work, and it shall prosper. God has many ways of bringing to light, and so of bringing to nought, the devices and designs of his church's enemies. If our enemies cannot frighten us from duty, or deceive us into sin, they cannot hurt us. Nehemiah put himself and his cause under the Divine protection. It was the way of this good man, and should be our way. All his cares, all his griefs, all his fears, he spread before God. Before he used any means, he made his prayer to God. Having prayed, he set a watch against the enemy. If we think to secure ourselves by prayer, without watchfulness, we are slothful, and tempt God; if by watchfulness, without prayer, we are proud, and slight God: either way, we forfeit his protection. God's care of our safety, should engage and encourage us to go on with vigor in our duty.”

Nehemiah didn’t stop there. As the work progressed he realized that watchmen were also necessary for the homes as well as for the city walls. Members of our own families also need to be guarded and alerted.

“Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses." (Neh 7:3)

There are many ways in which we can be Watchmen in our day and age. I receive numerous emails each day with vital information concerning warnings about the threats to our nation and to Israel. I prayerfully consider their content based on Biblical principles and forward them on, just like the sentries who pass on the calls from other posts. With the click of your computer’s mouse you can instantly sound the alarm to countless others, always remembering to precede the click with prayer and Biblically based wisdom. Don’t repeat false alarms! However, take every opportunity to spread the truth.

“For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (Isaiah 62:1, 6,7)

You may think you are alone on the walls in the middle of a dark night and no one can hear you. That is not true. You can reach out and touch the world! Forward these weekly CUFI messages and alerts to your mailing list. It is late in the night and our nation and our families need to wake up. Be a Watchman. Be alert and sleepless. Be observant and discerning. Don’t waver or quit your post. Put on the whole armor of God. Pray and sound the alarm. Be God’s Watchman today!

Alert IDF Soldier at Checkpoint Prevents Palestinian Terror Attack
The IDF nabbed three Palestinians carrying nine pipe bombs at a checkpoint west of Nablus on Sunday, averting a planned terror attack. When a female soldier at the checkpoint asked a Palestinian to open his bag, he refused. The soldier insisted, prompting the Palestinian to remove a shirt and pants from the bag before closing it again. However, then the soldier opened the bag herself, and found three pipe bombs inside it. At that point, the suspect's two friends were also searched and were found to carry three pipe bombs in each of their bags. (Ynet News, October 13, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. and EU Plan Iran Sanctions without UN
The U.S. and its allies are discussing a "coalition of the willing" that would impose sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors without UN backing as concerns increase about Tehran's accelerating nuclear program. A European diplomat told the Financial Times that European countries and the U.S. were planning to impose sanctions on Iran's energy sector as "like-minded countries" - rather than through the UN - and were discussing targeting exports of engineering products for Iranian refineries as well as refined oil itself. He said that Western countries had concluded: "If there is another [UN resolution], it will take a lot of time and there will be very little substance in it." (Daniel Dombey and James Blitz, Financial Times-UK, October 13, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Burial artifact inscribed 'Son of High Priest' found near West Bank fence route
Israeli archaeologists working along the proposed route of the West Bank fence north of Jerusalem have unearthed part of a sarcophagus cover with the inscription "son of the High Priest" and dating to the time of Jesus and the Second Temple, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. The 60 cm by 48 cm (2 feet by 19 inch) fragment of limestone bearing the Hebrew inscription "Ben Hacohen Hagadol" does not specify to which priest it refers. Some of the Gospels link Caiaphas to the arrest and trial of Jesus, after which he was handed over to Roman authorities and crucified.(Haaretz Service, October 7, 2008). Click here to read the entire article

Iran Defiant on Uranium Enrichment
Iran will not stop uranium enrichment even if it is guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel from abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Sunday. Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, was quoted as saying on Thursday in Brussels that Iran would consider renouncing enrichment if it was assured of fuel supplies from abroad. But Mottaki, asked on Sunday whether Tehran would shelve enrichment with such a guarantee, said: "No...Iran's uranium enrichment policy remains unchanged." (Reuters, October 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Considering Changing Policy towards Syria
Senior U.S. officials said Washington was considering a possible change of policy towards Syria in the near future, which would entail canceling sanctions against the country but would not include returning the U.S. ambassador to Damascus, Israel Radio reported Sunday. (Jerusalem Post, October 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Caught at West Bank Checkpoint with Two Pipe Bombs
Israel Defense Forces soldiers thwarted a terrorist attack on Sunday when they discovered two pipe bombs in a parcel carried by a Palestinian man at the Hawara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus. (Efrat Weiss, Ynet News, October 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Rice Urges UN to Condemn Ahmadinejad's Anti-Israel Rhetoric
Secretary of State Rice on Friday pilloried Iranian President Ahmadinejad during a UN Security Council debate for his "unacceptable" verbal attacks on Israel. She said Washington would "be asking that the Council convene again to take up the matter of one member of the United Nations calling for the destruction of another member...in a way that simply should not be allowed." (AFP, September 26, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas Urges Suicide Attacks as Thousands March in Gaza
Hamas parliamentarian Ahmed Abu Helbiya called on Friday for more suicide attacks against Israel as thousands of Palestinians marched through Gaza in honor of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, an Iranian-declared observance. (AFP, September 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Hizbullah: Palestine Is Arab "From the Sea to the River"
"Palestine, from the (Mediterranean) sea to the (Jordan) river, is the property of Arabs and Palestinians and no one has the right to give up even a single grain of earth or one stone, because every grain of the land is holy. The entire land must be returned to its rightful owners," Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday in honor of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day. (Jerusalem Post, September 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Launches Book Mocking Holocaust Victims
Iranian students released a book containing cartoons of the Holocaust on Friday in the presence of Education Minister Ali Reza Ali-Ahmadi, during annual demonstrations calling for the retreat of "Zionists" from "occupied Palestine." The cartoons show caricatured Jews with large, hooked noses trying to fabricate evidence for the Holocaust, while the text states that the Nazi massacre has been highly exaggerated, makes fun of testimonials from survivors and accuses present-day Jews of trying to make money from the Holocaust. (Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post, September 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel's Prime Minister Resigns
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert handed in his resignation to President Shimon Peres on Sunday. Olmert will remain Israel's interim prime minister until a successor assumes power either by forming a coalition in the current Knesset or through general elections. Peres is likely to ask Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni - who won the Kadima party primary election last week - to form a coalition. (CNN, September 22, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Thousands attend NYC anti-Iran rally
The event, organized by Jewish groups including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the United Jewish Communities, the UJA-Federation New York and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, drew several thousand cheering students and activists from as far away as Baltimore and Detroit to protest the Iranian government and its nuclear program. "These weapons will not only threaten Israel, they will threaten Riyadh, Paris, London and New York," Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik told the cheering crowd. "The free world must not allow the threat of destruction like this without taking proper action to stop him. We have to stop him, to stop him, to stop him!" she exhorted. "When I hear these threats I see the concentration camps, I see the horrors, I see the gas chambers," Itzik said. She described Ahmadinejad as "the man who has brought this nightmare back, the man who is responsible for bringing back the horrors of the past." (Allison Hoffman, The Jerusalem Post, September 22, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Ayatollah Khamenei Says Iran, Israel on "Collision Course"
Iran's highest authority lashed out against Israel on Friday with some of his harshest comments in recent memory about the Jewish state. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is Iran's top political and military figure, said his country's hostility to Israel extended beyond the government to the Israeli people as well, brushing aside recent overtures by top Iranian officials to the Israeli public. Khamenei said Iran and Israel were on a "collision course," and that "It is incorrect, irrational, pointless and nonsense to say that we are friends of the Israeli people." (Ramin Mostaghim and Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Support Hamas until Collapse of Israel
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Friday to keep supporting Hamas until the "collapse of Israel." The Iranian news agency Khabar quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a phone conversation that Iran views the support of the Palestinian people as part of its religious and national duty and that Iran will stand behind the Palestinian nation "until the big victory feast which is the collapse of the Zionist regime." (Ha'aretz, September 13, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Despite Gaza Ceasefire, Palestinians Fire Rocket at Sderot
A Kassam rocket fired by Palestinians in Gaza Sunday evening landed near a residential complex in the Israeli town of Sderot. One man suffering from shock was taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. (Shmulik Hadad, Ynet News, September 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iraq to Prosecute Legislator for Israel Trip
Iraq said on Sunday it would prosecute secular Sunni parliament member Mithal al-Alusi who made a trip to Israel earlier this month for a conference on terrorism and security. "In the name of the government and prime minister, we reject this visit which violated the law and provoked the feelings of the Iraqi people. The government will take all legal measures against this person," minister for parliamentary affairs Safaaeddine al-Safi told the assembly. (Waleed Ibrahim, Reuters, September 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Russia Weighs Increasing Nuclear Aid to Iran
Russia is considering increasing its assistance to Iran's nuclear program in response to America's calls for NATO expansion eastwards and the presence of U.S. Navy vessels in the Black Sea delivering aid to Georgia. The Kremlin is discussing sending teams of Russian nuclear experts to Tehran and inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, according to sources close to the Russian military. (Mark Franchetti, Times-UK, September 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Jerusalem Dig Uncovers Ancient City Walls
Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Wednesday a 2,100-year-old Jerusalem perimeter wall on Mount Zion at the southern edge of Jerusalem's Old City, which dates back to the Second Jewish Temple. The 3.2-meter (10.5-foot)-high wall formed part of a 6 km. (3.5-mile)-long fortification around the city in biblical times, said Yehiel Zelinger, who headed the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority. (Reuters, September 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Muslims Attack Jewish Teens in Paris
Three young Parisian Jews were treated for fractures and bruises after what France's interior minister described Sunday as an anti-Semitic attack in northern Paris on Saturday. Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie issued a statement saying she "strongly condemned the anti-Semitic violence." (The Associated Press, September 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iranian army announces new fighter jets
The Iranian Air Force will be equipped with domestically-manufactured fighter jets within a few months, the commander of the air force announced Tuesday. Earlier, An Iranian Air Force commander, Ahmad Miqani, claimed that Iran had revamped its fighter jet fleet to fly distances of up to 3,000 kilometers without refueling, a measure which he said was aimed at improving the country's "defense capabilities." (The Jerusalem Post, September 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Gaza Kids Training to Kill Jews
Dozens of children have undergone weapons training in recent days with gunmen from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The training included firing pistols and rifles. "I am learning how to fight the Jews and kill Jewish children," 11-year-old Muhammad told Ynet, " (Ali Waked, Ynet News, August 31, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran Plotting to Sabotage Gaza Cease-Fire
Iran is mobilizing Islamic Jihad in Gaza in an effort to sabotage the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi reported Friday. Commenting on the report, senior security analyst Yaakov Amidror told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas would not hesitate to use force to shut down Islamic Jihad to defend the cease-fire. (Yaakov Lappin, The Jerusalem Post, August 31, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from CUFI Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville- September 2, 2008
"The Least Of These, My Brethren."

I believe that Matthew 25 is critical to understanding the work of Christians United for Israel. The latter part of Matthew 25 where the nations are gathered and the people are separated into two groups like a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Those on the right hand are invited to come into the kingdom prepared for them. The King cites their actions of charity by saying, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” They appear incredulous at this pronouncement and wonder when they did those good works to Him. He answers, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

There is a short phrase in that section that has long caught my attention. What did Jesus mean when he qualified “the least of these”, by adding “My brethren?”

The use of the term “brother” or “brethren” in the Bible is usually in reference to brothers in a family or brothers in a tribe or brothers of a nation or even disciples who have banded together under a leader. It was only later in the early church days that Christians began to call their fellow believers “brothers.”

During the time of this discourse Jesus had not yet been crucified or resurrected. The “Church” had not yet been started or even revealed. It seems only right to apply the most primary meaning to the term in this section of scripture.
It does no harm to the text to understand it in the sense that Jesus was speaking to and about his brethren, the Jewish people.

History has shown us time and time again that nations rise and fall based upon the spiritual law that they are blessed or cursed as to how they treat the Jews. Were they treated with kindness and godly love? When in desperate straits, were the Jews fed, given drink, healed, sheltered, clothed and compassionately treated by the nations? Were they hidden from harm, protected, rescued, and nursed by the nations?

There is no question that we should be doing these things to all that are in need, but I believe that this verse primarily is in reference to the Jewish people, Jesus’ brethren. Too often throughout church history this verse was made to imply that it should be limited to the “Christian brotherhood.” If that interpretation was literally applied it would justify ignoring and excluding all those outside of the Christian community.

In modern Jewish thinking and action, the “Righteous among the nations” or the “Righteous Gentiles” are honored at Yad Vashem as those who risked their own lives to do the kinds of things for the Jews that Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 25.

Personally, I am humbled to be a small part of a ministry like Christians United for Israel that continually seeks ways to help fund, encourage and bless Jewish charities that put into action such things as feeding, sheltering and caring for Jews in need everywhere. What a privilege it is to partner with you, because it is your prayers and your support that makes all of this possible.

Message from CUFI Eastern Regional Coordinator and Director of CUFI on Campus Andrew Summey- August 25, 2008

Israel Releases 199 Jailed Palestinians
Israel began releasing 199 Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank on Monday, as a gesture of good will to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Israel Prison Service was to take the prisoners from Ofer Prison, close to Jerusalem, to the Beituniya checkpoint near Ramallah, Israel Radio reported. Upon their arrival, Abbas was to welcome them at a formal ceremony in his Muqata headquarters in the West Bank city. (Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz, August 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

US secretary of state lands in Israel to push ME peace process
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged Monday that it will be difficult to reach a year-end target for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but said the two sides and the United States remain committed to that goal. Rice will hold two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as bring them together for three-way talks intended to help them bridge remaining gaps. (The Jerusalem Post, August 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran: Second Nuclear Power Plant in Design Stage
Iran's official news agency says the country has begun designing its second light-water nuclear power plant, a 360-megawatt facility in the southwest. Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, says experts have chosen the site where the light-water nuclear reactor will be built. (The Associated Press, August 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel's American-Staffed Missile Shield against Iran
Earlier this month the U.S. and Israel agreed on the deployment of a high-powered early-warning missile radar system in the Negev, to be staffed by U.S. military personnel. The station will receive information from the U.S. team in Europe that will aid it in its work. The deployment of the Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) system, is widely seen as a kind of parting gift from Washington to Jerusalem as President George W. Bush prepares to leave office. The new system is significantly more accurate than Israel's "Green Pine" radar system, which supports the Arrow anti-missile system. The system will protect Israel's skies from missile attacks, but the flip side of the deal is that Israel's freedom of action against Iran or Syria will be significantly curtailed. (Ha'aretz, Aluf Benn and Barak Ravid, August 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from CUFI Eastern Regional Coordinator and Director of CUFI on Campus Andrew Summey- August 25, 2008
"The Appointed Time"
Combating anti-Israel bias on Campuses

During the 2008 Washington Israel Summit, it was noticeable that there were many new and young faces. This was due to the approximately 300 college students that attended this last July. We had over 200 students on scholarship representing more than 150 colleges.

This year CUFI's launch on the college campuses (CUFI On Campus) places a needed emphasis on the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship and Christian support for Israel. This is essential because college campuses provide the ideological framework for many young people during a very impressionable period.

This is why we are actively beginning initiatives on these colleges with CUFI On Campus Chapters and other alliances. While the CUFI On Campus initiative is still in its first year, it already shows incredible promise.

On many campuses, the anti-Israel bias has taken deep root. And these views are not only promoted on non-Christian campuses. These views are even promoted by Christian groups and professors on colleges least expected to hold such views. This was my experience during my undergrad studies.

While I had a wonderful experience during those years, there was a professor that presented during a chapel assembly titled "What Yeshua (Jesus) would say to Yasser Arafat." Being interested in Israel and having visited Israel for my first time the prior year, I came to listen to this Professor. His presentation sickened me.

He whitewashed the renowned terrorist and said that Yeshua (Jesus) would sympathize with Arafat since Yeshua (Jesus) also faced the hatred and contempt of the Jewish leaders of his day. But (he continued), Yeshua (Jesus) would not endorse resorting to violence.

I was incredibly upset that hundreds of students were presented with a view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in such a distorted way. It made it even more astounding that he used the classic anti-Semitic view of the "Jews killed Jesus" narrative to emphasize his empathy for a known terrorist!

In response, I wrote an article for the student paper. I expressed an honest and fair view and challenged the facts of the professor. That is when I realized the editors for the school newspaper also held a strong bias against Israel. They included pictures around my article of supposed Israeli atrocities that had nothing to do with the discussion.

The following week, the professor responded to my article with his. At this point many people I knew who had learned a more fair and honest view of the conflict also responded in the paper. They mainly reacted to the obnoxious treatment of my article by the paper's editors.

These weeks were not easy, and then I returned to take a class with this professor the following semester. It was difficult. But, I focused on the subject at hand and was able to get a fair grade. What I learned from this experience was that when you battle on the ideological front, there are often not clear "winners" and "losers".

But, if I had not stood up at that time, hundreds of students would have only heard one hateful viewpoint that would have tainted their view for the future. Later I found out that the professor had been a card-carrying member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in England prior to the Oslo Peace Process.

Students should engage this bias and confront it with the love and strength of Jesus, but also be willing to confront with audacity. This will not be easy on many campuses.

It is essential that every CUFI member should make an effort to support this movement by encouraging students in high-school and at your churches to get involved with CUFI now. Encourage presentations by CUFI in your church youth groups today to prepare them.

Those many years ago if I had not visited Israel and learned a more honest view, this professor may have heavily affected my thinking and there would have been no one there to challenge the anti-Israel bias . This ideological battle would have been lost.

There is a strong need to show the wonderful truth about Israel. And we need to impress the Christian privilage and responsibility to Stand for Israel. The need for CUFI On Campus is great!

