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Iran and its Shiite Lebanese ally Hizbullah are “propping up” President Bashar al-Assad and providing him with increasing support, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday. Britain would urge international powers to set a date in the next few days for an international conference to try to end the two-year-old conflict engulfing Syria and…

Iran is making significant progress in expanding its nuclear program, including in opening up a potential second route to developing the bomb, a new UN atomic agency report showed Wednesday, according to AFP. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) latest quarterly update says that Tehran has accelerated the installation of advanced uranium enrichment equipment at…

The United States Senate unanimously backed on Wednesday a pro-Israel resolution calling for U.S. assistance for Israel, should it be forced to attack Iran in self-defense. Senate Resolution 65, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemns Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capability. The…

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria was told Wednesday that Arab rock attacks on Jews were 2.5 times more frequent in 2012 than in 2011, and that the numbers for 2013 are 3.5 times larger than those of 2011. The average number of rock attacks per month in Judea and…

Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates will take part in a Middle Eastern tour in August that will include sporting workshops for both Israeli and Palestinian Authority Arab children, AFP reported on Wednesday. “FC Barcelona, with the help of the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority, will organize in August the Barcelona Peace Tour,…

Two attackers with knives attacked a British soldier on a street in London Wednesday, killing him. The government is considering it a terror attack, a spokesperson said. The attack was captured on video, and clearly shows the terrorists with blood on their hands and what appears to be a large knife or machete in hand. Eyewitnesses…

“The seven kidnapped Egyptian soldiers are on their way to Cairo after their release thanks to the efforts of the Egyptian military intelligence in coordination with the elders of the tribes and families of Sinai,” the spokesman said, according to Al-Arabiya. The seven, a border guard and six police officers, were kidnapped last Thursday, and…

Israeli wineries in the Golan region and in Samaria (Shomron) are among the winners of the 2013 DECANTER competition for wines. A record 14,362 wines from 52 countries were entered in the event. Two Israeli wineries won coveted Regional Trophies. The Adir Winery in the Galilee and the Yarden Golan Heights Winery in the Golan…

A subcommittee of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee held a discussion Wednesday of the rapidly deteriorating securoty situation in Judea and Samaria. The session was covened to discuss complaints by soldiers that their hands are effectively tied in the confrontation with Arab terrorists, because of strict orders regarding the use of live fire.…

The IDF has identified the soldier killed in training Tuesday as 19-year-old Roi Alfi of Gan Yavne. His family has been informed of the tragedy. Alfi was training with the Combat Engineering Corps. He was killed by an exploding land mine while assisting in clearing a field of land mines. The incident took place in…

The US envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the US diplomatic envoy to combat anti-Semitism this week will join imams for a visit to Auschwitz, the State Department said Tuesday.Special Envoy to the OIC Rashad Hussain will make the trip with “newly appointed Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Ira Forman,…

The European Union opened the door Tuesday to adding what is known as the Hizbullah terror group’s “military wing” to its list of international terrorist groups, EU diplomats told AFP. A formal request to blacklist Lebanon’s group was filed by Britain and is to be discussed at closed-door talks June 4 of a committee overseeing…

Just a few weeks ago he was the most popular politician in Israel, but according to a new poll released Tuesday, two thirds of Israelis do not believe that Yair Lapid has what it takes to lead the country. The poll by the Ma’agar Mohot polling organization said that Lapid’s popularity was badly damaged by…

A key Senate committee on Tuesdayoverwhelmingly approved legislation that calls for the U.S. to provide small arms to moderate Syrian opposition groups fighting strongman Bashar al-Assad, the Wall Street Journal reports. The 15-3 vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee showed broad support from both Democrats and Republicans for arming the rebels, though some lawmakers…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent a letter of condolence to President Barack Obama and the American people on Tuesday, following the disastrous Oklahoma tornado. “Om behalf of the Government and people of Israel, I offer our heartfelt condolences to you and to the people of the United States on the massive tornado that struck in…