Iran Reports Test of Craft Able to Carry a Satellite
Iran test-fired a new rocket capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, the Iranian state news media reported Sunday. Western experts said the launching represented a potentially significant if much-delayed step in Iran's efforts to join the international space club. The report comes amid growing Western nervousness about Iran's nuclear program and concerns that it could one day use its missile expertise to threaten enemies with annihilation by means of atomic warheads. (William J. Broad , New York Times, August 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel Approves Release of 200 Palestinian Prisoners
The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the release of some 200 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Among the prisoners who are slated to be released are two Palestinians "with blood on their hands." One murdered Israelis and the other sent murderers. (Roni Sofer , Ynet News, August 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Despite Truce, Palestinian Rockets Strike Israel
Palestinians in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket Sunday afternoon that landed in Israel. Another rocket had landed on Friday afternoon. (Shmulik Hadad , Ynet News, August 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, only El Al planes dare to land
It was not a smooth landing for the nearly empty El Al plane sent to evacuate the hundreds of Jews and Israelis who crowded together at the airport - and not just because of the old and rough runway. Only El Al dared land in the deserted airport of this capital Tuesday. The captain had even suggested Ankara or Baku as alternate landing spots, in case the plane could not descend in Tbilisi. In truth, more than anything I had hoped the captain would turn around and retrace his route and return in the same way he came. Who wants to land in a city that, just two days before, had been bombed by the Russians as a sign of what was to come? As the plane lowered, a Georgian shepherd raised his eyes skyward, amazed by the miracle: a plane full of passengers in Tbilisi's skies, as if the Russians never existed. (Haaretz, Gideon Levy, August 13, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from Randy Neal, CUFI's Western Regional Coordinator-Impact, Not Epiphany - August, 11, 2008

Hamas' Christian Convert: I've Left a Society that Sanctifies Terror
Masab, son of West Bank Hamas leader and MP Sheikh Hassan Yousef, has become a Christian. He says, "You Jews should be aware: You will never, but never have peace with Hamas. Islam, as the ideology that guides them, will not allow them to achieve a peace agreement with the Jews. They believe that tradition says that the Prophet Mohammed fought against the Jews and that therefore they must continue to fight them to the death." "An entire society sanctifies death and the suicide terrorists. In Palestinian culture a suicide terrorist becomes a hero, a martyr. Sheikhs tell their students about the 'heroism of the shaheeds.'" (Avi Issacharoff, Ha'aretz, August 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Gaza Summer Camps Teach Kids to Fire Rockets
In the past few weeks, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been holding summer camps, some of them proudly displaying rockets and other weaponry. Hamas alone is conducting 300 summer camps for tens of thousands of children. The focus is on familiarizing kids with the Palestinian towns and cities destroyed in 1948, as well as instilling religious fervor in them. The camps also feature military-type training such as crawling under barbed-wire. At Islamic Jihad summer camps, children learn how to hold a Kassam rocket-launcher. (Ali Wakedn, Ynet News, August 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

German-Iranian Gas Deal Criticized
The Simon Wiesenthal Center on Wednesday urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to block a $156 million deal between Germany's Steiner and the Iranian government to build three gas liquefaction facilities, saying it would "embolden" an anti-Semitic regime. "It is an outrage that bureaucrats would be allowed to concoct a deal that thwarts the stated policies of the government of Germany," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Vienna-based center. "This deal...helps Iran in this sensitive sector and makes a mockery of the international community's efforts to isolate a nuclearizing Iranian regime." (AFP) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from Randy Neal, CUFI's Western Regional Coordinator-Impact, Not Epiphany - August, 11, 2008
While CUFI’s pastor meetings are invaluable for casting the ministry’s vision to Pastors, and local Night To Honor Israel events allow the curious a safe glimpse of why their colleagues seek to bless Israel and the Jewish people, the CUFI DC Summit is where the rubber meets the road. The sizeable outlay of time and finances to attend does not guarantee that a pastor has embraced CUFI, or even Israel for that matter. Occasionally it means that they may want to, but still need confirmation that this is truly something the Lord is calling them to put their hand to.

Of the many pastors who would be attending their first CUFI DC Summit, there was one couple in particular that my wife Linda and I were especially excited about - Pastors Ken and Sherie Bluemel, our own pastors from Skyline Christian Center in Sacramento California. Pastor Ken has always been supportive of my work with CUFI, and his belief of God’s love for the land and people of Israel has been more than evident in a number of his sermons, but Israel has not been a prominent dynamic of the church’s identity or vision. For some, the intensity of the DC Summit and it’s sobering topics could be overwhelming, so I guarded my hopes of what my pastors would think of it all.

Ken is a respected scholar and former Dean of a Bible College. He does not sway to and from one program to the next, and I have witnessed him opt out of popular initiatives solely on Biblical principle. The CUFI staff and leadership try to have a sense of how attendees, especially pastors, engage the Summit, and I was mindful to watch Ken and Sherie whenever I could to see if they were enjoying it. He was listening diligently to the speakers, taking lots of notes, and had a serious look on his face that was difficult to read.

It is exciting to watch as a pastor discovers a new appreciation for the Jewish roots of their faith, the Jewishness of Jesus and His disciples, of the prophets and the patriarchs. It is incredible to witness revelation being given to a Christian leader as scripture passages that have long been familiar explode with new depth and meaning in the context of God’s heart, love, plan and purpose for Israel. As we debriefed over lunch a couple of weeks after the Summit I described the affect it apparently had on many, Ken candidly confirmed what I already knew . . . “no, that wasn’t me”.

Ken and Sherie did not leave DC with a new paradigm about Israel . . . they left with their old one rekindled with a new passion and conviction to put it into action. When I asked Pastor Ken for his thoughts on the Summit he leaned forward, looked me in the eye and said “It was life changing, we’re going again next year . . . and we’re bringing others with us”. It is a phenomenon that is sweeping across the country like a grassfire as pastors, churches and individuals are having old beliefs reawakened, and are rising to take a stand for the apple of God’s eye. In Ken’s words as he preached that following Sunday: they left DC with a burning desire to be better people for the Kingdom of God, be better for America, and be better for the nation of Israel. He closed with these inspiring words from a speaker at the 2008 Summit, “we may never be famous, but we will be significant.”

Randy Neal is the Western Regional Coordinator for Christians United For Israel. If you would like to see your community host a CUFI Pastors Meeting or a Night To Honor Israel please contact him by email at: Randy.Neal@CUFI.ORG

US: Iran facing new round of sanctions
Six major nations agreed Monday to seek new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program after the country failed to meet a weekend deadline to respond to an offer intended to defuse the dispute, the United States said. Representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany decided in a high-level conference call that Iran's lack of response to an incentives package aimed at getting it to halt sensitive atomic activity left them no option other than to pursue new punitive measures, the United States said. (The Jerusalem Post, August 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Hizbullah Stronger than Before and Ready to Strike Israel
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, who leads Hizbullah's forces on Lebanon's border with Israel, said Hizbullah was far stronger now than when it fought the Israeli army in 2006. Hizbullah has tripled its arsenal in the last two years - from 10,000 missiles to about 30,000. These new weapons have longer ranges and heavier warheads. They include the Zelzal missile, which could strike as far south as Tel Aviv, and the C802 anti-shipping missile, capable. (David Blair, Telegraph-UK, August 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Eleven Dead in Hamas Raid on Pro-Fatah Clan in Gaza
The worst intra-Palestinian violence in more than a year left 11 people dead and 90 injured in Gaza on Saturday as Hamas cracked down on a clan loyal to its rival, Fatah. Israel allowed 180 Fatah men into Israel and is treating two dozen of its wounded. (Ethan Bronner , New York Times, August 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Three Mortars Strike Israel in Gaza Cease-Fire Violation
Three mortar shells fired by Hamas gunmen in Gaza landed in Israel on Saturday. The mortar fire was believed related to Hamas-Fatah infighting in Gaza. A total of nine mortar shells were fired by Hamas during the evening hours towards the Nahal Oz area, three of them landing in Israeli territory and the rest in the Gaza Strip. In doing so, Hamas was attempting to stop the flow of Palestinians into Israel. (Hanan Greenberg , Ynet News, August 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran Claims It Has 6,000 Centrifuges for Uranium Enrichment -
Iranian President Ahmadinejad said Saturday his country now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, double the 3,000 uranium-enriching machines Iran had previously said it was operating. "Announcements like this, whatever the true number is, are not productive and will only serve to further isolate Iran from the international community," said White House spokesman Carlton Carroll. Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that will ultimately involve 54,000 centrifuges that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons. (Ali Akbar Dareini, The Washington Post, July 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Olmert says peace accord with Palestinians unlikely in 2008
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he did not believe Israel and the Palestinian Authority would be able to achieve their stated goal of forging a peace deal by the end of the year. Referring to recent attacks in the capital perpetrated by east Jerusalem residents, Olmert told the FADC that there was no way of preventing such incidents as long as the approximately 270,000 Arab residents - about one-third of the city's population of 750,000 - retain the freedom of movement they have at present. (The Jerusalem Post, July 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Hamas Rearming During Cease-Fire
Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin told the Cabinet on Sunday, "Since the cease-fire began, four tons of explosives have been transferred into Gaza for Hamas, as well as 50 anti-tank missiles, light arms, and materials for Kassam rocket manufacture - metal rods and gunpowder." "Most of the smuggling is taking place by land, through tunnels. Hamas has taken control of the tunnels in the area." He said the recent prisoner exchange deal with Hizbullah has encouraged terror groups to plan additional kidnappings of Israeli soldiers. (Attila Somfalvi, Ynet News, July 27, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran to Target Heart of Israel, 32 U.S. Bases If Attacked
"In case the United States and Israel dare to shoot a bullet, Iran will target the heart of Israel and 32 U.S. bases in the region imminently," said Mojtaba Zolnoor, an aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday. (Xinhua-China, July 12, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Olmert Ignored by Assad in Paris
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert looked his way, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad avoided any eye contact when the two leaders attended an EU-Mediterranean summit. As Olmert entered the main hall of the Paris Grand Palais, a Reuters photographer captured him casting glances toward the Syrian leader. But Assad turned away, raising one hand to his face as if to block off any eye contact with the Israeli. It was the first time they had ever been in the same room together. (Reuters, July 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

U.S. Taxpayers Fund Grants for "Palestinian Studies"
For more than a decade, the allocation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S.-funded doctoral and post-doctoral grants on Palestinian issues has been decided by a group of Middle Eastern Studies professors that includes some of the most polarizing and radical figures in the field. Under the aegis of the U.S. government, PARC then gives out grants of $3,000 to $8,000 for activism in the name of academia. (Jonathan Schanzer, National Review, July 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Gaza terrorists fire shell at Israel
In the latest Palestinian breach of the Gaza truce, terrorists fired a mortar shell at the Karni border crossing on Monday afternoon, the IDF said. The army said the shell landed in an open area near Nahal Oz, causing no casualties or damage. Last Tuesday, Israel reopened the Gaza crossings, following the closure of the terminals in response to a Kassam attack on Thursday. There was no word on how Israel would respond to Monday's mortar shell attack. (The Jerusalem Post, July 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

U.S. Ties Caracas to Hizbullah Aid
The Bush administration is accusing the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of providing cash and refuge to the militant Islamist group Hizbullah. An investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) names Venezuelan diplomat Ghazi Nasr al Din and Venezuelan-Arab businessman Fawzi Kanan as key links between the two. "It is extremely troubling to see the government of Venezuela employing and providing safe harbor for Hizbullah facilitators and fundraisers," said Adam Szubin, political affairs director of OFAC. The Treasury Department froze assets of al Din and Kanan and banned them from conducting business in the U.S. or with U.S. citizens and residents. (Martin Arostegui , Washington Times, July 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

U.S. Removes Uranium from Iraq
The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program - a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium - reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans. The removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" - the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment - also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions. (Brian Murphy, Washington Post, July 6, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel Swaps Prisoners for Soldiers' Bodies
Israel's government voted Sunday to trade a Lebanese murderer for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers whose cross-border capture led to a month-long war with Hizbullah in summer 2006. The July 12, 2006, raid by Hezbollah into Israel that captured the two soldiers was aimed at seizing bargaining chips for the group’s effort to free Mr. Kuntar and several other Lebanese. Mr. Kuntar was part of a cell that in 1979 raided the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, fatally shooting a civilian, Danny Haran, while his daughter Einat, 4, watched, then smashing the girl’s head, killing her as well. Mr. Haran’s wife, Smadar, hid with their 2-year-old daughter, accidentally suffocating her in an effort to stop her from crying out. (Ethan Bronner, The New York Times, June 30, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran Sentences Man to Death for Spying for Israel
A court has sentenced an Iranian man to death on charges of spying for Israel, Iranian media said on Monday. "Ali Ashtari, who had been accused of spying for the Zionist state and charged with engaging in espionage for (Israel's) Mossad intelligence service, has been given the death sentence," the ISNA news agency said. An official in Israel's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Israel was not familiar with the case. (Reuters) Click here to read the entire article

West Bank Torturers Funded by Britain
Millions of pounds of British government money is going to Palestinian security forces which use methods of torture including hanging prisoners by their feet and putting them in "stress" positions for hours at a time, according to evidence to be published next month in a report by Human Rights Watch. Prisoners who have emerged from Palestinian Authority jails - many of whom have never been charged with any offence or even seen a lawyer - said they had been subjected to mock executions, kicked, punched and beaten with sticks, plastic pipes and hoses. A total of £4 billion overall has been promised to the government of Mahmoud Abbas, who is the commander-in-chief of the Palestinian security forces. (Marie Colvin, Sunday Times-UK, June 27, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

EU states back new sanctions on Iran
European Union states agreed on Monday to impose new sanctions against Iran, including an asset freeze on its biggest bank, over its refusal to meet demands to curb its nuclear program Iran's oil minister has put its windfall crude export earnings at $6 billion (3 billion pounds) per month and acting economy minister Hossein Samsami said at the weekend existing sanctions were not having a major impact on the country's economy.Iranian weekly Shahrvand-e Emrooz reported this month that Iran had withdrawn $75 billion from Europe to prevent the assets from being blocked, but Samsami played down such reports and insisted the situation was "as yet not serious". (Mark John, Reuters, June 23, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Bombed Syrian Reactor Was for Iranian A-Bomb Development
According to German intelligence reports, a joint plan by Syria, North Korea and Iran for a nuclear reactor for military use was to have been developed at the Al-Kibar site in Syria, which was destroyed by Israel last September, Der Spiegel reported. The reports claimed that Al-Kibar was to have been used as a temporary site for Iran to develop a nuclear bomb until it was able to do so on its own territory. (AFP, June 22, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel Increases Flow of Supplies to Gaza as Truce Holds
Israel is increasing the flow of supplies into Gaza as an Egyptian-mediated truce that began last Thursday holds. "If the quiet is sustainable, and I hope it will be, then in the coming days you will see the gradual easing of the sanctions on the Gaza Strip," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev. However, "Hamas has to know that we will not get anywhere close to normalization on the crossings as long as [abducted Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit is being held hostage," he said. (Robert Berger, VOA News, June 22, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran says Israel not capable of threatening it
Iran said on Monday Israel could not threaten it, a few days after a U.S. newspaper reported that Israel's air force had apparently rehearsed a potential bombing raid of Iran's nuclear facilities. He was asked about a New York Times report on Friday that quoted U.S. officials as saying Israeli jets conducted a long-range Mediterranean exercise this month that appeared to be a practice for a mission against Iran. Earlier this month, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of United Nations sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.(Fredrik Dahl, Reuters, June 23, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Brown Says Europe Will Tighten Iran Sanctions
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Monday that Britain and Europe would freeze the overseas assets of Iran’s largest commercial bank, joining the United States in intensifying financial pressure against Iran over its refusal to address international concern over its nuclear activities.Mr. Brown, appearing with President Bush after discussions here, also pledged to send additional troops to Afghanistan, and indicated that he would not bend to political pressure at home to withdraw British forces in southern Iraq more quickly. Both leaders said that they remained open to resolving the dispute with Iran diplomatically, but only after it suspended uranium enrichment. (Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times, June 16, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Bush: Iran Has Replaced Palestinians as Key Mideast Focus
In an interview published on Sunday, President Bush said: "We need more sanctions. The next step is for the Europeans and the United States and Russia and China to understand that diplomacy only works if there are consequences. "When you go to the Middle East and you sit in my seat and listen, yes, there's concern about the Palestinian state. But the dialogue has shifted dramatically from 'solve the Palestinian state and you've solved the problems in the Middle East' to, now, 'solve the Iranian issue and you solve the problems in the Middle East'." (Observer-UK, June 15, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

One Year after Takeover: Hamas Remains Popular in Gaza
After its violent seizure of Gaza in June 2007, Hamas appears to be as popular as ever. More than 450 Palestinians have been killed and 1,800 wounded in the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas. "As long as the Palestinians don't see a better alternative to Hamas, they will continue to support the movement," a Palestinian editor from Gaza City said. "Many Palestinians still don't trust Fatah because of its failure to reform itself and remove all the corrupt leaders."(Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post,June 16, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iranian banks urged to move money
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly authorized the transfers as fears rise that Iranian financial institutions may come under European Union sanctions. According to the Telegraph, EU officials are weighing an EU-wide ban on the bank. However, European officials suspect that the majority of the bank's assets will have been transferred back to Iran before any such actions can be implemented. The officials were reportedly worried that Dutch banking intermediaries may be assisting in the transfer of assets back to Iran via Dubai. (The Jerusalem Post, June 9, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Blair Firm on Boycott of Hamas
Tony Blair, representing the Quartet of international powers, on Thursday ruled out talks with Hamas until it recognizes Israel and stops firing rockets. Soon to mark a year as Middle East envoy, Blair defended the policy of boycotting the Islamist movement until it ended violence, recognized Israel and abided by existing peace agreements. "The Quartet principles are very clear. Without Hamas accepting them it is difficult to see how we can make progress," he said. (Ian Black, Guardian-UK, JUne 6, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Father of Three Killed in Thursday Mortar Attack
The Israeli killed Thursday in a Palestinian mortar attack has been identified as Amnon Rosenberg, 51, of Kibbutz Nirim, who is survived by a wife, Tali, and three children - Dor, Eldar and Yarden. The mortar crashed into the Nirlat factory in Kibbutz Nir Oz, wounding four others. An Israeli airstrike targeted a gunman in the area from which the mortar attack was launched. (Yonat Atlas, Ynet News, June 6, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinian bomber arrested near Nablus
An 18-year-old Palestinian was arrested Sunday afternoon at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus after military police on duty discovered he was carrying six pipe bombs, an ammunition cartridge and bullets, and a bag of what appeared to be gunpowder. Three weeks ago, another Palestinian carrying five pipe bombs, which he had attached and strapped to his chest in the manner of an explosives belt, was stopped at Hawara.(Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, June 9, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

IDF Faces New Anti-Aircraft Missile Threat from Gaza
Air force combat helicopters flying over Gaza "will have to take a new threat into account" following the discovery of 30 anti-aircraft missiles by Egyptian police in Sinai, said to be destined for Gaza. "There's no doubt that the appearance of these weapons represents a very significant change," said Yoram Schweitzer, director of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. (Yaakov Lappin, The Jerusalem Post, June 1, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Two Wounded in Palestinian Rocket Attack
A foreign worker from Thailand sustained moderate injuries Saturday when a Kassam rocket fired by Palestinians in Gaza struck a moshav in Israel. Another man was lightly injured. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. (Yonat Atlas, Ynet News, June 1, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel Frees Convicted Spy, Gets Soldiers' Remains
Israel freed a convicted Hizbullah spy on Sunday and the militant group turned over the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 war in Lebanon. Israeli authorities released Nissim Nasser, an Israeli of Lebanese descent, after he completed a six-year sentence for espionage. Nasser, 39, was born in Lebanon to a Jewish Lebanese mother and a Shiite Muslim father. (Ariel Schalit, The Washington Post, June 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Special Message from CUFI’s Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville- May 19, 2008

Israel to Egypt: IDF Will Not Act in Gaza If Hamas Stops Firing Rockets
Israel plans to accept the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire proposal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but does not intend to officially declare a commitment to it. Instead, Israel will treat the deal struck indirectly with Hamas as a series of steps beginning with a lull in hostilities, followed by gradual relaxation of the financial blockade of Gaza. Israel will also try to get Egypt to step up efforts to stop weapons from being smuggled into Gaza. Barak is also expected to say that Israel will lift the blockade and open border crossings only if progress is made on talks aimed at releasing captive soldier Gilad Shalit. (Amos Harel and Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz, May 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

IDF: Iran-Trained Terrorist Arrested in Gaza Raid
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet arrested senior terrorist Ala Abu Medif in Gaza last month who had undergone training in Iran, according to an IDF statement released Monday. Abu Medif left Gaza in May 2007 for Iran where he was taught how to plan bombing attacks on specific Israeli buildings. He also was involved in mortar fire toward Israel and had volunteered to carry out a suicide attack. Officials said his arrest proves that Iran is directly involved in Palestinian terrorism. (Yuval Azoulay , Ha'aretz, May 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinians Reject Hamas Recognizing Israel
63 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza oppose Hamas recognizing the legitimacy of Israel, according to a poll by Arab World for Research and Development, conducted through interviews with 1,200 Palestinian adults on May 3-5, 2008. Only 17 percent supported recognition of Israel by Hamas. (Angus Reid Global Monitor, May 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

US Supreme Court denies Nazi appeal
The US Supreme Court denied an appeal by convicted Nazi camp guard John Demjanjuk to overturn his deportation order to his native Ukraine. The court refused to hear the appeal without comment. Though Demjanjuk's legal fight is over, it is unlikely that he will be forced to leave the United States since neither Ukraine or Germany will accept him. Demjanjuk was born in Soviet Ukraine, which gained its independence in 1990. Demjanjuk, a resident of the Cleveland suburb of Seven Hills, is said to be in ill health. (The Jerusalem Post, May 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

'No one helps US more than Israel'
No country in the world helps the United States more than Israel does, asserted Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu in the Knesset Monday afternoon. Whilst already strong, the connection between Israel and the US "needs to be stronger," he continued, though he said he trusts that the bond will be strong enough to face "future challenges" together. (The Jerusalem Post, May 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Special Message from CUFI’s Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville- May 19, 2008
CUFI is proud to announce that we have hired John Somerville as our Central Regional Coordinator for Region 4 (Arkansas, Louisiana & Oklahoma), Region 5 (Alabama, Mississippi, & Missouri), Region 7 (Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, & Wyoming ) Region 8 (Illinois, Iowa, & Minnesota) and Region 9 (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, & Ohio).
If you live in any of these states please and are interested in attending the Third Annual Washington-Israel Summit, hosting a Night to Honor Israel or a Pastors’ Luncheon, please e-mail John John.Somerville@cufi.org.