The Chabad Center of Oklahoma City has issued an appeal to the worldwide Jewish community to contribute “as generously as possible” to their preferred relief organizations. “The situation is heart wrenching, to be so close to such devastation yet so distant in circumstance. However, to witness the tremendous outpour of support is comforting and heartwarming,” writes…

A Nazareth court on Tuesday extended the remand of the Arab leader of a cult in northern Israel. Munir Farhat, the 56 year old leader of what police said was a destructive cult, allegedly led a group of six families in teaching parents that the only way to discipline children was by abusing them, to…

An IDF soldier was killed Tuesday night in a training exercise when a mine he was handling exploded. The soldier was undergoing training in a battlefield unit, removing mines in a field. The mine exploded, and the soldier later died from his injuries. The soldier’s family has been informed. There is no word yet on…

Israeli soldiers patrolling the Golan Heights along the border with Syria fired back after coming under fire overnight, an Israeli Defense Forces statement said Tuesday. “Overnight, shots were fired at an IDF patrol on the border in the central Golan Heights, damaging a military vehicle,” said a statement on the army’s website. No one had…

The United States on Monday denounced what it called a rising tide of both anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish sentiment around the world as it urged all nations to ensure freedom of religion, AFP reports. In a wide-ranging annual report on religious freedom, the State Department voiced alarm at growing attacks against minority groups and painted a…

American leaders speak of the importance of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but American money is being used by terrorist groups that undermine the chance for peace, according to a report by NGO Monitor that was presented Monday to the United States Congress. The problem is with the funding dispersed by U.S.-funded NGOs,…

The rebellion against Syrian strongman Bashar Assad is turning increasingly Islamist in nature, seeing as the rebel forces are largely affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and salafist Islam. Videos streaming in daily from Syria document this Islamist influence, which comes in the form of executions and torture carried out in the name of…

U.S. President Barack Obama told Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Monday that he was concerned about the involvement of Lebanese Hizbullah terrorists in the fight in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad. According to the White House, Obama and Suleiman spoke by telephone after about 30 Hizbullah terrorists, including one senior commander, were killed in…

A powerful tornado blasted an area outside of Oklahoma City on Monday, leveling homes and killing at least 51 people. CNN reported that at least seven of the dead were children from Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, which lay directly in the path of the monster storm’s wall of wind. 75 students and staff…

The United States has apologized for leaking information about Israel’s alleged attack on a convoy of weapons in Syria bound for Hizbullah terrorists several weeks ago. According to reports that appeared in the Jerusalem Post over the weekend, the “leak” about the U.S. leak came from an Israel Radio correspondent, who listed details of the…

The IDF Central Command has begun receiving new riot dispersal equipment, including protective suits for soldiers and an advanced GPS system, according to the official blog of the Israel Defense Forces. The new tools are being integrated as part of the IDF’s range of measures for curbing violent riots in Judea and Samaria. Soldiers of…

Sixteen Palestinians, with ties to convicted terrorists, were indicted last Thursday in an alleged cigarette-smuggling scheme. One of the sixteen men has reported links to the 1994 murder of sixteen-year-old yeshiva student Ari Halberstam in a terror attack on the Brooklyn Bridge. Muaffaq Askar, who was arrested last week in New York, has long been…

Hundreds of residents of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, were astounded Monday morning to see an oversized Nazi flag flying next to a mosque in the Arab town of Beit Omar. The residents notified the IDF. A resident, Uri Arnon, told the Tazpit News Agency: “I felt we were going back 75 years, losing our hold…

In an interview published Monday in the New York Times, Finance Minister Yair Lapid said that that Israel should not change its policy on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria in order to revive the stalemated peace process, and that Jerusalem should not serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Lapid said he…