Special Message from CUFI’s Central Regional Coordinator John Somerville:
I first traveled to Israel in 1972 and my life changed irrevocably from the moment the plane touched down at Ben Gurion airport. Literally I felt something leap inside me. The only thing I could relate it to was the feeling of excitement and anticipation I used to feel when I would make a surprise visit to my parent’s home after a long absence. As I would drive up the road toward their house I anticipated the love and warmth that awaited me. That wonderful feeling of being home has only intensifies every time I return to Israel. The only way I can explain it is that God awakened a special love in my life for Israel and all of the Jewish people. Not a day goes by that I do not find myself thinking, studying and praying for the Land and the People. Since then I have made more than 60 trips to Israel and the thrill has never diminished.

In order to do something to bless Israel and the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 12:3) I started organizing local events in churches and parks to let the area know that there were Christians who were standing with and supporting Israel. Then I read an article that quoted Pastor Hagee telling the Israeli Knesset that he wanted every city in the United States to do a “Night to Honor Israel.” After checking CUFI out on the internet I was stunned to realize that our vision was similar, but CUFI’s was on a much bigger and unified scale. What a thrill to learn that I wasn’t alone. I immediately contacted Rev. Victor Styrsky, the California State Director and he provided invaluable advice and assistance in putting together our first Night to Honor Israel in Fresno, California. That event to bless the Jewish community swelled from an average of 100 attendees to over a thousand in a very short period of time.

Six months ago I was asked, “If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?” I replied, “I’d do something that would be a blessing to Israel.” Soon after that I received a call from David Brog, the Executive Director of CUFI, wondering if I might be interested in working as a Regional Coordinator. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. For 35 years my heart’s desire, study and overriding interest had been preparing me for a job that hadn’t even existed until that moment. It only took about half a nano-second to respond in the affirmative.

My job, like the Eastern and Western Regional Coordinators is to assist and help strengthen the unified message that CUFI is promulgating to Israel and to our own elected leaders. That message is; “Israel Lives and she must be supported by the USA if we are to continue to have God’s hand of blessing on our nation.”

What moves Congress and the Administration to support Israel? Simply put, it is constituents who stand up and who speak out with a unified voice. Especially it is the number of constituents who make the time and effort to visit their representative’s offices and clearly express their concerns.

At our DC Summit we need your attendance as we impact Capitol Hill this July. Israel has never needed the help of Evangelical Christians more than she does at this extremely critical time. Israel’s enemies are planning her annihilation as you read this. If we wring our hands and complain about “recession and the price of gasoline” and plan on doing nothing…Proverbs 24: 12 comes into play; “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?” Now you do know about it. What will you do about it?

If there is anyway I can assist you in getting to Washington, DC this July or in starting a “Night To Honor Israel” in the central US states please e-mail me at John.Somerville@cufi.org and I’ll do whatever it takes!

Hizbullah Redrawing Mideast Map
Hizbullah's dramatic gains in Lebanon are just part of a regional process that began last year in Gaza and will continue in Jordan and Egypt, Sheikh Yazeeb Khader, a Ramallah-based Hamas political activist and editor, said in an interview. "What happened in Gaza in 2007 is an achievement; now it is happening in 2008 in Lebanon. It's going to happen in 2009 in Jordan and it's going to happen in 2010 in Egypt." "We are seeing a redrawing of the map of the Middle East where the forces of resistance and steadfastness are the ones moving the things on the ground." His remarks highlight a growing alliance linking Hamas, Iran and Hizbullah. The notion of new countries falling under Islamist influence reflects a goal of Hamas' parent group, the Muslim Brotherhood, of replacing secular Arab regimes with Islamist governments. (Joshua Mitnick, The Washington Times, May 12, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Kibbutz Man Killed in Hamas Mortar Attack
Jimmy Kedoshim, 48, a father of three, was killed in a Palestinian mortar attack on Friday as he was tending the garden of his home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Palestinians in Gaza fired 21 Kassam rockets at Israel Saturday, causing injuries as well as damage to buildings, including a Sderot synagogue and a structure near Sapir College. (Yuval Azoulay and Or Kashti , Ha'aretz, May 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinian Rocket Lands Near School in Ashkelon Monday
Ashkelon's resident woke up Monday morning to the sound of a rocket alert siren. Moments later, at around 7 am, explosions were heard in the area. One rocket hit a southern neighborhood in the seaside city and another in the Ashkelon National Park south of the city. The first rocket landed near an elementary school in an area where several schools and kindergartens are located. One woman suffered from shock and several houses sustained damage.
(Shmulik Hadad , Ynet News, May 12, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinian Rocket Lands Near School Bus in Sderot
A Palestinian rocket landed in Sderot near a bus carrying schoolchildren on Sunday. The bus windows were shattered, a fire broke out nearby, and three children were treated for shock. (Shmulik Hadad , Ynet News, May 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from CUFI's Associate Director, Shari Dollinger
Israel at 60 - May 5, 4008

New Information May Lead U.S. to Revise NIE on Iran
There is mounting concern in Israel that Iran's nuclear capability may be far more advanced than was recognized in a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate last December. One source claimed the new information was on a par with intelligence that led Israel to discover and then destroy a partly constructed nuclear reactor in Syria last September. "We expect the Americans to amend their report soon," a high-ranking Israeli military officer said last week. Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, briefed Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the foreign secretary, on Israel's findings during talks on the Middle East in London last week. Israeli intelligence officers, en route from Washington where they had been outlining their latest information to American officials, joined Livni for the briefing. (Uzi Mahnaimii, Times-UK, May 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinian Rocket Fire at Israel Continues
On Sunday, four Israelis were treated for shock when three Kassam rockets fired by Palestinians in Gaza struck the city of Sderot. One rocket hit a cemetery, causing damage. The second destroyed the roof of a shop in the city's commercial district and the third damaged a residential building. (Mijal Grinberg, Ha'aretz, May 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Hizbullah Trains Iraqis in Iran, U.S. Says
An American official said the account of Hizbullah's role was provided by four Shiite militia members who were captured in Iraq late last year and questioned separately. The training is carried out at several camps near Tehran that are overseen by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. (Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, May 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Iran Rules Out Halt to Nuclear Work
Iran ruled out halting its nuclear work on Monday, saying it would not consider any incentives offered by world powers that violated its atomic rights. Iran says enrichment is a national right that it will not give up. (Reuters, May 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Rice Meets Olmert in Jerusalem
Prime Minister Olmert met visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rice on Saturday evening after she arrived for a 36-hour visit. He is expected to hold a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas on Monday. A senior PA official in Ramallah said that in the wake of Abbas' recent talks in Washington with President Bush and Rice, it was "unrealistic" to expect a breakthrough between the Palestinians and Israelis before the end of the year. (- Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon , The Jerusalem Post, May 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Message from CUFI's Associate Director, Shari Dollinger
Israel at 60 - May 5, 4008

Sixty years ago, on the fifth day of the month of Iyar (the Hebrew date of May 14, 1948), Israel declared her independence. Israel's "provisional government" signed the Declaration of Independence, which opens with the statement that "ERETZ-ISRAEL (the Land of Israel) was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books."

This coming Wednesday, May 7th, (the fifth day of the month of Iyar), we will celebrate Israel's 60th Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). Millions of Israelis will celebrate by dancing in the streets, watching fireworks that will be set off across the country, and gathering in parks for free concerts.

Israelis will celebrate sixty years since the "provisional government" announced that "ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL."

Israelis have a lot to celebrate and be proud of. In the last sixty years, Israelis took an undeveloped rocky desert and created one of the most hi-tech, modern and successful democracies in the world. Israelis have revived and modernized the Hebrew language into the country's national language. Israel has the highest number of companies listed on the U.S. Stock exchange other than the U.S. and Canada. Israel leads the world in the numbers of scientists and technicians in the workforce. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.

While we should celebrate Israel's miraculous growth and accomplishments, we cannot forget the Israelis who have sacrificed their lives for the benefit of the State. The twenty-hours that precede Yom HaAtzmaut are a period of mourning for Israeli soldiers killed defending Israel since the War of Independence and the civilians and soldiers who have been killed by terrorists. This coming Tuesday evening, May 6th at sundown a one-minute siren will sound in Israel and the entire country cease from speaking, moving, talking, or driving. The television and radio stations will be silent as Israelis commemorate Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day).

Please take a moment during Yom HaZikaron (from Tuesday at sundown to Wednesday at sundown) to pray for the Israeli mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and children who have lost loved ones due to war and terrorism. Please pray for the 250,000 Israelis, or 3.5 % of Israel's entire population, who live within range of terrorist rockets from the Gaza Strip.

Please also take a moment during Yom HaAtzmaut (from Wednesday at sundown to Thursday at sundown) to celebrate Israel's 60th year of independence. Please take a moment to thank God for this great miracle.

U.S. Navy Fires at Iranian Boats as Tension Rises in the Gulf
The U.S. navy fired warning shots at two Iranian boats in the Arabian Gulf Friday. A U.S. forces security team on a chartered transport ship used loudhailers, radios and flares to warn off two small Iranian boats acting in an "unclear" manner. But the boats ignored the warning and the Americans opened fire, unleashing several bursts of live ammunition. The incident took place in the early morning near the international boundary. (Damien McElroy, The Telegraph-UK, April 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Israel: UNIFIL Is Hiding Information about Hizbullah from Security Council
UNIFIL is intentionally concealing information about Hizbullah activities south of the Litani River in Lebanon to avoid conflict with the group, senior sources in Jerusalem have said. In the last six months there have been at least four cases in which UNIFIL soldiers identified armed Hizbullah operatives, but did nothing and did not submit full reports on the incidents to the UN Security Council. (Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz. April 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Congress Votes to Salute Israel's 60th Anniversary
The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions this week saluting Israel on its 60th anniversary, underscoring the special ties between the two countries. The Senate version of the resolution was cosponsored by the entire 100-member Senate and was passed on Tuesday. The House version passed by a vote of 417-0 on Wednesday. (Conference of Presidents, April 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Barrage of rockets hits Western Negev
Barrage of rockets hits Western NegevA barrage of rockets fired from Gaza struck the western Negev on Sunday, causing no casualties. In the latest attack, a Kassam hit Sderot, setting a house on fire, and the second hit an open field outside the town. Earlier, a Kassam launched from northern Gaza hit a kibbutz in the Negev. In addition, Palestinian terrorists fired a rocket towards Ashkelon. The rocket, likely a Grad-type Katyusha, exploded before landing but caused serious damage to a garage in the city's industrial zone. No one was hurt in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post, April 27, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Child lightly hurt by Kassam shrapnel
Three Kassam rockets exploded in the western Negev Monday night. A child was lightly wounded by shrapnel, and was taken to Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon. No one was killed and no damage to property was reported. Monday evening's slew of rockets makes a total of seven Kassams to hit Israel in one day. (The Jerusalem Post, April 21, 2008) Click here to read the entire article.

Palestinian Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Crossing
Palestinian suicide bombers from Gaza drove three explosives-laden vehicles into the Kerem Shalom goods crossing on the border with Israel early on Saturday, detonating two of them. Three bombers were killed in the blasts and 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded, the Israeli military said. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, the fifth along the border with Israel in the last ten days. The vehicles entered the Palestinian side of the crossing at about 6 a.m. under cover of heavy mortar fire and the early morning mist. They included two jeeps painted to resemble army vehicles and an armored personnel carrier. Israeli forces came to confront them as they headed toward the Israeli side. The soldiers escaped more serious injury because they were in a fortified space. Another armored personnel carrier was spotted half an hour later by soldiers at a border position north of Kerem Shalom. That vehicle was blown up by Israeli fire before it could reach the border fence. (Isabel Kershner , The New York Times, April 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Poll: Palestinians' Backing for Terror Rises
The number of Palestinians who support attacks against Israelis continues to rise and more than half of them favor suicide bombings, according to a poll published this weekend. 65% of Palestinians in Gaza support bombing attacks against Israeli civilians, compared with 42% of those in the West Bank, according to a poll conducted on April 8-13 by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center. (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, April 21, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Jimmy Carter Meets Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal in Syria
Former President Jimmy Carter held a controversial meeting Friday with Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas, the Islamist movement whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Israel wants Hamas isolated, diplomatically and physically, in the hope of bringing about its collapse in Gaza. The visit by Mr Carter was viewed as a breach in the international firewall, but Mr Carter insisted that the group must be included in talks, especially after it took control of Gaza in fighting with Fatah rivals last summer. (James Hider, Times-UK, April 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Report: Hamas Rejects Egyptian Plan for Truce with Israel
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri on Sunday rejected an Egyptian plan for a cease-fire agreement with Israel, Al Jazeera reported. On Friday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit unveiled an Egyptian plan to restore calm in the region. The plan seeks to establish a ceasefire under which the firing of rockets in Gaza Strip has to stop while Israel also stops targeting Palestinians. Other provisions include exchanging 400 Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails for captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006. (Reuters/Ha'aretz, April 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

'We'll take fight to Israel's backyard'
The victims of the next Lebanon war will lie in Israel's "backyard," a top Hizbullah official threatened during an interview with a Syrian newspaper Sunday. "Their confusion will be greater than we saw in the previous war, because they will see that the holy warriors will confront them not only in south Lebanon, as they have done previously, but in their houses and their settlements," Al-Hakika quoted the unnamed official as saying. The report, also published by the Iranian news agency Fars on Sunday, went on to quote the official as saying that if war breaks out with Israel again, Hizbullah fighters will not "be satisfied" with a war of defense. "The coming war, in the event that it occurs, will be an offensive war from our side," he said. (The Jerusalem Post, April 14, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas MP: Islam to Conquer Europe and America
Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, said on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008: "Allah has chosen you [the Palestinians] for Himself and for His religion, so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to...military conquests of the capitals of the entire world. Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam - this capital of theirs will be an advance post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe." (MEMRI, April 9, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Top Threat to Iraq, U.S. Says
Last week's violence in Basra and Baghdad has convinced the Bush administration that actions by Iran, and not al-Qaeda, are the primary threat inside Iraq, according to senior U.S. officials. Evidence of an increase in Iranian weapons, training and direction for the Shiite militias has fixed new U.S. attention on what Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Friday called Tehran's "malign" influence. With "al-Qaeda in retreat and disarray" in Iraq, said one official, "the Iranian-armed militias are now the biggest threat to internal order." (Karen DeYoung , The Washington Post, April 12, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Poll: Israelis Oppose Jerusalem Concessions
71% of Israelis oppose a peace deal that would entail handing over Jerusalem's Old City and Temple Mount to the Palestinians, according to a new poll released by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies on Sunday. (Abe Selig, The Jerusalem Pos, April 14, 2008t) Click here to read the entire article

2 Qassam rockets land in Sderot area
Two Qassams landed in open areas in the Sderot area Saturday night, shortly after the "Color Red" alert system was activated in the rocket-battered southern town. One rocket landed near a cemetery in the area while the second one landed in a nearby agricultural zone. One woman suffered from anxiety in the wake of the attack. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip continue to stockpile rockets and mortar shells, including some armaments made in Iran. Islamic Jihad is producing rockets that have a range of 20 kilometers (roughly 13 miles) and are equipped with a warhead that is much more lethal than a regular Qassam rocket, as it contains twice as much explosive material, according to information acquired by the IDF.. (Ze'ev Trachtman, YNet News, April 12, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Joined Militias in Battle for Basra
Iranian forces were involved in the recent battle for Basra, Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, is expected to tell Congress this week. Military and intelligence sources believe Iranians were operating at a tactical command level with the Shi'ite militias fighting Iraqi security forces; some were directing operations on the ground. (- Sarah Baxter and Marie Colvin, Times-UK, April 6, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel Concerned North Korean Nuclear Know-How, Material Reached Iran
The U.S. and Israel seek to pressure North Korea to cease its nuclear cooperation with Iran, which is one of the motives behind their agreement to disclose details on the air force strike in Syria last September.According to information obtained by Washington and Jerusalem, North Korea transferred technology and nuclear materials to Iran to aid Tehran's secret nuclear arms program. (Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz, April 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

2 rockets land outside Ashkelon
Two Palestinian rockets landed in open areas on the outskirts of the southern city of Ashkelon on Saturday evening, no injuries have been reported and no damage was caused. Residents reported rocket alert sirens sounded throughout their streets a short while before two loud explosions were heard. Earlier in the day a Palestinian farmer was reported killed near the Gaza border by an errant shell fired by terror groups towards Israel.(Roni Sofer and Yonat Atlas, YNet News, April 5, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. says some criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic
The Bush administration has taken the groundbreaking step of identifying some virulent criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism, as it warns that anti-Jewish attitudes and incidents are on the rise worldwide. In a new study, the U.S. State Department cites Tel Aviv University's Stephen Roth Institute in reporting an increase of serious anti-Semitic incidents, encompassing physical attacks and vandalism, from 406 in 2005 to 593 in 2006. Its boldest venture is to name some attacks on Israel as anti-Semitism. In addition, the report marks the first time that the U.S. government has made it a policy to apply the label of anti-Semitism to some criticism of Israel.

"Anti-Semitism has proven to be an adaptive phenomenon," the report said. "New forms of anti-Semitism have evolved. They often incorporate elements of traditional anti-Semitism. However, the distinguishing feature of the new anti-Semitism is criticism of Zionism or Israeli policy that -- whether intentionally or unintentionally -- has the effect of promoting prejudice against all Jews by demonizing Israel and Israelis and attributing Israel’s perceived faults to its Jewish character." (Ron Kampeas, JTA, April 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Rice Wins Concessions from Israel
Prodded by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Israel said Sunday that it would remove about 50 roadblocks in the West Bank as it moves ahead with faltering negotiations aimed at reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians by the end of the year. (Matthew Lee, The Washington Post, March 31, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

CIA Chief: Iran Has Nuclear Weapons Program
CIA chief Michael Hayden expressed his personal belief Sunday that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, but also stood by the agency's assessment that the program was suspended in 2003. Iran's defiance of UN Security Council sanctions showed the Islamic republic had something to hide with its production of enriched uranium, Hayden said. The Iranians would not pay that price "if they did not have at a minimum...the desire to keep the option open to develop a nuclear weapon," and to produce "fissile material not under international control," he said. (AFP, March 31, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IDF Broadening Gaza Ground Operations in Face of Heavier Rocket Fire - Amos Harel
The Israel Defense Forces has been broadening its ground operations in Gaza in response to an increase in Palestinian rocket fire on Israel. During the past three days, at least 10 Kassam rockets and 25 mortars were fired at Israel. On Friday, a rocket struck a kibbutz in the western Negev, and the shrapnel hit a kindergarten. No one was injured because the kindergarten teacher rushed the children into a reinforced area when the warning siren sounded. Most of the rockets were fired by Islamic Jihad, but the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades are also involved. (Amos Harel, Ha'aretz, March 31, 2008)) Click here to read the entire article

PA Anti-Semites Get a Free Pass from the State Department -
The State Department conspicuously omitted the Palestinian Authority from its March 13 report on anti-Semitism around the world. The report did note that Hamas, which rules Gaza, treats the anti-Semitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion as fact, denies the Holocaust, and broadcasts hateful TV shows aimed at children. The American Jewish Committee released a study showing the PA's schoolbooks characterize Jews in "hateful" and "derogatory" language, cite the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a legitimate source of historical information, and omit any mention of the Holocaust. The State Department report did mention that in the 1990s, Holocaust denial became commonplace in popular media in the PA - without any acknowledgment that most of the "popular media" is government-controlled. (Rafael Medoff, National Review, March 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Cheney: Hamas Torpedo Mideast Talks
Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that Hamas, with support from Syria and Iran, is trying to "torpedo" peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel. Meeting reporters after having breakfast with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Cheney said, "It is clearly a difficult situation, in part, because I think it's true, there's evidence that, Hamas is supported by Iran and Syria and that they're doing everything they can to torpedo the peace process." (Deb Riechmann, The Associated Press, March 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Cheney warns Palestinians over anti-Israel violence
US Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday warned the Palestinians that attacks on Israel were killing hopes for their "long overdue" state, as the sun set on his Easter weekend peace push."A difficult but immutable truth must continue to be told: Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said. Cheney told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert upon arrival Saturday that a peace accord "will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table, and painful concessions on both sides." (AFP, March 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaeda: "Hit Jews and Americans"
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri called for attacks on Israeli and Western targets in an audio tape posted on the Internet on Monday. "O Muslims. Today is your day. Hit the interest of the Jews and the Americans and all those who participated in the aggression against Muslims," Zawahiri said. "Monitor the targets, collect the money, prepare the hardware, plan accurately and then attack....No one can say today that we should fight the Jews in Palestine only." (Reuters, March 24, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Rockets Interrupt Purim Holiday in Israel
The Purim festival in southern Israel was interrupted Friday afternoon by rockets fired by Palestinians from Gaza.
In Kibbutz Alumim, 600 people at a street fair scattered, looking for shelter, when warning sirens sounded. (UPI, March 22, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinians in Gaza Open Fire on Farmers at Israeli Kibbutz
Palestinians opened fire at farmers working in the field of an Israeli kibbutz near Gaza on Sunday. (Jerusalem Post, March 23, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israel: We Will Hold Damascus Accountable If Hizbullah Attacks
Israel recently conveyed a warning to Syria through a European third party that it would hold Damascus accountable if Lebanese Hizbullah launched attacks on the Jewish state, Israeli and European sources said on Friday. A European source familiar with the matter said the message conveyed to Damascus said Syria could be targeted by Israel even if Hizbullah's attack emanated from Lebanese soil. The sources said the message was conveyed in February following the killing of top Hizbullah commander Imad Moughniyah in Damascus. An Israeli source said: "Syria has to understand there is a price for its use of proxy terrorism, especially as Damascus is itself a proxy - the long arm of Iran." (Adam Entous and Dan Williams, Reuters, March 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Authority to Rebuild Slain Terrorist's Home
The Palestinian Authority declared Sunday that it would rebuild the home of Islamic Jihad operative Muhammad Shahade, who was killed by the IDF in Bethlehem last week. Palestinian sources said Shahade had planned the attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem where eight Israeli students were killed. (Ali Waked, Ynet News, March 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Vote Favors Ahmadinejad Camp
Iranian President Ahmadinejad's populism and attacks on the West trumped criticism of his handling of the nation's financial crisis as results released Saturday indicated that the hard-line leader had won strong support in parliamentary elections. Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi said 71% of the 290 seats in parliament would go to conservative factions. (Jeffrey Fleishman and Ramin Mostaghim, The Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Airstrike Kills Islamic Jihad Rocket Crew in Gaza
Three Palestinian Islamic Jihad members were killed Saturday in an Israel Air Force strike east of Gaza City as the men were on their way to launch Kassam rockets at Israel. According to the Shin Bet security service, the group had fired the rocket that cost Osher Twito, 8, of Sderot, his leg last month. On Friday, Hamas militants directed machine-gun fire at an Israeli helicopter, hitting one of the aircraft's panels. The aircraft returned to base and did not make an emergency landing. According to reports, Hamas is in possession of more than 10 Russian-made KPV-14.5 heavy machine guns. Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said the machine guns were confiscated from Fatah during the Hamas takeover of Gaza last year. (Yuval Azoulay and Avi Issacharoff, Ha'aretz, March 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Nehemiah - prayer warrior and man of action by Randy Neal, CUFI Western Regional Coordinator

Nehemiah - prayer warrior and man of action by Randy Neal, CUFI Western Regional Coordinator
As we endeavor to stand with Israel and the Jewish people, it is imperative that our thoughts, plans, and deeds are bathed in prayer to assure that our every step and turn is taken under the Lord’s strength and direction. To seek to touch the apple of God’s eye outside of prayer would fall somewhere between foolish and dangerous. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as mandated in Psalm 122. Pray for our nation and our leaders. Pray for Israel and her leaders, and the Jewish people. Pray, and then take action.

As Christians United For Israel continues to work with congregations all across the country an interesting, yet puzzling dynamic has become increasingly evident in a considerable swath of the pro-Israel Evangelical community. We find leaders, churches, para-churches and individuals who have prayed for Israel and have loved the Jewish people for as long as they can remember, but resist taking any steps of tangible action. It is not difficult to find these passionate Zionists, many have coordinated several trips to Israel for their congregation. Most of them pray faithfully for the Jewish state and her people. Some contribute financially to noble causes there. It is not uncommon to see Israeli flags in Christian sanctuaries to remind the congregants how precious that tiny strip of land is to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But political advocacy on her behalf is not only off the radar, it is often decidedly avoided, and typically under the auspices of “faith”. As we seek to mobilize like-minded pro-Israel Christians, many of the most committed lovers of Israel in Christendom simply refuse to get up from their knees to take action. Their paradigm usually holds that to tangibly act is somehow a denouncement of faith. That to do anything beyond prayer is to imply that God needs our help, or that He is not in control.

To that I respectfully suggest a visit to the first few chapters of Nehemiah. You have never known and will never meet a greater prayer warrior for the City of David. Here is the cup bearer to the King, a slave with a position of honor, who some scholars point out had probably never set foot in Jerusalem before. One day his brother and some friends come into town and tell him that Jerusalem’s walls have been broken and its gates burned with fire. When Nehemiah heard this report he sat down and wept. For days he mourned, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. There is a powerful message in what the following passages say, and what they don’t say. As you read on, it does not say that Nehemiah was hunkered down in prayer when another visitor came and said “I’ve got great news! Someone has rebuilt the walls! Someone has rebuilt the gates! Someone has re-gathered the people!” No, it doesn’t say that. What it does say is that Nehemiah, a man of God, a man of faith, a man of prayer, prayed for Jerusalem like you and I never have, and then he got up from his knees and he went and he did. He did not leave it to someone else to pray for Jerusalem, and he did not leave it for some else to take tangible action on her behalf. He got up from his knees, and he acted on what the Lord anointed and appointed him to do.

If you don’t regularly pray for Israel, start. If you already pray for Israel, pray more. But then, together, lets get up from our knees and act. Whether it be picking up the phone to call your elected officials in response to a CUFI Action Alert, or spending your vacation time and money to join us on Capitol Hill this July for the DC Israel Summit, lets pray together for the peace of Jerusalem, and lets act together on her behalf. Lets lock our arms and join our voices to passionately declare that “for Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” Isaiah 62:1

Hamas wages Iran’s proxy war on Israel
A Hamas leader admits hundreds of his fighters have travelled to Tehran
Israel has long insisted that Iran is behind the training of Hamas forces in Gaza. Last week Yuval Diskin, the head of the Israeli internal security service Shin Bet, said as much when he claimed that Hamas had "started to dispatch people to Iran, tens and a promise of hundreds." A senior Hamas commander confirmed for the first time that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been training its men in Tehran for more than two years and is currently honing the skills of 150 fighters. The commander said Hamas had been sending fighters to Iran for training in both field tactics and weapons technology since Israeli troops pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Others go to Syria for more basic training. "We have sent seven 'courses' of our fighters to Iran," he said. They first traveled to Egypt, flew to Syria, and then to Tehran. According to the commander, a further 650 Hamas fighters have trained in Syria under instructors who learned their techniques in Iran. Sixty-two are in Syria now. He said the Hamas military, which numbers about 15,000 fighters, was modeling itself on Hizbullah. (Marie Colvin Sunday Times-UK, March 9, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Fatah group hails 'heroic' J'lem attack
Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Sunday welcomed the killing of the eight yeshiva students in Jerusalem and lashed out at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for condemning the shooting attack. Expressing its full support for the attack, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades described it as an "heroic" operation that came in response to "Israeli atrocities." The group also called for carrying out more attacks against Israel. (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, March 10, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Bounty placed on Israel’s Defense Minster
A radical Iranian student group placed a $400,000 bounty on Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. It also placed $300,000 bounties each for the killing of two other senior members of the Israeli security establishment, Mossad chief Meir Dagan and the head of military intelligence, Amos Yadlin. The organization has asked supporters to donate a kidney to increase the bounties. (The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 10, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Arab leader denies temple ever existed
The al-Aqsa mosque was never the site of a Jewish temple, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, said Monday during a press conference he convened in Jerusalem. "The claims of the Jews are big lies and they have no right to any speck of dust here," he said. In January, Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz filed an indictment against Salah, charging him with incitement to violence and racism in a speech he made last year protesting the archeological dig carried out at the Old City's Mughrabi Gate. During his sermon in Jerusalem's Wadi Joz neighborhood on February 16 of last year, Salah urged supporters to start a third intifada in order to "save al-Aksa Mosque, free Jerusalem and end the occupation." Salah's speech also attacked Jews, saying, "They want to build their temple at a time when our blood is on their clothes, on their doorsteps, in their food and in their drinks. Our blood has passed from one 'general terrorist' to another 'general terrorist.'" (The Jerusalem Post, March 10, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Message from CUFI Associate Director Shari Dollinger- March 3, 2008
Israel Needs Your Support Now More Than Ever

Israeli City Shocked As Rockets Hit
Residents of this beachside city are still coming to terms with being on the front lines of Israel's battle against Hamas militants. A dozen long-range rockets slammed into Ashkelon over the weekend, marking a significant turning point in the conflict and compelling Israel to strike back hard. Palestinian militants fire rockets nearly daily at Sderot and other Israeli border towns near Gaza. But by reaching Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people about 11 miles north of Gaza, Hamas raised the stakes considerably. It is one of the largest cities in southern Israel, home to Mediterranean beaches, a college and strategic installations like an electric plant and a water purification plant. Six people were wounded in Ashkelon on Saturday after one rocket landed next to City Hall and another in the marina area. (Aron Heller, The Washington Post, March 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinians Suspend Peace Talks; Israeli Troops Withdraw From Gaza
Israeli ground troops pulled out of northern Gaza before daybreak Monday, following the first extended sweep in an offensive against Palestinian rocket squads that has left more than 100 dead and led the Palestinian president to call off peace talks. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes targeting weapons manufacturing and storage facilities, a Hamas headquarters and groups of gunmen killed five Palestinians, all of them Hamas militants, Hamas said. But Gaza militants continued launching rockets at southern Israel. Three rockets hit Ashkelon, a city of 120,000, Monday morning, Israeli rescue services said, with one striking an apartment building. No casualties were reported. (The Associated Press, March 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

US welcomes UN vote on Iran
The United States welcomed Monday a UN vote to tighten sanctions on Iran, hoping it will make Tehran stop sensitive nuclear work and enter negotiations with Washington and other powers. In New York, the UN Security Council voted overwhelmingly to tighten UN sanctions on Iran in its latest bid to pressure Tehran into suspending uranium enrichment. The negotiations have aimed at punishing Iran with sanctions for spurning UN calls to stop enriching uranium or at offering Tehran incentives in exchange for halting its controversial nuclear work. (AFP, March 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Lebanese protesters: 'Death to Israel'
Hundreds of Hizbullah supporters gathered Sunday at a border fence separating Lebanon and Israel to protest Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip that have reportedly killed nearly 70 Palestinians in two days. Up to 1,000 supporters carrying Lebanese and Palestinian flags took part in the demonstration at the Fatima Gate border point in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila across from Israeli outposts on the other side. "Death to Israel," some of them shouted. Others carried banners that read in Arabic: "The blood of our sons in Palestine will not be in vain." (The Jerusalem Post, March 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

'Hamas using US weapons against IDF'
According to Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip, most of the gunmen who have been fighting the IDF over the past few days are members of Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin Kassam. They added that the Hamas gunmen were using many American-made arms seized from the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority security forces in June. A senior Hamas official said Sunday that his movement had smuggled hundreds of rockets and mortars and tons of explosives into the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the past few months. (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, March 3, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Message from CUFI Associate Director Shari Dollinger- March 3, 2008
Israel Needs Your Support Now More Than Ever

250,000 Israelis, or 3.5 % of Israel's entire population, now live within range of terrorist rockets from the Gaza Strip. This is the equivalent of 10,539,898 Americans living within firing range of a hostile neighbor. Could you imagine 3.5% of Americans continuously scanning the sky for falling rockets? Could you imagine living in constant fear of a rocket slamming into your office, your child's playground, or your mother's home?

250,000 Israeli men, women, and children do not need to imagine this terrifying scenario- they are living it. These 250,000 Israelis are living under "Color Red Alert" which means they have 15 seconds from when a siren sounds to reach to the closest bomb shelter before an incoming rocket attacks. Fifteen seconds between life and death. And this scenario plays itself out over and over again across southern Israel.

Since June 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, 937 mortar bombs and 1,018 rockets have been launched into Israel. In the last week, the situation has become even bleaker. Since last Wednesday, Palestinian terrorists have fired 180 rockets into Israel, 20 of which touched down in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. These 20 rockets that Hamas launched into Ashkelon were supplied by Iran. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Palestinians smuggled 100 Iranian rockets from Egypt into Gaza while the border was open a few weeks ago. These Iranian rockets have a 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) range.

While these are dark days in Israel, there are ways that you can make it a bit brighter. You can sign the Letter of Encouragement to the People of Israel. At the end of the month the leadership of Christians United for Israel and over one thousand Christians are traveling to Israel to demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish State. Pastor Hagee and the Leadership of CUFI will present the Letter of Encouragement and the names of everyone who signs the letter to
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. This is your opportunity to show the people of Israel that you are united with them during this difficult time.

The leadership of CUFI also urges you to demonstrate your support for Israel by attending the Third Annual CUFI Summit July 21-24th in Washington, D.C. The situation in Israel makes it is more important than ever for pro-Israel Christians make your voices heard. Click here to register for the CUFI Washington-Israel Summit.

And most importantly, we ask that you keep the 250,000 Israeli men, women, and children in your prayers.