Iran is tightening control of the Internet ahead of next month’s presidential election, users and experts told AFP on Sunday. The regime is mindful of violent street protests that social networkers inspired after the last elections over claims of fraud, the report said. The authorities deny such claims, but have not explained exactly why service…

IDF soldiers carrying out routine security assignments along the border with Syria reported that shots were fired in their direction from the Syrian side of the border Monday morning. No one was reported hurt in the incident. The IDF’s general assessment is that the gunfire is spillover from the fighting in Syria, between forces loyal…

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussed the security situation at Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem in Monday. It appears that a roof may be built over the compound, to protect the worshipers inside from incessant Arab attacks. The IDF told Knesset Members that about 200 firebombs and 90 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been…

France is in talks with the United States and Israel to buy intelligence-gathering drones, the country’s Defense Minister said on Sunday. “We need this capacity in the short term. There are currently two countries in the world that build drones, the United States and Israel,” Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the iTele TV channel. “We…

A senior Hizbullah terrorist was among 20 members of the group who were killed in intense fighting in Syria on Sunday, Al Arabiya reports. According to the report, the Hizbullah terrorists were killed in the Syrian town of Qusayr, following clashes between Syrian rebels and regime forces who attempted to enter the town earlier in…

Dave Lombardo, founding member of the metal band Slayer wowed fans at a Tel Aviv masters class. He spoke to Arutz Sheva about his Hispanic background, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Sephardic metal. The American drummer is best known as a founding member and percussionist for the American heavy metal band Slayer. He is credited…

Arab vandals defaced the tomb of Shimon Ben Yaakov – believed to be the burial place of the father of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. While the tomb – located near Kibbutz Eyal, just off Route 6 – is not one of the most popular or well-known tombs of forefathers, it is frequented…

Channel 2 TV has aired security video footage showing an IDF soldier mistakenly firing at Rabbi Dan Mertzbach’s car 18 months ago, fatally injuring him. The tragic event took place in the early morning hours of November 11, 2011. IDF soldiers in the south Hevron area were placed on alert and told to watch out…

North Korea on Sunday launched its fourth short-range projectile into waters off its east coast, marking the latest provocation from Pyongyang. South Korean officials had called the weapons tested “short-range guided missiles.” On Sunday, they began referring to what was launched over the last two days as “projectiles,” saying they may have included not only the…

Dozens of Arab men held a protest Friday against the security barrier that runs between Abu Dis and Jerusalem. As part of the protest, the men took large hammers and created a gaping hole in the wall. Several men used the hole to enter Jerusalem without going through a security checkpoint. The protest was part…

Egyptian police closed a commercial passage with Israel on Sunday in support of colleagues who shut down a crossing with Gaza to protest the abduction of policemen, according to the AFP news agency, which based its report on reports in Egyptian state media. The protesters say the commercial Al-Ouga crossing between Egypt and Israel will remain closed until…

Israel is acting to prevent Syrian weapons from reaching Lebanon’s Hizbullah and will continue to do so, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, AFP reports. His remarks came two weeks after air strikes near Damascus that were widely attributed to Israel, which a senior Israeli source said were aimed at preventing the transfer of sophisticated…

On Saturday night, one Israeli driver after another fell victim to an ambush near Wadi Harmiya, near Shilo in the Binyamin region. Beginning at 1 a.m., Palestinian Authority Arab attackers waiting near the road hurled a barrage of stones at passing cars with Israeli license plates. Among those targeted by the attackers was the Shlissel…

Sixteen people were wounded in Arab attacks last week, according to data gathered by the defense establishment.  Seven of the injured were soldiers, seven were police officers and two were civilians. Two officers were hurt when they were hit by rocks during a riot in El Aroub. Four soldiers were lightly wounded when a firebomb…

The Syrian army has begun deploying advanced surface-to-surface missiles and has aimed them at Tel Aviv, the British Sunday Times reports. According to the report, Syria is preparing to strike Israel in case the Jewish State launches another attack on its territory. The army has received orders to strike central Israel in case additional attacks…