Iran shrugs off sanctions threat over atomic plans
Iran voiced defiance on Monday as Western powers pushed for new sanctions over its nuclear programme, saying high oil prices will cushion the blow.The United States, Britain and France are pushing for a United Nations Security Council vote on a third round of sanctions this week because they fear Iran seeks an atomic bomb.But an Iranian minister was quoted as saying the economy of the world's fourth-largest oil producer would not be hurt.. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose country denies wanting nuclear weapons, said on Saturday world powers could pass sanctions resolutions for 100 years without deterring Tehran from its nuclear work. (Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, February 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Ahmadinejad: Zionist regime - a dirty microbe
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is at it again: Speaking in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, Ahmadinejad launched yet another verbal attack on Israel, calling it "a dirty microbe," "a wild animal" and "the West's scarecrow"."World powers have created a dirty microbe, called the Zionist regime, which they have unleashed on the region's nations," said Ahmadinejad in his speech, which was broadcast on Iranian National Television."This (regime) is supported by those who created it as their scarecrow, to keep the region's nations under control." Commenting on the assassination of Hizbullah commander Imad Mugniyah, the Iranian president said that "(Israel) murders pure and pious men and then celebrates its efforts." (Dudi Cohen, YNet News, February 20, 20087) Click here to read the entire article

Nuclear Agency Says Iran Has Used New Technology
The International Atomic Energy Agency described for the first time on Friday the evidence it has shown to Iran that strongly suggests the country had experimented with technologies to manufacture a nuclear weapon, but reported that Iranian officials had dismissed the documents as “baseless and fabricated.” The exchange was contained in an 11-page report in which the agency painted a mixed picture of Iran’s activities, and confirmed that Iran had begun to deploy a new generation of machinery to enrich uranium. (David Sanger, The New York Times, February 23, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Israeli PM calls for action on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Monday for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear drive as he started a rare visit to Japan, which maintains trade ties with the Islamic republic. Olmert suggested a link, which has been alleged before, between Iran and Japan's arch-rival North Korea, which tested an atom bomb in 2006."Iran is the epitome of recklessness, of extremity, of irresponsibility on the highest political level," Olmert told Japanese public broadcaster NHK ahead of his visit."And I think North Korea is as well. The combination of these two together is certainly dangerous for the stability of the region," he added. (AFP, February 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Qassam lands near Sderot school; child seriously injured
A 10-year-old boy sustained serious injuries to his arm Monday when a Qassam fired by Palestinians in north Gaza landed near a school in Sderot. Yossi Haimov returned from school on Monday afternoon together with his eight-year-old sister, Maria. Maria later said that after returning from school, she and her brother left their bags in the house and went to visit a friend and later went out to the backyard. "We heard the Color Red (alert system), quickly ran and hid, there was a small 'boom', and then when we came out there was once against a strong explosion. We hid near the wall and then the shrapnel hit Yossi in the shoulder and his entire shoulder was filled with blood," she said. The sister continued to describe the moments of horror, "Yossi didn’t cry, he only kept telling me that it hurts. I don’t remember much from the injury. All I remember is that there was a lot of smoke, and when I saw Yossi's shoulder with blood I could see that his entire sholder was broken." (Ali Waked, YNet News, February 25, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3511004,00.html

'Cancerous Israel to vanish soon'
"The cancerous growth Israel will soon disappear," Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Muhammad Ali Jafari wrote to Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the FARS news agency reported Monday. In a letter of condolences following last week's assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh, Jafari said: "I am convinced that with every passing day Hizbullah's might is increasing and in the near future, we will witness the disappearance of this cancerous growth Israel by means of the Hizbullah fighters' radiation [therapy]." In the letter, in which Jafari consoled Nasrallah over the death of the "martyr," he continued: "There's no doubt that the death of this loyal fighter will strengthen the resolve of all revolutionary Muslims and fighters in the struggle against the Zionist regime, particularly the resolve of those who fought by this martyr's side." (Jerusalem Post, February 18, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Gunmen destroy Gaza Strip's YMCA library, kidnap guards
Unidentified gunmen blew up the YMCA library in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning. The sources said at least 12 gunmen participated in the assault, the latest in a series of attacks on Christian figures and institutions. "The attackers kidnapped the two guards before they stormed the building in the Shajaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City," the sources said. "Then they entered the library, where they detonated a number of explosive charges, causing heavy damage." Issa Saba, secretary-general of the YMCA in the Gaza Strip, said all 8,000 books were destroyed. He said the gunmen also stole a vehicle belonging to the organization. Several al-Qaida-affiliated groups in the Gaza Strip have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Christian figures and institutions over the past two years. The groups said they would continue their attacks until all 3,000 Christians had left the Gaza Strip. (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, February 17, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

McConnell: Hezbollah Threat 'Serious'
The U.S. intelligence chief said Sunday that internal Hezbollah groups or Syria may be to blame for the killing of a Hezbollah commander that has led the FBI to put domestic terror squads on alert in the United States. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said the United States is still reviewing the case following the death last Tuesday of commander Imad Mughniyeh. Hezbollah blamed Israel and has pledged to attack Jewish targets worldwide in retaliation. That led the FBI last week to be vigilant for possible threats in the U.S. against synagogues and other potential Jewish targets. On other matters, McConnell: Contended that the threat of Iran developing nuclear weapons has not changed much despite a U.S. intelligence report released in December that concluded Tehran halted its nuclear weapons ambitions in 2003. McConnell said Iran had terminated one aspect of a technical design but "they could have turned it back on now and we wouldn't necessarily know." (Hope Yen, AP, February 18, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Qassam fire at Israel renewed
Following day a of relative calm in the south, Palestinian terrorists renewed the Qassam attacks on Israel Saturday, firing eight rockets at western Negev communities during the morning and afternoon hours. At least two more rockets were fired later in the evening and landed near a southern kibbutz. On Thursday, gunmen fired 11 Qassams, one of which landed in the yard of home in the Netiv Haasara community, causing some damage to nearby buildings. Another rocket hit a hothouse in the community, likewise damaging the structure. (Yonat Atlas , YNet News, February 18, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

'Iran to launch 2 more research rockets'
Iran will launch two more research rockets into space before putting its first domestically built satellite into orbit, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday, claiming the first rocket launch earlier this month was a success. The hard-line president, speaking at a rally marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, said with the rocket launches and the recent unveiling of its first major space center, his country had the ability to send an Iranian-made satellite into orbit, hopefully this summer. Iranian officials have said the country wants to launch a satellite on an indigenous rocket and indicated they are developing a Shahab-4 missile to do that. Iran's powerful ballistic missile, the Shahab-3, is believed to have a range of at least 1,300 kilometers (800 miles), putting Israel and much of the Middle East in range. In November, Iran said it had manufactured a new missile, the Ashoura, with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles). Iran hopes to launch four more satellites by 2010, the government has said. (The Jerusalem Post, February 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Boy Injured by Palestinian Rocket Loses Leg
Doctors at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon were forced Sunday to amputate part of the left leg of eight-year-old Osher Tuito, who was seriously injured in a rocket attack on the southern town of Sderot on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak arrived in Sderot on Sunday morning and visited the place where the rocket landed, injuring Osher and his 19-year-old brother Rami. Osher and Rami Tuito were injured while planning their father's birthday party. They were headed to an ATM at a local commercial center together with Rami's girlfriend, Kineret, in order to get money to buy their father a bottle of perfume. When they arrived, they discovered that they had forgotten their credit card at home. As they returned home, they were hit by a Qassam rocket. Osher's father, Rafi, said of his son's injury, "He is just an eight-year-old kid. A child who should be playing football, riding his bike. How can such a child live with an amputated leg, with his entire life ahead of him?" (Shmulik Hadad, YNet News, February 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IDF: Hezbollah missiles deployed in South Lebanon
Hezbollah has managed to deploy large numbers of Katyusha rockets and antitank missiles in southern Lebanon, senior Israel Defense Forces officials have told Haaretz. These weapons in Shi'ite villages have been undetected by UN observers, the officials say. They say the weapons have been smuggled south of the Litani River despite the increased presence of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since the end of the Second Lebanon War. The sources add that Hezbollah's reluctance to use the weapons since the war ended a year and a half ago reflects the strong blow the IDF dealt the militant group and that Israel's deterrence has not been diminished. (Amos Harel, Ha’aretz, February 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

'IDF should wipe out parts of Gaza'
Israel will escalate its ground and air operations in the Gaza Strip this week and may begin targeting members of the Hamas political leadership in the wake of intensified Kassam rocket attacks against Sderot, senior defense officials said Sunday. The officials said it was premature to launch a major ground operation and that the army still had a number of steps to try before reaching that point.. In the first five weeks of 2008, Gazans had fired 330 rockets at Negev communities, one-third of what they fired at Israel in all of 2007, he said. Last weekend alone 40 rockets were launched, of which 14 struck Sderot. (yaaov katz and tovah lazaroff, The Jerusalem Post, February 11, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran tests rocket, plans to launch satellite
Iran launched a rocket on Monday designed to send its first homemade research satellite into orbit in the next year, state television said, a move likely to add to Western concerns about Tehran's nuclear plans. The technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used for launching weapons, analysts said. Iran's military, while no technological match for U.S. forces, could still target U.S. interests in the Middle East, experts say. "I think Israel and the Americans will be concerned about this (launch)," Beaver said. Iran, which refuses to recognise Israel, has an array of medium-range missiles. It says its longest-range missile has a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), meaning it could hit Israel and U.S. military bases in the Gulf. (Parisa Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl, Reuters, February 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Suicide bomber kills woman in southern Israel town
A Palestinian suicide bomber from the Gaza Strip killed a woman in southern Israel on Monday, the first such attack in the country in a year, but Israeli officials said peace talks would not be derailed. Police said they prevented a second blast in the shopping centre of the town of Dimona by shooting dead an accomplice, also a Gazan, before he could detonate an explosives belt. One of the attackers said in a farewell video recording he wanted to strike against what he called Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip, territory controlled by Hamas Islamists opposed to President Mahmoud Abbas's peace talks with the Jewish state. "It was like a war. People were running like crazy. I saw a piece of a human being right there, next to my leg," witness Rosa Enberg told Israel's Channel Two television. Two other militant groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, praised the Dimona bombing as retaliation for Israeli raids. Young supporters of Fatah handed out flowers and candy to passing cars in the Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli officials said the two bombers might have entered Egyptian territory after the Gaza-Egypt border was blasted open by Hamas last month, and then infiltrated into Israel through its unfenced frontier with Egypt. (Yehuda Peretz, Reuters, February 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaida claims responsibility for shooting attack near Israeli Embassy in Mauritania
Al-Qaida claimed responsibility early Sunday morning for Friday's shooting attack near the Israeli Embassy in Mauritania that wounded three French nationals. The international terrorist organization urged Muslim states to cut all ties to Israel. Mauritani, an Islamic republic that straddles black and Arab Africa, is one of the few Arab League states to have diplomatic relations with Israel.(Haaretz, February 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Militants smuggled advanced arms into Gaza Strip
Shin Bet security services chief Yuval Diskin told government ministers on Sunday that large quantities of advanced weapons have been smuggled into the Gaza Strip since the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was breached 12 days ago. Diskin listed long-range rockets, anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and materials used for rocket production as some of the arms brought into the coastal territory. Security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, also said that dozens of Palestinian militants trained in Iran managed to return to Gaza, after months of being refused entry. (Avi Issacharoff, Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Haaretz, February 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

US anti-missile ship to dock in Haifa
An American missile ship set to dock at Haifa Port on Monday is equipped with an anti-missile defense system that could be deployed in the region in the event of an Iranian missile attack against Israel. "It is possible that one day, if we are under attack, the US will send these ships to the region to help defend us," a defense official said. "Until then, it is important that we get to know the system, its capabilities and its interoperability with our systems." Defense analysts said the decision to dock at Haifa could also be part of a growing competition between the United States and Russia over military control in the Middle East. Russia recently decided to reestablish its naval presence in the region at Tartus, Syria. In recent months, Syria has begun renovations at the port to facilitate the docking of large Russian Navy ships. (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, February 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Islamists planned attacks across Europe: report
Islamist extremists were planning attacks across Europe, especially against public transport, before their arrests in Barcelona last weekend, a Spanish paper reported on Saturday, citing a would-be attacker's testimony. The Al Qaeda-inspired cell planned to attack the Barcelona metro and other targets in Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom, said the bomber turned police informant. In testimony that led to the arrest of 14 South Asians last Saturday, the informant told police the group had a preference for attacks on public transport, especially metro systems, El Pais newspaper reported. (Andrew Hay; Reuters, January 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Barak: Iran Nuclear Program "Quite Advanced"
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview: "Clearly the Iranians are aiming at nuclear capability....We think that they are quite advanced, much beyond the level of the Manhattan Project. We suspect they are probably already working on warheads for ground-to-ground missiles...[and] that probably they have another clandestine enrichment operation beyond the one in Natanz." Regarding Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, "There has never been a shortage of goodwill on Israel's side. What we have found is that the Palestinian side is unable to live up to the most basic commitments; stopping indiscriminate terror against our civilians." (Lally Weymouth. Washington Post, January 26, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Officials: Israel won't let Gaza border breach threaten security
Israel will not tolerate the continued threat to its security posed by Hamas militants' breach of the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, officials in Jerusalem told Haaretz on Sunday. The officials added that Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas see eye to eye on what they perceive as the need to refrain from negotiations with Hamas. Hamas' dramatic border breach was the focus of the meeting between Olmert and Abbas at the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem. The prime minister assured Abbas that Israel would not cut off the supply of food and medicine to the Gaza Strip. Olmert and Abbas agreed they would demand that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak close the ruptured fence separating the northern Sinai from the Gaza Strip; Abbas is scheduled to meet with Mubarak to discuss this on Wednesday. (By Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid, Haaretz, January 28, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaeda "Strapping Bombs to Children" in Iraq
Al-Qaeda is using teenagers as suicide bombers in Iraq, a US military spokesman claimed on Sunday, as an influential Sunni cleric urged the jihadists to stop "strapping bombs to children." Rear Admiral Gregory Smith told a news conference in Baghdad that two suicide attacks in Iraq in the past week had been carried out by 15-year-olds. "We are not sure whether one of these children even knew he was being used to deliver a bomb," the US military spokesman said. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq is trying to brainwash children with hate and death... they seek to create a culture of violence, hate and despair," said Smith. "(They) are sending 15-year-old boys on suicide missions to spread death and helplessness." Ninety percent of "suicide murders inflicted on Iraqi people are committed by foreign fighters brought in by Al-Qaeda in Iraq to spread destruction," Smith added. Click here to read the entire article
(Bryan Pearson, AFP, January 27, 2008)

Israel restoring Gaza fuel supply
srael will resume the supply of industrial-use diesel to the Gaza Strip according to levels set prior to the blockade imposed earlier this month in order to meet the basic humanitarian needs of the civilian population, the state told the High Court of Justice on Sunday. The state told the court that if rocket attacks increase again, Israel will consider limiting the supplies once again. (Etgar Lefkovits , The Jerusalem Post, January 27, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran gets 4th batch of nuclear fuel from Russia
Iran received a fourth delivery of nuclear fuel from Russia on Sunday to power Tehran's first atomic power plant and it expects four more before the consignment is complete, an official Iranian news agency said. Russia delivered the first batch of about 80 tonnes of uranium fuel rods to Iran on December 17 and urged Tehran to scrap its own, controversial program for making fuel. The shipment of 11 tonnes arrived on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said the Bushehr plant, on the Gulf coast in southwest Iran, would start up in mid-2008. Foreign ministers from major powers will meet in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss a possible third U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution against Iran for its refusal to halt enrichment. (Zahra Hosseinian, Reuters, January 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Iran continues to aid Iraq militias, US says
The US military said yesterday there had been a dramatic drop in the number of Iranian weapons being used in Iraq, but Tehran has not stopped training and financing Iraqi militias. Washington has accused Tehran of supplying Shi'ite militias in Iraq with sophisticated weapons, including deadly armor-piercing bombs known as explosively formed penetrators, to attack American troops. "We do believe that the number of signature weapons that have come from Iran and have been used against coalition and Iraqi security forces are down dramatically," Rear Admiral Greg Smith, a US military spokesman, said. "We do not think levels of training have been reduced at all. We don't believe levels of financing are reduced.". (Ross Colvin, The Boston Globe, January 21, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

IDF to step up pinpoint raids in Gaza
The IDF will step up its pinpoint raids into Gaza this week but will not embark on a major operation for the time being, defense officials said Saturday. Since last Sunday, close to 160 Kassam rockets and 70 mortar shells were fired at the western Negev, and more than 30 terrorists were killed. Defense officials said that despite international pressure, the crossings into the Gaza Strip would remain closed for the next few days as part of an effort to pressure Hamas to stop the rocket fire. On Saturday, IDF troops followed that order and in a deep incursion into Gaza raided the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Strip, arresting four Hamas operatives. It was the first time in months that the IDF operated more than five kilometers deep inside Gaza. (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, January 20, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Hezbollah Claims to Have Israeli Bodies
Hezbollah's reclusive leader claimed Saturday the militant group had the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon during the 2006 war, saying the dead were left behind "in our villages and fields." Sheik Hassan Nasrallah's graphic description appeared aimed at pressuring Israel to accept a prisoner exchange. Israel is thought to be holding at least seven Lebanese prisoners while Hezbollah has two Israeli soldiers it captured in July 2006, triggering the war. Commentators on Israeli evening newscasts were adamant that no Israeli bodies from the 2006 fighting were unaccounted for. The Israeli military has a staunch tradition of not leaving the bodies of fallen fighters in enemy hands, in keeping with Jewish religion that demands that the dead be laid to rest in their entirety, in so far as that is possible.
(Zeina Karam, The Associated Press, January 19, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

After Raids, 14 Held in Spain on Suspicion of a Terror Plot
Intelligence agents on Sunday were sifting through evidence collected during a weekend crackdown on a group of suspected Islamic militants who the police say were plotting an attack on Barcelona. The police arrested 14 men and raided several apartments, two mosques and a bakery in Barcelona, the capital of the northeastern region of Catalonia, a security official and local Muslim representatives said. The group included 12 Pakistanis, an Indian and a Bangladeshi, they said. They confiscated material for making bombs, including four timing devices, Mr. Rubalcaba said. Local news reports said the police had also taken phone records from the mosques and the bakery. Photographs of material found in the raids included the timing devices, a small bag of ball bearings, batteries and cables. (Victoria Burnett, The New York Times, January 21, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Warns Iran Against 'Provocative Actions' Following Incident in Strait of Hormuz
The United States warned Iran on Monday to refrain from any further provocations following a weekend standoff in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, off Iran's coast, that ended after U.S. ships armed their weapons in preparation to defend against threatening Iranian boats. "We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Monday. What was believed to be five Iranian Revolutionary Guard speed boats — described as "cigarette" boats — charged at the three U.S. Navy ships sailing in the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday en route to the Persian Gulf, FOX News confirmed. Shortly afterward, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, "This aggressive and hostile behavior by IRG (Iranian Revolutionary Guard) is a cause for real concern. "It is perplexing why five small Iranian boats would confront three U.S. warships operating in international waters. Such actions are dangerous and could have quickly escalated. "We see it as further evidence that Iran is unpredictable and remains a threat." (Justin Fisher, FoxNews.Com, January 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Rocket that Hit Ashkelon Was Made in Iran
Israeli security officials said Sunday that a rocket with a longer range than usual fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza into the coastal city of Ashkelon on Thursday had been made in Iran. Thousands of short-range homemade rockets and mortar shells have been fired by Palestinian militants at Israel in the past few years, but the one that fell in an open field in northern Ashkelon on Thursday traveled more than 10 miles, the farthest landing from Gaza. The Israeli security officials confirmed that it was Iranian-made, speaking on the condition of anonymity, because of the delicacy of the issue. The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot on Sunday cited unidentified Israeli security officials saying that the rocket had been smuggled to Gaza from Egypt by sea. (Isabel Kershner, The New York Times, January 7, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Al-Qaida Internet Video Calls for Attacks on President Bush
A new al-Qaida videotape on the Internet shows an American member of the terror network calling for attacks on President Bush during his travels in the Middle East later this week. In a 50-minute-long video that appeared Sunday in the name of al-Qaida's media group, Adam Gadahn denounces U.S. foreign policy as well as Arab leaders who are hosting Mr. Bush during his trip. The U.S.-born Gadahn, who also calls himself "Azzam the American," urges militants to greet Mr. Bush with bombs, not flowers. 29-year-old Gadahn was raised in California, where he converted to Islam. He is believed to have been living in Pakistan for several years (VOA News, January 7, 2008). Click here to read the entire article

Bush: Iran Could Easily Have Another Nuclear Weapons Program
In an interview with Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer of Yediot Ahronot, President Bush discussed a possible Iranian nuclear weapons program: "My message to the American people is that a non-transparent society that had a program could easily have another program. And therefore, the intensity of the effort must not decline, but must stay strong - and the intensity of the effort being to prevent them from developing the know-how." "I've also made statements on the settlements, as well. As I said, realities on the ground will help define the eventual border of what the Palestinian state will look like. And the state will come into being subject to the conditions set out in the road map, which means we've got a lot of work to do." (Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer of Yediot , The White House, January 2, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Bush: NIE Means Iran Is a Threat
In an interview with Yonit Levi of Israel Channel 2 News, President Bush said: "If I were an Israeli, I would take the words of the Iranian president seriously. And as President of the United States, I take him seriously....I said that we will defend our ally - no ands, ifs or buts." "One of the concerns I'm sure among the Israeli population is whether this intelligence estimate that came out, what does it mean. It means to me that Iran was a threat and Iran is a threat." (Yonit Levi, White House, January 4, 2008) Click here to read the entire article

Bin Laden vows jihad to liberate Palestinian land
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vowed that Islamist militants will expand their holy war to liberate Palestinian land and said his group will not recognize Israel. He said in a recording posted on the Internet on Saturday that peacekeepers dispatched to expand a U.N. force in Lebanon after the war were there to "protect the Jews". Al Qaeda belongs to a school of Islam that sees Shi'ite Muslims as heretics. (Inal Ersan, Reuters, December 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinians Murder Two Israelis in Shooting Attack in West Bank
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that his security forces had arrested an unspecified number of suspects in Friday's killing of two Israeli hikers in the West Bank, and had passed to Israel weapons taken from the dead men by their Palestinian attackers. The victims of the drive-by shooting attack, named as David Rubin and Ahikam Amihai, both in their 20s, were hiking in the area of the West Bank settlements of Talam and Adura with a female resident of Kiryat Arba when a group of four Palestinian terrorists opened fire on them from a Jeep. Rubin and Amihai, who were soldiers on leave from the Israel Defense Forces, managed to return fire and reportedly killed one of the terrorists. They later died from their wounds, while the woman who accompanied them managed to hide and was not harmed.IDF troops arrested early Saturday six Palestinians from Hebron in connection with the attack. Both Rubin and Amihai were in elite units of the IDF, with Rubin serving as a sergeant in the Israeli Naval commandos and Amihai as a corporal in the Israel Air Force's equivalent unit.(Amos Harel, Haaretz, December 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Israel says finds explosive chemicals in EU aid bags
Israel said on Saturday it had recently seized a truck carrying chemicals used to make explosives hidden in bags marked as European Union aid for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.The army said 6.5 tonnes of potassium nitrate were in bags marked as sugar from the European Union for Palestinians in the coastal enclave. The European Union is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Israel tightened its military and economic cordon of the Gaza Strip after Islamist Hamas seized the territory in a June war with secular Fatah. (Avida Landau, Reuters, December 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

France to boycott Syria over Lebanon crisis
France will have no more contact with Syria until Damascus shows willingness to let Lebanon end its long-running political crisis and find a new president, President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Sunday. Lebanon has been without a president since November 23 when Syrian-backed incumbent Emile Lahoud ended his term with rival parties unable to agree on a successor.A parliamentary vote to elect a president has been postponed 11 times amid sharp divisions between the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran. Earlier this month, US President George W. Bush also ruled out direct talks with the Syrian leader, saying: "My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago." (Philippe Alfroy, AFP, December 30, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Says U.S. Report a "Declaration of Surrender"
Iranian President Ahmadinejad said on Sunday the publication of a U.S. intelligence report saying Iran had halted a nuclear weapons program in 2003 amounted to a "declaration of surrender" by Washington in its row with Tehran. (Reuters)
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IDF General: "World Doesn't Appreciate Gravity of Iranian Nuclear Threat
The world does not yet appreciate the gravity of the Iranian nuclear threat, Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz, the IDF's incoming military attache to the U.S., said in an interview. Gantz said that despite the U.S. NIE report's findings, it was possible that Iran was continuing its development of nuclear weapons. "In a large country like Iran, in a culture like Iran, the ability to do things covertly is not something that seems so farfetched." (Jerusalem Post)
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Hamas Vows Never to Recognize Israel
Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said that whoever declares he will never recognize Israel earns "the people's love." The crowd chanted: "We will never recognize Israel." In a fiery speech, Haniyeh cited the achievements of Hamas and "the resistance" throughout the region. He cited Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000 and from Gaza in 2005, and the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He also listed Afghanistan and Iraq against the U.S.-led forces. Hamas parliament member Mushir al-Masri warned against a possible Israeli incursion into Gaza, saying that Hamas "has already begun to dig graves for the Jews." (Ha'aretz)
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Palestinian Rocket Wounds 2-Year-Old on Israeli Kibbutz
A rocket fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza scored a direct hit on a house in Kibbutz Zikim, an Israeli communal farm less than a mile from Gaza, wounding a 2-year-old boy. The toddler was hit by shrapnel and taken to hospital, and his mother was being treated for shock, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. (AP/Washington Post)
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Palestinian Rocket Hits Kibbutz Factory
Palestinians in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket that slammed into a kibbutz factory near Gaza on Friday evening. The plant normally operates 24 hours a day, but fortunately was empty at the time. It destroyed equipment, but there were no casualties. Shrapnel was scattered throughout the coffee corner, where workers take their breaks. (Jerusalem Post)
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Israel says Iran could have nuclear bomb by 2010
Israel believes Iran will have the resources to create a nuclear weapon by 2010 despite a U.S. intelligence report that it was not building an atomic bomb, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday. Olmert told his cabinet that Iran was continuing to enrich uranium and develop ballistic missiles and that Israel would press the U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency to "expose Iran's nuclear weapons activity." Israel says an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose a threat to its existence. (Ari Rabinovitch, Reuters, December 9, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Aims 'To Foment Instability,' Gates Says
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates argued forcefully at a Persian Gulf security conference Saturday that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran could restart its secret nuclear weapons program "at any time" and remains a major threat to the region.Tough and at times sarcastic, Gates said the Iranian government also is supplying weapons to insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, backing the radical Islamic movements Hezbollah and Hamas, and developing medium-range ballistic missiles. International pressure is the only impediment to Iran restarting its nuclear weapons program, Gates said. "Iran is keeping its options open and could restart its nuclear weapons program at any time -- I would add, if it has not done so already." (Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington Post, December 9, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Muslim gunmen target Christian in Gaza
Muslim gunmen in the Gaza Strip tried to kill another Palestinian Christian over the weekend. They said four masked gunmen tried to kidnap Nabil Fuad Ayad, who works as a guard at a local church. Nabil's cousin, Rami, was kidnapped and murdered two months ago by the same group, the sources said. The sources identified the gunmen as members of the radical Islamic Salafi movement. The gunmen tried to force Ayad into their car as he was walking in the street, but he managed to escape to a nearby shop. Shopkeepers who began shouting drove the gunmen away. As they fled the scene, the assailants fired several shots into the air. Salafism represents a Sunni Islamic school of thought whose followers argue that Islam was perfect and complete during the days of Prophet Muhammad, but that undesirable innovations have been added due to materialist and cultural influences. The Salafis, who have become very active in the Gaza Strip in recent months, are totally opposed to common Western concepts like economics, constitutions and political parties. They refer to the 2,500 Christians in the Gaza Strip as Crusaders and have vowed to drive them out of the area. Christians living in the Gaza Strip told the Post that they were very worried about the increased attacks on members of their community and religious institutions. "The latest incident is aimed at sending a message to all the Christians here that we must leave," said a Christian leader. "Radical Islamic groups are waging a campaign to get rid of us and no one seems to care." (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, December 8, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

250,000 under Qassam threat if we don't act
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter warned Sunday of a tenfold increase in the number of Israelis subjected to a "war of attrition" should Ashkelon and nearby communities also fall under the threat of Palestinian terror and Qassam rocket fire. The minister said the number of Israelis facing the threat of Palestinian terror may increase from 25,000 to 250,000. "Qassam attacks are being carried out daily and we have also seen an increase in mortar fire directed at IDF bases near the Strip," Dichter told the ministers. "Statistics indicating an 8% drop in the number of students in Sderot are extremely worrying. We must not allow any mistakes that may raise the number of Israeli communities facing the Qassam threat." (Roni Sofer, YNetNews, December 10, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Just 18% Believe Iran has Stopped Nuclear Weapons Development Program
Just 18% of American voters believe that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 66% disagree and say Iran has not stopped its nuclear weapons program. Twenty-one percent (21%) of men believe Iran has stopped the weapons development along with 16% of women. The Rasmussen Reports survey also found that 67% of American voters believe that Iran remains a threat to the national security of the United States. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of liberal voters believe that Iran has stopped its weapons program but 54% disagree. Among conservatives, just 8% believe Iran has stopped and 81% disagree. (The Rasmussen Reports, December 7, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Israel frees 429 Palestinian prisoners
Israel on Monday released 429 Palestinian prisoners, a gesture meant to bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The release was originally planned to take place ahead of last week's Annapolis conference but for various reasons, including a request by Abbas, it was delayed. The Israel Prisons Service (IPS) said 408 Palestinians were transported to the West Bank and 21 to Gaza. All those released were sentenced to up to ten years for committing security offences. About 9,000 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israel. Abbas had asked that 2,000 prisoners be freed, but Israel refused. Including the prisoners released on Monday, about 770 Palestinians have been freed since July. (The Jerusalem Post, December 3, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Iranian Pushes Nuclear Talks Back to Square 1
In a sign that Iran has hardened its position on its nuclear program, its new nuclear negotiator said in talks in London on Friday that all proposals made in past negotiations were irrelevant and that further discussion of a curb on Iran’s uranium enrichment was unnecessary. The London meeting was the first time that Mr. Jalili, a close ally of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had led negotiations on the Iranian side. His performance made clear that he brings a very different style and approach from that of his predecessor, Ali Larijani, who had taken a tough line but had shown a willingness to engage substantively on the nuclear issue. The first hour and a half of the meeting on Friday was described as a monologue, with Mr. Jalili speaking about the will of the Iranian people to support uranium enrichment, theology, God, even his doctoral thesis, according to several officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under normal diplomatic rules. “Jalili said, ‘Everything in the past is past, and with me, you start over,’” an official said. “He said, ‘None of your proposals has any standing.’” The hard-line position from the Iranian side was clear confirmation that Iran would not compromise on this issue, the French official said, adding, “We have in front of us the real Iran.” An official involved in the talks put it even more bluntly, saying, “We can’t do business with these guys at this point.” (Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times, December 2, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Israeli PM won't commit to Annapolis timetable
Five days after pledging in Annapolis to try to wrap up an agreement with the Palestinians by the end of 2008, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the cabinet on Sunday that there was no Israeli commitment to any timetable. "An effort will be made to hold accelerated negotiations in the hope that it will be possible to conclude them in 2008," Olmert said at the weekly meeting. "However, there is no commitment to a specific timetable regarding these negotiations." Both Livni and Olmert said that from Israel's point of view, the most important aspect of the understanding was that any future agreement would only be implemented after the Palestinians fulfilled their security requirements under the road map. (Herb Keinon, The Jerusalem Post, December 3, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian Authority to request $5.5 billion in aid
President Mahmoud Abbas's government will ask donors in Paris this month to provide $5.5 billion in aid to strengthen the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, Palestinian officials said on Sunday. The aid, to be used for budgetary support and development, is meant to strengthen Abbas against Hamas Islamists and revive the Palestinian economy after the president launched formal peace talks with Israel last week. The conference is the first forum for international donor states to make pledges to the Palestinian Authority since 1996, officials said. "Twenty-six percent of the plan's budget will go to reforms, such as reforming the security services, judicial system and other governance sectors. Twenty-one percent is allocated for the economic sector and 23 percent for the infrastructure," a senior official said. (Reuters, December 3, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Mortar attack on IDF base Negev
Four soldiers were lightly injured Sunday evening from a mortar hit on an infirmary in an IDF base adjoining Kibbutz Nahal Oz, next to the Gaza Strip. Around 15 mortars have been fired thus far Sunday from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. There were between 5-8 mortars in the barrage that hit the base, one of which hit the base infirmary in which four soldiers had sought shelter. Earlier, a barrage of more than 10 mortars were fired toward the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. Three mortars landed in a kibbutz, while the rest landed in open fields near the Gaza border fence. Also on Sunday, a Qassam rocket landed in an open field near Sderot. In the past week, dozens of mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip. Last Friday five mortars landed near the border fence. Two days earlier, seven mortars were fired from the Strip and landed in open field. On Wednesday the Israeli Air Force attacked a Hamas post in southern Gaza, killing two militants. (Efrat Weiss, Ynet News, December 3, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Bush, Olmert express hope 'peace can finally be achieved'
Hours before the Annapolis peace parley was set to open, US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed hope that peace could finally be achieved. "I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible," Bush said after meeting with Olmert in the Oval Office ahead of the conference. He had a similar meeting scheduled with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day. "I'm optimistic." Olmert said the international support - from Bush and also presumably from the Arab nations that have also agreed to come to the conference - "is very important to us" and could make all the difference. (The Jerusalem Post, November 26, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas 'to step up attacks' after summit
On the eve of the US-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, Hamas has stepped up its threats against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel, saying it will increase its attacks on Israel after the parley. Musa Abu Marzouk, the number-two man in Hamas, said the post-Annapolis period would witness a dramatic escalation in anti-Israel attacks. "Resistance operations will be escalated in all forms and methods against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip," he said. (Khaled Abu Toameh, November 26, 2007, The Jerusalem Post) Click here to read the entire article

Iran rebukes Saudi Arabia over Mideast conference
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chided Saudi Arabia for taking part in a US-hosted Middle East peace meeting, after Arab participation in the event left Tehran isolated, media reported on Monday. "I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among those attending the Annapolis conference," Ahmadinejad told the king late Sunday, according to state news agency IRNA. "Arab countries should be watchful in the face of the plots and deception of the Zionist enemy," he added."The US government, which is an accomplice to Zionist crimes, cannot play the role of saviour by hosting the Annapolis conference," Ahmadinejad told the Saudi king. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also reaffirmed his condemnation of the conference, which he predicted was "doomed to failure". "They hope the conference will help the usurping Zionist regime and save the honour of the Black House," he said in a speech to militia volunteers, in a sarcastic reference to the White House. (AFP, November 26, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

An Evangelical Christian’s giant Israeli flag breaks world record for largest flag in world
Beneath the ancient Jewish desert strongpoint of Masada, the world's largest flag was unfurled Sunday, covering a large stretch of sandy hinterland. The huge blue and white Israeli flag, 660 meters (2,165 feet) long and 100 meters (330 feet) wide and weighing 5.2 metric tons, breaks the record for the world's largest, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.It was measured by representatives for the Guinness Book of Records. Filipino entrepreneur and evangelical Christian Grace Galindez-Gupana said she decided two years ago to produce a giant Israeli flag as a testament to her love for Israel and the Jewish people, and as a celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Israel. "God spoke to me in thunder and lightening," Galindez-Gupana said. "The Lord said, 'Make the flag of Israel, the standard of my people.'""This is a tall order," she said, as she broke down in tears. "This flag expresses the friendship between the Philippines and the state of Israel, and also the friendship between Jewish and Christian communities," Shaul Zemach, director of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. (International Herald Tribune, November 25, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Report: Syria advised by North Korean chemical arms experts
North Korean experts discussed how to load chemical weapons onto missiles when they met with officials in Syria during a secret visit to the country earlier this month, a Japanese newspaper reported Monday.
Damascus invited the experts for their advice as part of Syria's drive to develop its short-range Scud C missiles.The testing has been halted since July after one of the surface-to-surface missiles exploded at a military complex near the northern city of Aleppo, the Sankei said in its Washington-datelined story. (The Associated Press, November 26, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Israeli Cabinet okays release of 441 Palestinian prisoners
Despite the objection of coalition members Shas and Israel Beiteinu, the cabinet approved on Monday a list of 441 Palestinian prisoners to be released ahead of the Annapolis conference. Earlier, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet that he would remove all unauthorized outposts in the West Bank, pledging to meet a key commitment under the "road map" peace plan, a government spokeswoman said. Olmert also said Israel would not build any new settlements in the West Bank, though he stopped short of promising a freeze on construction in existing settlements. The road map calls for a halt to all settlement activity. (The Jerusalem Post, November 19, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Israeli Army on high alert ahead of Annapolis Summit
The IDF is in a heightened state of alert ahead of the Annapolis summit next week, out of fear that Hamas and Islamic Jihad will try to perpetrate a large-scale terror attack to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, defense officials said Sunday. The officials said there were currently 10 specific warnings concerning Palestinian plans to launch a terror attack before the summit. "There is a concerted effort today by Hamas and other terror groups to derail the talks," a defense official said. "One of the ways to do that is to carry out a large-scale attack inside Israel." (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, November 19, 2007). Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Pushes for Turnout at Middle East Conference
By pushing Israel to accept immediate negotiations with the Palestinians on the thorny "final status" issues, with the aim to conclude a peace settlement within a year, the Bush administration is trying to attract a significant Arab presence at the peace conference in Annapolis, Md. The meeting in Annapolis, now penciled in to start Nov. 26 and last less than 24 hours, is meant to begin — and bless — negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders on a final peace agreement between them, ostensibly to be completed by the end of the Bush presidency. The all-out push essentially speeds to the end of the now dormant 2003 "road map" for peace by insisting that the big issues once relegated to later discussion, like the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees, be addressed immediately, even before the Palestinians begin to dismantle terrorist groups and networks. The Israelis are also worried that even if they can negotiate a final settlement — which will be put on a shelf while it is carried out over a number of years — a change in Palestinian leadership or a victory of Hamas could mean that efforts to carry it out stop and that even such a "final" agreement becomes just another starting point for Palestinian demands. (Steven Erlanger, The New York Times, November 19, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Survey: Americans see Israel as ally
A large percentage of Americans continue to support the State of Israel, especially in relation to the Palestinians and the "war on terror," according to a survey released Sunday by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The survey reveals that a large majority of Americans, 65%, see Israel as an important ally. A 2005 ADL poll showed nearly identical numbers of Americans with this view, indicating that American support for Israel has stayed strong and relatively constant over the last few years. Americans remain much more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinian people, the survey says. Forty-five percent of respondents said that they sympathize more with the Israeli people, compared to 16% who said they sympathize with the Palestinians. Americans also demand Palestinian concessions as a prerequisite for a Palestinian state. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of respondents say that Palestinians must end terror and recognize Israel before a Palestinian state can be created. (Jonah Newman, The Jerusalem Post, November 18, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Palestinian negotiator: We won't accept Jewish Israel
Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Monday rejected Israel's demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. "There is no country in the world where religious and national identities are intertwined," Erekat told Radio Palestine. Additionally, Erekat said, when agreements are signed, the Palestinians would demand that Israel make a commitment in writing to releasing all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. A senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said in response that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insists that the Palestinians recognize Israel's Jewish identity, as a condition for Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state. The official added that Israel would not commit to releasing Palestinian prisoners outside the framework of doing so as a gesture of goodwill towards the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Olmert told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the peace conference scheduled to take place in Annapolis in late November would last for a single day. The prime minister also said that he planned to release approximately 400 prisoners, out of a total of more than 12,000 held in Israel. In response to the prime minister's announcement, opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu said that the government was "giving everything" and in exchange was "getting terrorists." After a meeting with Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Netanyahu said: "The Olmert government is repeating the mistakes made by the Barak government at Camp David. Then, they gave everything but all they got in return were terrorists and suicide bombers. Now, the government of Olmert, Barak and Livni is behaving in the same way." "This is not a path to peace, it is a path to terror," added the Likud chairman. (The Jerusalem Post, November 12, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Hamas leader sees W.Bank takeover if Israel leaves Hamas Islamists, who seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, would take over the West Bank if Israel pulled out of the territory, a senior Hamas leader said on Friday. "Israel says the party in Ramallah (Fatah) serves Israel, and if Israel quits the West Bank, Hamas will take it over. And we say this is true," Zahar said at a rally for Hamas supporters in Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Hamas Islamists took over the Gaza Strip after routing forces loyal to the Western-backed Abbas. "We say to those in the West Bank take a lesson from what happened in Gaza," Zahar said, an indirect reference to the fierce violence that led to Hamas's takeover of the coastal strip.Israel has warned that Hamas would be poised to take over the territory were it to withdraw its forces. (Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, November 9, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Iranians named over Buenos Aires bombing
Iran's deputy defense minister is one of five top Teheran officials placed on Interpol's most wanted list for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Argentina that killed 85 people. Ahmad Vahidi, a brigadier-general in the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards, is in charge of the regime's defense procurement and rocket and missile program. The role would put him at the heart of the secret nuclear bomb project that Western intelligence claims Iran is pursuing. Gen Vahidi was the commander of the Quds (Jerusalem) Force, the Guards' international operations wing accused by the West of organising foreign terrorist activities, at the time of the deadliest attack on a Jewish target since the Second World War. Ali Fallahian, the former intelligence minister who is now a senior security advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Mohsen Rezai, then commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, were also added to the Interpol so-called "red notices" list last week in the face of furious objections by Iran. The international police coordinating agency named two other senior Iranian officials and Lebanese operative Imad Moughnieh, one of the world's most notorious terrorists, as wanted for the van bomb attack that leveled the seven-storey community centre in Buenos Aires in July 1994, claiming 85 lives and injuring 200.Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI's leader, said: "These arrest warrants demonstrate the extent to which officials of the Iranian regime, many of whom are Islamic Revolutionary Guards commanders, are involved in the export of terrorism and fundamentalism. "The Guards Corps is the pillar of the mullahs' survival. In addition to the torture and execution of tens of thousands of political prisoners at home, it is directly involved in the production of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons, and is the mullahs' most important organ for terrorism abroad." (Philip Sherwell, Telegraph-UK, November 11, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Abbas: Hamas carried out 'heinous crime' in Gaza Hamas' violent dispersal of a mass Fatah rally in Gaza on Monday was a "heinous crime," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's office said. Hamas security forces on Monday opened fire at a mass rally commemorating the death of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, violently dispersing close to 250,000 people who had gathered in the largest public display of support for the rival Fatah movement since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. Six civilians were killed and at least 85 people were wounded, hospitals and witnesses said. Among the critically wounded was a Hamas policeman who was shot in the head. (The Jerusalem Post, November 12, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Hizbullah conducted mass military drill in southern Lebanon
Hizbullah conducted its largest military exercise ever in southern Lebanon several days ago, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Monday. According to the report, the exercise was three days long and spanned thousands of the organization's fighters. Hizbullah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah was said to have commanded the drill personally. The drill included the mass deployment of fighters, including thousands of infantry guerillas, anti-tank missile units, anti-aircraft missile units, the engineering unit and the organization's star units of rocket launchers. The Israel Air Force, added the report, followed the exercise with "unprecedented activity along the border.” (Ali Waked, Yedioth Ahronoth -YNet News, November 5, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Peace deal will go to referendum if government collapses
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will take any peace deal formulated at the Annapolis peace conference to a referendum if his Kadima-based coalition breaks up following the conference, Vice Premier Haim Ramon told the Knesset Channel on Monday afternoon. However, Ramon said that even if a framework for a final status agreement is outlined at the conference, it will not be implemented until the Palestinian Authority, led by PA president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salaam Fayad, is strengthened. The vice premier said that Israel would not make any concessions until the PA leadership reins in terror groups and proves its ability to be responsible for the Palestinian territories. "The implementation of this process will take a long time," he warned. (The Jerusalem Post, November 5, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Assassination plot against the Mayor of Jerusalem foiled
Three Jerusalem Arabs have been charged with planning a series of terrorist attacks in the city, including the assassination of Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, a suicide bombing and a shooting attack near the Western Wall, security officials said Sunday. According to the indictment, late last year Mamoun Abu Tir and Atallah Abu Tir, both 19 and from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Umm Tuba, decided to set up a terrorist cell. Mamoun Abu Tir allegedly corresponded via the Internet with an Islamic Jihad operative from Algeria, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said. The Algerian sent Mamoun Abu Tir instructions on preparing explosives, and in September 2007, connected him with an Islamic Jihad agent in the Gaza Strip, according to the charge sheet. The charge sheet says the Islamic Jihad member in Gaza offered to bring a suicide bomber to the security barrier on the outskirts of Jerusalem where the suspects would pick him up. (Etgar Lefkovits, The Jerusalem Post, November 4, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