Members of the Israeli delegation to the Eurovision song contest in Malmo, Sweden, said they were the targets of anti-Semitic threats as they were walking down the street. Alon Amir told Sveriges Radio on Tuesday that he and the other two Israelis were confronted by a group of men. Amir told the men he was from Cyprus “because…

Iran hanged two convicted spies on Sunday, one found guilty of working for Israel, the other for the United States, the AFP news agency reports, based on an announcement from the Tehran prosecutor’s office.   Mohammad Heydari was convicted of “receiving payment to provide intelligence on various security issues and national secrets in repeatedmeetings with the Mossad,” Israel’s intelligence agency,…

Syrian state TV has reported a powerful explosion has hit the nation’s capital, causing an unknown number of casualties. State TV said Saturday evening that the blast shook the Damascus neighborhood of Ruken al-Deen late Saturday. Residents confirmed to news wires that they heard a large explosion. At least three people are said to have…

An Arab youth was killed when a tunnel linking Egypt to Gaza collapsed on Saturday, Arab medical sources said. “Mussa Ghonaim, 26 years old, was killed in the tunnel collapse south of the town of Rafah,” the sources said, according to AFP. In February, the Islamist terror movement Hamas, which governs Gaza, closed hundreds of…

Dozens of Arab Muslims rioted in the Old City of Jerusalem on Saturday, hurling rocks at Israeli police and setting ablaze garbage bins, a police spokeswoman said. “Dozens of Palestinians threw rocks at police forces near Nablus Gate. Two of them were arrested,” said Luba Samri. An AFP correspondent said some of the demonstrators were…

President Shimon Peres told Germany’s Foreign Minister on Friday that there should be no compromise with Iran so long as it continues its nuclear activities. Peres and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who held a diplomatic working meeting at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem, discussed the Iranian nuclear threat as well as the efforts to renew…

Syrians were arbitrarily detained and tortured by government forces in security buildings in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch said on Friday, the DPA news agency reports. The organization’s researchers found documents and physical evidence of the abuse when they visited the State Security and Military Intelligence facilities in al-Raqqa in late April, after local armed…

IDF soldiers opened fire at rioting Palestinian Authority Arabs on Friday, after they failed to break up a protest in which rocks had been thrown at them. The incident took place at Jelazoun, near the Binyamin region town of Beit El. Kol Yisrael radio reported that five Arabs were wounded, while PA security officials told…

Middle East peace will prove impossible without unity among Palestinian Authority Arab factions, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday, suggesting Ankara could help reconcile the Fatah and Hamas parties. “The process of unity between Fatah and Hamas, this has to be achieved,” Erdogan was quoted by AFP as having told a Washington think…

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Russia agreed on Friday that a peace conference on Syria should be held “as soon as possible”, even as Moscow defied growing global pressure over its arms supplies to the Damascus regime. AFP reported that Ban met Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before starting talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he would travel wherever is needed and will talk to whoever is needed to keep Israel safe and secure. Netanyahu, who met with visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, said, “It is always a pleasure to host you here in Jerusalem. You are a friend of Israel,…

If Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will start a war with Israel, he will be “finished”, former Military Intelligence head, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin, said on Friday. “There is pressure on Assad to respond [to recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria], but he will be finished if he starts a war,” Yadlin, who now heads the…

Russia’s decision to send S-300 missile systems to Syria is, in part, a message to the United States, according to the head of the Russian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov. Russia opposes outside interference in Syria’s ongoing civil war, he explained, according to Walla. “We’re opposed to no-fly zones, because they are the first…

Police have uncovered more than 2,000 weapons that were held illegally in northern Israel as part of an operation to reduce illegal weapons ownership. Police in all northern districts took part in the operation, which saw officers working together with detectives, Border Police, canine units and the Yassam special forces. Many of the illegally owned…