U.S. Sanctions Force World Bank to Halt Some Iran Aid
The World Bank, newly caught up in the Bush administration’s campaign against Iran, has had to suspend payments for earthquake relief, sanitation and other projects there in response to new American sanctions on leading Iranian banks, World Bank officials say. Only $5.4 million in payments has been suspended for four projects, involving earthquake relief, water and sanitation, environment management and urban housing, the officials said, and they do not expect the suspensions to be permanent. American officials said they hoped that the decision by the World Bank would increase pressure on Iran, not necessarily by stopping humanitarian projects but by dramatizing the country’s economic isolation in light of its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and negotiate with the West over its nuclear program. (Steven Weisman, The New York Times, November 3, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Kassam salvo causes Sderot blackout
While the IDF has yet to reduce the amount of electricity Israel supplies to Gaza, thanks to a directive issued by Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz, a Kassam rocket struck an electrical pole in Sderot on Sunday, causing blackouts throughout the town. The rocket was one of six fired into Israel during the day. Another scored a direct hit on a Sderot home, sending several people into shock. (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, November 4, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Iran Sanctions Are Meant to Prevent War, Bush Aides Say
In approving far-reaching, new unilateral sanctions against Iran, President Bush signaled yesterday that he intends to pursue a strategy of gradually escalating financial, diplomatic and political pressure on Tehran, aimed not at starting a new war in the Middle East, his advisers said, but at preventing one. With yesterday's actions, which included the long-awaited designations of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and of the elite Quds Force as a supporter of terrorism, Bush made clear that he is willing to seek such leverage even without the support of his European allies. "This decision today supports the diplomacy and in no way, shape or form does it anticipate the use of force," said Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns, a key administration player on Iran. "Now, the president has never taken that option off the table and quite rightly so, but we are clearly on a diplomatic track, and this initiative reinforces that track." The new sanctions, announced jointly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., mark the first time that the United States has tried to punish another country's military. It is the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy there, and includes a call for other countries and companies to stop doing business with three Iranian banks. The bank measures could emerge as the most significant step taken yesterday because the financial institutions targeted -- Bank Melli, Bank Mellat and Bank Saderat -- are among Iran's largest. The first two have helped finance Iran's proliferation program, and Saderat is being cited for helping finance terrorism, according to U.S. officials.(Michael Abramowitz and Robin Wright, The Washington Post October 26, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Olmert diagnosed with signs of prostate cancer
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Monday that he has been diagnosed with stage T1 prostate cancer, which will not require radiation or chemotherapy. He added that he is expected to make a full recovery. Olmert clarified that he would continue to run the State's affairs. Olmert's doctors further said that at this time they have not determined whether or not he would have to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. Meanwhile, the US State Department said Monday that Condoleezza Rice still intends to visit the Middle East next week despite Olmert's illness. Rice telephoned the prime minister to wish him a speedy recovery. "Obviously we wish him very well. It sounds, just from reading reports, that it was caught early and therefore he has an excellent chance of beating it," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. (October 29, 2007, Ynet News) Click here to read the entire article

'Hamas establishing bunker system along Gaza fence'
Hamas is trying to establish a bunker system as well as fortified rocket-launching and surveillance positions along the security fence with the Gaza Strip, Brig.-Gen. Moshe (Chico) Tamir, head of the Gaza Division, said Monday. Tamir said that Hamas was "building an army" in the Gaza Strip and had obtained unprecedented capabilities through smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. On Monday, head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Yuval Diskin said that since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, the Palestinians have smuggled over 112 tons of explosives into the Strip. "They are trying to dig tunnels, build surveillance positions and mortar-fire stations along the fence," Tamir told reporters during a briefing concerning the death of IDF reservist Ehud Efrati during clashes with Hamas gunmen early Monday morning. "They are trying to build this up and we are trying to stop them." (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, October 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

Egypt to build uclear power plants
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday announced plans to build several nuclear power plants, joining several Middle East Arab countries that recently have said they are kick starting their nuclear energy ambitions. Mubarak said in a speech broadcast live on national television that the decision to build the nuclear power stations was to diversify Egypt's energy resources and preserve the country's oil and gas reserves for coming generations. He said the nuclear program would be transparent and respect Egypt's commitment to the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty. Egypt has conducted nuclear experiments on a very small scale for the past four decades, but they have not included the key process of uranium enrichment, according to the IAEA. Iran's progress in building its nuclear program had sparked a rush among other Middle East countries to look at programs of their own to diversify and expand their energy resources. (The Jerusalem Post, October 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

IDF reservist killed in gunbattles in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza
Israel Defense Forces troops clashed with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Monday, leaving one soldier dead and five more wounded. IDF reservist First Sergeant Major Ehud Efrati, 34, of Beit Yehoshua, was killed early Monday in a gunbattle with Hamas forces in the southern Gaza Strip area of Khan Yunis. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrested 20 wanted Palestinian militants throughout the West Bank overnight Monday. Seven Qassam rockets struck the western Negev on Friday. No injuries were caused, but one rocket struck a textile factory in Sderot, causing a fire. (Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz, October 29, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

IDF reservist First Sergeant Major Ehud Efrati, 34, who was killed in a gunbattle with Hamas militants in southern Gaza early Monday. (Reproduction)

Cheney: U.S., Other Nations Won't Let Iran Get Nuclear Arms
The United States and other nations will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, Vice President Cheney said yesterday. "Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions," Cheney said. He said that Tehran's efforts to pursue technology that would allow it to build a nuclear weapon are obvious, and that "the regime continues to practice delay and deceit in an obvious effort to buy time." If Iran continues on its course, Cheney said, the United States and other nations are "prepared to impose serious consequences." "We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he said. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the United States has the resources to attack Iran if needed, despite the strains of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mullen added that striking Iran is a last resort, and that the focus is on diplomacy to stem Iran's nuclear ambitions, but "there is more than enough reserve to respond" militarily if need be. (Matthew Barakat, The Washington Post, October 22, 2007) Click here to read the entire article

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Iran to fire '11,000 rockets in minute' if attacked
Iran warned on Saturday it would fire off 11,000 rockets at enemy bases within the space of a minute if the United States launched military action against the Islamic republic. "In the first minute of an invasion by the enemy, 11,000 rockets and cannons would be fired at enemy bases," said a brigadier general in the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mahmoud Chaharbaghi. Chaharbaghi said that the Guards would soon receive "rockets with a range of 250 kilometres (155 miles)" whereas the current range of its rockets is 150 kilometres (91 miles). He said that the Guards' weapons were spread out throughout the country and so would not be affected by any isolated US strikes against military facilities. The Guards are Iran's elite ideological army and responsible for its most significant weapons such as the longer range Shahab-3 missile which has Israel and US bases in the Middle East within its range. (AFP, October 20, 2007)

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Official: Air Attack Targeted Nascent Nuclear Facility Built With North Korean 'Expertise'
Israeli officials believed that a target their forces bombed inside Syria last month was a nuclear facility, because they had detailed photographs taken by a possible spy inside the complex, ABC News has learned. A senior U.S. official told ABC News the Israelis first discovered a suspected Syrian nuclear facility early in the summer, and the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, managed to either co-opt one of the facility's workers or to insert a spy posing as an employee. As a result, the Israelis obtained many detailed pictures of the facility from the ground. The official described the pictures as showing a big cylindrical structure, with very thick walls all well-reinforced. The photos show rebar hanging out of the cement used to reinforce the structure, which was still under construction. The official said the facility was a North Korean design in its construction, the technology present and the ability to put it all together. It was North Korean "expertise," said the official, meaning the Syrians must have had "human" help from North Korea. (Martha Raddatz, ABC News Internet Ventures, October 19, 2007)

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Iran replaces top nuclear negotiator with Mahmoud's ally
Iran's top nuclear negotiator has stepped down, a move expected to worsen the country's dispute with the West over its atomic program, officials said Saturday. The sudden resignation of Ali Larijani could harden President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's already rigid stance in ongoing nuclear negotiations, since Larijani was viewed as a more diplomatic figure. Larijani's replacement, senior foreign ministry official Saeed Jalili, is Ahmadinejad's ally and expected to support his hard-line position in the nukes standoff. (Carrie Melago, New York Daily News, October 21, 2007)

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Olmert escapes terror attack in Jericho
A group of gunmen affiliated with Fatah attempted to hit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's convoy as it made its way from Jerusalem to Jericho for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on August 6, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told the cabinet ministers Sunday morning. Following the incident, the Palestinians arrested three suspects, who were later released, according to Israeli officials. Two other cell members are being held in Israel. Israeli security sources expressed their anger over the release, which took place "after these terrorists' involvement in the foiled attack was made clear." Shortly after the initial report on the foiled attack, Ynet learned that the plot to assassinate Olmert was originally planned for June 6, when the prime minister was first scheduled to meet with the Palestinian president in the PA territories. The cell included five members who were involved in terror attacks and previous failed attacks in the West Bank. The information was disclosed to the PA, which arrested three of the cell members. The other two were detained by the IDF and the Shin Bet. (Ali Waked, Amnon Meranda, Attila Somfalvi, Efrat Weiss and Neta Sela, YNet News, October 21, 2007)

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Archaeologists find link to 1st temple
Israeli archaeologists overseeing a contested dig at Jerusalem's holiest site for Muslims and Jews stumbled upon a sealed archaeological level dating back to the era of the first biblical Jewish temple, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Sunday. On Sunday, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced that it had discovered fragments of ceramic table wares and animal bones dating back to the first Jewish temple - from the 6th to the 10th centuries B.C. Jon Seligman, Jerusalem regional archaeologist for the Antiquities Authority, said the find was significant since it could help scholars in reconstructing the dimensions and boundaries of the Temple Mount during the first temple period. "The layer is a closed, sealed archaeological layer that has been undisturbed since the 8th century B.C.," he said. (Nadav Shragai, Haaretz, October 22, 2007)

Bowl sherds decorated with wheel burnishing lines characteristic of the First Temple period
(Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority)

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California bill to divest Iran investments signed
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill on Sunday, as he previously said he would, to bar the two biggest U.S. public pension funds from investing in companies doing business in Iran. "I couldn't be more proud to sign this bill," California's celebrity Republican governor said in a statement on Sunday that noted California aimed investment restrictions at South Africa in the 1980s to protest its then apartheid policies and at Sudan last year over violence in Darfur. Schwarzenegger echoed the U.S. government's view of Iran's government as a state sponsor of terrorism. "This year I am pleased to support additional efforts to further prevent terrorism by doing what's right with our investment portfolio and signing this legislation to divest from Iran," Schwarzenegger said.

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Israel Struck Syrian Nuclear Project, Analysts Say
Israel’s air attack on Syria last month was directed against a site that Israeli and American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel, according to American and foreign officials with access to the intelligence reports. The description of the target addresses one of the central mysteries surrounding the Sept. 6 attack, and suggests that Israel carried out the raid to demonstrate its determination to snuff out even a nascent nuclear project in a neighboring state. A senior Israeli official, while declining to speak about the specific nature of the target, said the strike was intended to “re-establish the credibility of our deterrent power,” signaling that Israel meant to send a message to the Syrians that even the potential for a nuclear weapons program would not be permitted. But several American officials said the strike may also have been intended by Israel as a signal to Iran and its nuclear aspirations. (David Sanger and Mark Mazzetti, The New York times, October 14, 2007)

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Rice Says Iran 'Lying' About Nukes
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday accused Iran of "lying" about the aim of its nuclear program, saying there's no doubt Tehran wants the capability to produce nuclear weapons and has deceived the U.N.'s atomic watchdog about its intentions. "There is an Iranian history of obfuscation and, indeed, lying to the IAEA," she said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. "There is a history of Iran not answering important questions about what is going on and there is Iran pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to nuclear weapons-grade material," Rice told reporters aboard her plane as she headed to Moscow. (Matthew Lee, The Associated Press, October 12, 2007)

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Iran’s Top Cleric Calls for Boycott of Peace Talks
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called Saturday for all Muslim countries to boycott an American-sponsored meeting for Middle East peace that is planned for late November. The ayatollah is Iran’s supreme authority, outranking President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power and credibility. But both share the view that the state of Israel has no right to exist, and Iran has consistently opposed all Palestinian-Israeli peace accords. Iran is also the main sponsor of Hezbollah, the radical Islamic Shiite group in southern Lebanon that fought a war with Israel last summer. Furthermore, Iran is a major sponsor of Hamas, the radical Palestinian Sunni group that runs Gaza, and the prime sponsor of Islamic Jihad, a smaller radical grouping that has opposed any cease-fire with Israel. (Steven Erlanger, The New York Times, October 14, 2007)

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Abbas aide: Western Wall is ours
Adnan Husseini, aide to the Palestinian Authority president, said Thursday that Palestinian demands for Israel to cede eastern Jerusalem under any peace accord also includes the Western Wall. "This is part of Islamic heritage that cannot be given up, and it must be under Muslim control," Husseini told Israel's NRG Web site, adding that all of Jerusalem's Old City should be part of a future Palestinian state. He made similar comments in an interview with Israel Radio.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said a future peace accord with the Palestinians would require Israel to give up on some of its long-standing national claims but did not specify a plan for Jerusalem. (The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 11, 2007)

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Palestinians Crucify the Holy Land
Last Saturday, Palestinian Christian Rami Ayyad was abducted and murdered. His body was found the next day. Six months ago, a bomb destroyed Ayyad’s Christian bookstore, the Holy Bible Society in Gaza City. This cruelty is often hallowed by the sanction of Islamic law. Sheikh Abu Saqer of the jihadist group Jihadia Salafiya announced last June: “I expect our Christian neighbors to understand the new Hamas rule means real changes. They must be ready for Islamic rule if they want to live in peace in Gaza.” This would mean that, in accord with ancient provisions of Islamic Sharia law, Christians could practice their religion, but only if they did so inconspicuously: “Jihadia Salafiya and other Islamic movements will ensure Christian schools and institutions show publicly what they are teaching to be sure they are not carrying out missionary activity. No more alcohol on the streets. All women, including non-Muslims, need to understand they must be covered at all times while in public.” Hamas even intends to reinstitute the jizya, the special tax mandated by the Qur’an (9:29) for Jews and Christians, but from which Muslims are exempt from paying. Yet while all this has gone on the world has turned a blind eye. The UN has issued no resolutions calling upon the Palestinians to stop mistreating their Christian minority. (Robert Spencer, FrontPageMagazine, October 11, 2007)

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Israeli Government and Holocaust survivors reach accord
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday announced the allocation of NIS 1.5 billion for the welfare of elderly persons in need and Holocaust survivors. By 2009, the decision stipulates, government funding will rise to more than 10 times its current level. Approximately 8,500 survivors of concentration camps and ghettos will get a monthly stipend of more than NIS 1,000, Army Radio reported. The head of the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors, Noah Flug, said he was pleased with the result of the negotiations between the government and the organizations. (The Jerusalem Post, October 15, 2007)

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Report from Ambassador Dore Gold, former Israeli Ambassador to the UN
Currently, the Bush administration is working with the Israeli government and with the Palestinian Authority to craft a “joint declaration” for the planned November 2007 summit meeting in Annapolis which is intended to re-launch direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for a final status agreement. While the pre-summit negotiations are secret, Israeli and Palestinian Arab officials have been speaking to a variety of leaders in the Middle East and in the US so that the following language about two paragraphs in the joint declaration are increasingly clear:

1. Jerusalem. The drafters of the joint declaration are now considering language on Jerusalem based upon the January 2001 Clinton Plan, which states that areas where Jews live will come under Israeli sovereignty while areas where Arabs live will come under Palestinian sovereignty. In the Old City, where the Holy Sites are located, reference is made to a special area called the Holy Basin—including the Mt. of Olives and the City of David. The declaration will call for a special arrangement or regime for the Holy Basin, implying some sort of internationalization, but not Israeli sovereignty.