The Israeli-Arab city of Sakhnin is planning to name streets for two of Israel’s most famous enemies, according to MK Miri Regev (Likud Beytenu). City officials in Sakhnin are planning to name a street for deceased Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, “a mass murderer and terrorist,” she said. A second street is to be named…

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday he would probably make a planned trip to Gaza in June and was also expecting to visit Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, despite opposition from the U.S. to his visiting Gaza. Erdogan gave new details at a news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama of…

Russia clarified on Thursday that it would go ahead with selling S-300 advanced missile systems to Syria, despite a request by Israel to cancel the deal. Speaking to the Lebanese-based Al-Mayadeen television, which is close to the Hizbullah terror group, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia is “committed to the agreements” signed with…

The IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Tamir Yadai, visited the Har Hevron Authority Thursday and met Authority Head Tzviki Bar Hai. The two discussed the security of the Har Hevron communities and on the roads between them. Bar Hai demanded that Yadai beef up IDF forces in the face of the upsurge…

A young Jewish woman, Dovrat Malul, was driving through Yafo (Jaffa) Wednesday when she encountered a protest against Israel’s establishment, on what Arabs call “Nakba Day.” Her response was to put a new song by Eyal Golan – simply called “Israel” – on her car stereo, and pump up the volume. She uploaded the video…

Germany’s foreign minister is set to meet Israeli leaders Friday and the Palestinian Authority caretaker premier Saturday during his visit to the Middle East to promote a US initiative to revive peace talks, a spokesman said. Guido Westerwelle told PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas by phone on Wednesday that Germany “unreservedly supports” the initiative, said the…

Two of the four soldiers who were hospitalized in an attack on an IDF unit near Hevron were released Wednesday night, but two are still being treated. The four were injured when Arabs attacked an IDF jeep with firebombs in the village of Hursa, near Hevron, during the Shavuot holiday Wednesday, causing it to overturn…

Police barred Jews from entering the Temple Mount on Thursday, after Muslim groups threatened violence in the wake of a plan to bring Jewish children to visit the site. The plan, organized by groups encouraging Jewish visits to the Mount, was meant to be an educational program that would demonstrate rituals associated with the Temple,…

After a 26 year legal battle, the Canadian government has deported a Palestinian terrorist convicted of attacking an El Al airlines plane in Athens and killing an Israeli passenger. Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad “made a mockery” of Canada’s immigration system by avoiding deportation for 26 years, the government said Monday. Mohammad, who slipped into Canada in…

Terrorists who were arrested in Egypt over the weekend were planning to attack the U.S. and French embassies in Cairo, Egyptian officials said Wednesday. The three are members of a terror organization, but Egyptian officials stopped short of admitting that the terrorists belonged to Al Qaeda. The U.S. embassy in Cairo warned American citizens to…

Arab terrorists who in the past served terms in Israeli prisons warned prisoners currently being held for terrorism to watch out for a group of undercover informers seeking to trip them up, who are known as “birds.” The network apparently stretches far and wide, with these “birds” tasked with wheedling out confessions that lead to…

Arab terrorists fired a Kassam rocket from Gaza Wednesday, marking Nakba Day – the day of the establishment of the state of Israel despite Arab efforts to annihilate it, just three years after the Auschwitz death factory closed its gates. A Color Red siren sounded in the Eshkol region Wednesday afternoon, immediately after the rocket…

A senior Israeli official signaled on Wednesday that Israel was considering further military strikes on Syria to stop the transfer of advanced weapons to Islamist Hizbullah – and warned President Bashar Assad against any kind of retaliation against the Jewish state. The New York Times quoted the Israeli official who said, “Israel is determined to…

The price of home electricity will go up Wednesday at midnight by 6.3%, in accordance with a decision by the Electric Authority plenum ten days ago. While steep, the rise is more moderate than the 8% that had been forecast, because of the arrival of natural gas from the Tamar rig. Prices were to be…