2. No Defensible Borders. The drafters are planning to call for a withdrawal to the 1967 lines, allowing for “land swaps,” if Israel wants to retain territories beyond the 1967 lines. When Prime Minister Sharon proposed the Gaza Dis-engagement, he received a written letter of assurances from President Bush on April 14, 2004 stating that Israel was entitled to “defensible borders” and the Israeli population centers in the West Bank (settlement blocs), in any permanent status arrangement. No requirement was put forward in the Bush letter that Israel would have to pay for that added West Bank territory by swapping Israeli sovereign land, which has been recognized as a part of Israel since 1949. It should be added that one month before he was assassinated, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin insisted in his last Knesset address that Israel never return to the 1967 lines and retain the Jordan Valley, “in the widest sense of that term.” Sharon adopted the Rabin language for his own Knesset addresses. This has also bee repeatedly the declared policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If the language being proposed comes from Prime Minister Olmert and the Israeli government alone, then it will be the responsibility of those concerned with these ideas to act in the context of the Israeli parliamentary system.

From what we have been able to discern, the US input has been to demand a “substantive” declaration to help Mahmoud Abbas. There is reason to be concerned that much of this detailed language comes from Washington, itself. Olmert made the initail mistake by opening the door of a joint declaration. Now, it is likely that Secretary of State Rice is pushing the hardest to obtain the most meaningful and detailed document possible. Her considerations largely emanate from the internal Palestinian situation; she hopes that detailed Israeli concessions will pull Palestinian public opinion away from Hamas and towards Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayad. This US strategy is probably being undermined by the Palestinians themselves; the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat has been reporting that there are secret Fatah-Hamas contacts underway at present. Israel is likely to be forced to make commitments to Abbas, only to obtain another Abbas-Hamas government through the back door. This is precisely the Saudi Arabian goal, as well: to re-connect Fatah and Hamas through a new Mecca Agreement.

Still, Olmert wants to minimize the declaration and remove many of the details outlined above, so that he doesn't lose his coalition and be forced into early elections. Nonetheless, the Palestinians are demanding a detailed time-line for implementing a final status agreement, for which they have full Saudi support. If Olmert persists in demanding a watered-down declaration, that is unacceptable to Abbas, the Saudis and the rest of the Arab world, then, as a fall back, seasoned Middle Eastern observers believe that Rice might decide to issue an American declaration to save the conference instead of a joint Israeli-Palestinian declaration. Olmert could tell his coalition that he didn't author the declaration, but he cannot reject it out of hand. Right now growing evidence of wide Israeli-Palestinian differences comes from rumors that the whole conference may be delayed until December.

It is hard for me to believe that President Bush would back an initiative that would re-divide Jerusalem and strip Israel of the defensible borders that Prime Minister Sharon sought to achieve for Israel—and has served, as noted above, as the guiding principle for Prime Ministers Rabin and Netanyahu, as well.

It should be recalled that in order to launch the peace process in 1991, no such detailed Israeli concessions were demanded up front. Israel came to the Madrid Peace Conference, under President George H. W. Bush, in accordance with the Madrid Invitation, which was based on US Security Council Resolution 242. That was even sufficient for Saudi Arabia to send an observer to Madrid. Why now is Israel being asked to pay far more for what it obtained in 1991 already?

The main argument of those advocating for a substantive and detailed joint declaration is that it will not be legally binding and that it is only a vision for the future—a “political horizon”—and not a proposal that will be implemented next year. However, even if it is not legally binding, it will set the baseline for future negotiations. There is another area of concern that this negotiation contains. The Bush administration sponsored the 2003 Roadmap that put off substantive issues like these until the Palestinians first halted terrorism and stopped incitement The substantive negotiations now being held contradict the Roadmap sequence.

But far more importantly, Israel cannot tie its hands given the uncertainty it faces. How can Israel commit itself now to specific borders, when the future of the Middle East is so unclear? What will happen in Iraq? Will al-Qaeda run from Iraq to states neighboring Israel? Will the Iraqi Shiites create a new Hizballah, that will infiltrate Jordan to attack Israel? Will the West halt the Iranian nuclear program or will be face an emboldened nuclear Iran? And if the West attacks, will the regime survive and engage in even greater acts of subversion against Israel and the West for which Israel must be fully prepared? Going back to the 1967 lines and leaving the strategic Jordan Valley, leaves Israel completely exposed to infiltration from the east.

Finally, how can an international regime for Jerusalem even be considered? Someone serious has to be responsible for security in Jerusalem—certainly not the UN or another international mechanism. Across the Middle East, holy sites have lost their immunity. Al-Qaeda repeatedly attacks Shiite mosques in Iraq—even the al-Askari mosque in Sammara. Churches and monasteries have been torched and assaulted in Gaza. The Taliban began this wave when they destroyed 2,000 year old Buddhist statues in Afghanistan. What is clear is that only a free and democratic Israel can protect the great Holy Sites of Jerusalem for all faiths; this must not be compromised.

The present proposals appear to contradict everything President Bush has stood for, but I am not sure he is fully aware of all the details of what is transpiring.

Netanyahu to the Knesset 'Olmert will place Hamas on Jersualem’s walls'
At the opening of the Knesset Winter Session, Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu lashed out at the government's policy, claiming that its strategy would eventually lead to an Iranian terrorist presence in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel. "The unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon created an Iranian outpost - from which Israel is being attacked - in the North, and the unilateral pullout from Gaza created a second Iranian base in Gaza, 'Hamastan,'" Netanyahu said. "And now the government is planning a third withdrawal - from Judea and Samaria - that will lead to a third Iranian outpost." "Giving Hamas half of Jerusalem will make the rest of Jerusalem unlivable," Netanyahu said. "Giving up Judea and Samaria will transfer the areas controlling the coastal plain into the hands of Hamas, leading to Kassams…on Tel Aviv." "Olmert will place Hamas men on the walls of Jerusalem," he warned. "Jerusalem will fast become a pilgrimage site for terrorists from all over the world." (The Jerusalem Post, October 8, 2007)

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Iranians Chant ‘Death to Israel’ in Mass Protest
Tens of thousands of Iranians marched through Tehran on Friday proclaiming solidarity with Palestinians and chanting "Death to Israel" in the Islamic republic's annual protest against the Jewish state. Coloured bibs were handed out to protestors with the legend "Death to Israel, Death to United States" while "Palestine will only be free with fighting and faith" was the slogan on one banner. (AFP, October 6, 2007)

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Palestinian Christian found dead in Gaza
The body of a Christian official who was kidnapped over the weekend was discovered in Gaza City early Sunday, Palestinian sources said. The man was identified as Rami Ayyad, 31, director of The Teacher's Bookshop, which is operated by the Palestinian Bible Society. Although no group claimed responsibility for the murder, a number of Christians in Gaza City told The Jerusalem Post that Ayyad had received several death threats in the past from radical Muslims who accused him of conducting missionary activities. His bookshop and the Palestinian Bible Society had been the target of repeated attacks over the past two years. They noted that attacks on members of the 2,500-strong Christian community in the Gaza Strip had increased in recent months, especially since Hamas took full control over the area. Two weeks ago, an elderly Christian woman living in Gaza City was beaten and robbed by a masked man who accused her of being an "infidel." Shortly after the Hamas takeover, a local Christian school and a monastery were looted and set on fire. (Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post, October 7, 2007)

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Iran Could Strike U.S. by 2015, U.S. Officials Say
Iranian technology is on pace to build a long-range missile that could strike the United States within a decade, a high-level Pentagon official told FOX News. "Most of the intelligence experts predict that sometime before 2015, or in that time frame, the Iranians will have developed the capabilities to threaten the United States, from a missile technology perspective, "Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, chief of the U.S. missile defense program, said Tuesday in a Pentagon interview with FOX News. Of concern Obering said is Iran's ability to take shorter range technology and improving it to longer and longer ranges. (Jennifer Griffin and Justin Fishel, Fox News, October 3, 2007)

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Hamas Children's Magazine Al-Fateh Encourages Terrorism, Glorifies Martyrdom The Hamas children's magazine Al-Fateh … features stories, poems, riddles, puzzles, etc., includes incitement to jihad and martyrdom and glorification of terrorist operations and of their planners and perpetrators, as well as characterizations of Jews as "murderers of the prophets" and laudatory descriptions of parents who encourage their sons to kill Jews. In each issue, a regular feature titled "The Story of a Martyr" presents the "heroic deeds" of a mujahid from one of the organizations who died in a suicide operation (including operations against civilians) or who was killed by the IDF.
MEMRI boy with gun

The magazine also includes illustrations of figures (including child warriors) who embody the ancient Islamic ethos of jihad and martyrdom, presenting them as role models. These include the magazine's titular character, Al-Fateh ("The Conqueror") - a small boy on a horse brandishing a drawn sword - as well as children carrying guns [illustration to the left], and photos of Hamas fighters launching Qassam rockets. (C. Jacob, The Middle East Media Research Institute, October 5, 2007)

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Iran threatens to attack 170 US targets
Iran threatened Monday to attack some 170 American targets in the Middle East and around the world if it is attacked by Israel or the US, Israel Radio reported.A high-ranking officer from the country's Revolutionary Guards told the force's official journal, The Guards, that Teheran succeeded, after extended and comprehensive work, to identify hundreds of strategic American targets in the Middle East and around the world. The Revolutionary Guards' Ground Forces Command is able to easily kill American nationals staying in the Middle East. "Several years ago they [Americans] were far away from us by thousands of kilometers. Now they are so close we can touch them," the Iranian general said. (The Jerusalem Post, October 1, 2007)

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Israel Releases 57 Palestinian prisoners
A convoy with 57 Palestinian prisoners arrived at the Beitunya checkpoint, between Givat Ze'ev and Ramallah, on Monday afternoon after being released from Ketziot Prison. Some 200 relatives of the prisoners waited at the checkpoint to greet them. In total, 86 security prisoners are expected to be freed Monday. Another prisoner who was due to be released is set to stay in prison after he was discovered to be a Hamas member. Most of the prisoners are Fatah members from the West Bank, while around one-third are residents of the Gaza Strip. The prisoner release comes ahead of formal talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams aimed at drawing up a joint document for next month's US-hosted Middle East peace meeting. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will host Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at his succa in Jerusalem on Wednesday (Mark Weiss, The Jerusalem Post, October 1, 2007)

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Iranian Soldiers in Lebanon
Between 2,000 and 3,000 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran) are currently in Lebanon. Here, these Iranian soldiers are supporting Lebanese Hezbollah fighters — actual numbers are unknown — with weapons, military equipment, and cash. They are also training them in camps (at least five such camps in the Bekaa Valley and two or three in southern Lebanon) in a variety of infantry/commando operations and terror-bombing techniques. Currently, there are approximately 2,000 Hezbollah fighters under arms in Lebanon. Another 25,000 are capable of being mobilized. Some of these newly trained Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are being sent to Iraq, crossing Syria to enter that country. (W. Thomas Smith, The National Review, September 29, 2007)

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Senate urges Bush to declare Iranian force a terrorist group
The United States Senate urged the Bush Administration Wednesday to declare Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group to help the U.S. roll back Iranian influence in Iraq. The nonbinding measure passed by 76-22 votes over the objections of some Democrats, who argued its wording could lead to war with Iran. The lower House of Representatives passed similar legislation Tuesday that also called for more U.S. sanctions on Iran. The U.S. Defense Department has accused the Revolutionary Guard of fomenting violence in Iraq, including training and arming militants responsible for attacks on U.S. troops.Both congressional measures called on the U.S. State Department to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. (September 29, 2007, Ha’aretz)

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Hezbollah's 'Show of Force'
Hezbollah is rehearsing for something big here. But a few days ago, between 4,000 and 5,000 HezB gunmen deployed to the Christian areas of Beirut in an unsettling “show of force,” positioning themselves at road intersections and other key points throughout the city. Two additional objectives were achieved: First, the operation served as a probing action to determine local reaction. Second, it served as an exercise to gauge the time required (speed, synchronization, etc.) to achieve the key points and intersections. (W. Thomas Smith, The National Review, September 29, 2007)

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Digging through the Bible
The third season of renewed excavations at Ramat Rahel in Jerusalem has come to a close, with several exceptional finds that have increased archeologists' understanding of the site. Dig director Dr. Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University said that the goals of this year's dig were to expand the area around a Byzantine (fourth-seventh centuries CE) church previously excavated by Yohanan Aharoni of the Hebrew University in the 1950s, and to further expose a garden and a profound water system from a palace or administrative building that was in use from the late Iron Age (seventh-sixth centuries BCE) until the beginning of the Hasmonean period in the 2nd century BCE. These goals were met, he said. "We understand much better the time and the extent of the garden." This year's excavations yielded several extraordinary finds, including a piece of a proto-Ionic (also known as a proto-Aeolic) capital from the Iron Age. To date only 13 such capitals have been found in Judea, with one from the City of David in Jerusalem and now 12 from Ramat Rahel. (Will King, The Jerusalem Post, September 27, 2007)

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Israelis seized nuclear material in Syrian raid
Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem. The attack was launched with American approval on September 6 after Washington was shown evidence the material was nuclear related, the well-placed sources say. They confirmed that samples taken from Syria for testing had been identified as North Korean. Evidence that North Korean personnel were at the site is said to have been shared with President George W Bush over the summer. (Uzi Mahnaimi and Sarah Baxter, The Sunday Times, September 23, 2007)

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US Says Iran Smuggling Missiles to Iraq
The U.S. military accused Iran on Sunday of smuggling surface-to-air missiles and other advanced weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. The new allegations came as Iraqi leaders condemned the latest U.S. detention of an Iranian in northern Iraq, saying the man was in their country on official business. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Mark Fox said U.S. troops were continuing to find Iranian-supplied weaponry including the Misagh 1, a portable surface-to-air missile that uses an infrared guidance system. On Thursday, U.S. troops arrested an Iranian in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah. U.S. officials said he was a member of the elite Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that smuggles weapons into Iraq. (Sameer Yacoub, The Seattle Times , September 24, 2007)

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Ahmadinejad Arrives for New York Visit
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, facing protests and tabloid headlines calling him "evil" and a "madman," stirred debate Monday about free speech ahead of his appearance at Columbia University.Ahmadinejad is to speak and answer questions at a Columbia forum Monday, followed by a scheduled address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.The New York Daily News' front page on Monday read: "THE EVIL HAS LANDED." The New York Post called Ahmadinejad the "Madman Iran Prez" and a "guest of dishonor." (Nahal Toosi, The Associated Press, September 24, 2007)

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Iran shows off military might with parade in Tehran
Threats and economic sanctions will not stop Iran's technological progress, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned yesterday at a large parade featuring fighter jets and radar-avoiding missiles designed to show off the country's military might. "Those [countries] that assume that decaying methods such as psychological war, political propaganda and so-called economic sanctions would work and prevent Iran's fast drive toward progress are mistaken," Ahmadinejad said at the parade that featured Iran's latest weapons, including unmanned surveillance drones, torpedoes and battle tanks. The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said "Iran has drawn up plans to confront enemies in the face of any possible attack," the official IRNA news agency quoted Jafari as saying. In the parade, some of the trucks carrying Iranian missiles were painted with popular slogans: "Down with the U.S." and "Down with Israel." (Ha’aretz, September 23, 2007)

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Explosives belt for Yom Kippur suicide bombing found in Tel Aviv
Security forces foiled a suicide attack that most likely would have targeted a packed synagogue during the Yom Kippur holiday, confiscating an explosives belt from a South Tel Aviv apartment yesterday and arresting the head of the cell planning the attack on Friday. The joint Hamas-Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine cell intended to carry out the attack at a Tel Aviv synagogue during Yom Kippur, the most important Jewish holiday of the year, security forces believe. (Amos Harel and Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz, September 24, 2007)

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Florida Divests From Iran, Sudan
Florida's public employee retirement fund will divest nearly $1.3 billion invested with 21 companies doing business in Iran or Sudan, an action state officials hope will be imitated across the nation. The State Board of Administration authorized the divestiture Wednesday. "You will be telling every one of these companies that from this day forward we won't invest another dollar, Florida's public dollars, in those companies," state Sen. Ted Deutch, the law's sponsor, told the board. At least six other states have similar bans on investing in companies doing business in Sudan but Florida is the first to pass such a law applying to Iran. (Bill Kaczor, The Associated Press, September 20, 2007)

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Archeologists find 2nd Temple quarry
In a major archeological discovery, an ancient quarry that supplied huge high-quality limestone for the construction of the Temple Mount has been uncovered in Jerusalem, Israel's Antiquities Authority announced Sunday. The quarry, which is located four km northwest of Jerusalem's Old City, in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, was used two thousand years ago during the construction of the Second Temple, archeologist Yuval Baruch said. "This unique and sensational find is the first Second Temple quarry ever found." (The Jerusalem Post, September 23, 2007)

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Hamas Terrorist Hid Under Pregnant Woman's Bed
IDF soldiers operating for the sixth straight day in the Ein Beit Ilma neighborhood of the biblical city of Shechem arrested one of Hamas' senior local officers Sunday. Ahmed a-Ez, 36, had been hiding in a hole which had been dug under a bed in a residential home. IDF who combed the home encountered a pregnant woman sitting on a bed. When asked to move she refused, claiming that she felt ill and that there was nothing to see under the bed. The soldiers made her get up and discovered a-Ez in the underground hole. (IsraelNN.com, September 23, 2007)

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Set Free joins with Anglicans for Religeous Freedom
Dr. Climie, in his capacity of Archbishop in the Conservative Anglican Church, joined with Bishop Alfredo Perez of the Latin American Anglican Church of Mexico (center) and Archbishop Leonardo Marin of the Latin American Anglican Church (right) in assisting local Bishops in establishing the Reformed Catholic Church of Venezuela. The new church , whose motto for the international press is 'no obedience to Rome, no obedience to England, Only God', is Full Gospel and committed to evangelism. They have invited Dr. Climie back for evangelistic crusades in the Spring.

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