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni announced Wednesday that she will not allow Religions Minister Naftali Bennett to solve the Women of the Wall controversy by promulgating new regulations for Kotel prayer. “I am informing you of my principled stand on the matter, before you make any new regulations,” she announced, in what she said was a…

Arabs attacked an IDF jeep near Hevron with firebombs during the Shavuot holiday Wednesday, causing it to overturn and catch fire. Two of the soldiers were taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheva and they are reportedly suffering from second and third degree burns. Two other soldiers were slightly hurt. Arabs marked “Nakba Day” on Wednesday…

More than 94,000 people have been killed in more than two years of conflict in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a newly-revised toll on Tuesday, according to AFP. The watchdog group said it revised the toll — just two days after it announced a tally of 82,257 dead — after receiving…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned against any moves that would further destabilize the situation in Syria, speaking after talks with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “In this crucial period it is especially important to avoid any moves that can shake the situation,” Putin was quoted as saying by news agencies, daysafter Israeli…

Advanced Russian missile launchers that Israel was trying to prevent from falling into Syrian hands have already been transferred to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the London-based Arabic-language Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported Tuesday. The report was published as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took off to Russia to convince President Vladimir Putin not to sell advanced Russian…

Russia on Tuesday said it had detained an alleged American CIA agent working undercover at the U.S. embassy and who was discovered with a large stash of money trying to recruit a Russian agent, AFP reports. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) identified the man as Ryan C. Fogle — third secretary of the political section…

Judea and Samaria Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Tamir Yadai, toured Beit El Tuesday following recent incidents in which residents of a nearby village hurled rocks at Jewish homes. Yadai met with a girl who was wounded in one of the attacks, and spoke with her and members of the family. He said that the IDF…

Canada has deported to Lebanon a “Palestinian” man who lived in the country for the past 26 years over a 1968 attack on an Israeli airliner, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Monday, according to the AFP news agency. Issa Mohammad immigrated to Canada using a false alias in 1987, after being convicted by a Greek…

The American Jewish Committee last week honored U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice with its prestigious Distinguished Public Service Award. “I’m deeply moved to receive AJC’s Distinguished Public Service Award,” said Rice. “I’m proud to accept this honor as a tribute to the dedicated work by President Obama, his administration, and my colleagues at…

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud) said on Monday that he will personally ensure that there is Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Danon said, “Anyone who is interested in legally approving building plans in Judea and Samaria is invited to speak directly with me, and we will promote the construction…

Members of the Shura Council, Egypt’s upper house of parliament, demanded on Monday that the Israeli ambassador in Egypt be removed and that his Egyptian counterpart in Tel Aviv be recalled as well. The reason for the request, according to a report in the Al-Ahram daily, is what the Council called “the continuing assaults against…

Avigdor Glazer z”l passed away some eight years ago from a serious disease, in New York. Before he passed away, he told his parents, Eli and Itta, themselves New York City residents, that he felt he had “not done enough” for his fellow Jews. He particularly expressed interest in making some kind of contribution to…

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the conflict in Syria, the Kremlin said, amid concerns Moscow plans to deliver advanced missiles to the Damascus regime. “During the meeting an exchange of opinion is planned on key aspects of bilateral ties,” the Kremlin said in…

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may face charges for openly endorsing the candidacy of his top adviser, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, and accompanying the candidate as he registered his nomination on Saturday for the June 14 presidential vote. Iran’s constitution bans a seated president and his administration from campaigning for or supporting a presidential candidate. Ahmadinejad could…

The organs of Itay Rabinovich, 3, who died of drowning last week, have saved three children, reports Israel Hayom. Itay’s parents, Noam and Tamar, were informed Sunday that Itay’s donated organs were successfully transplanted into three children. Itay’s liver was transplanted into Haled Jahaleen, 6, of the Arad region. His kidneys were transplanted into a…

New Orleans police are searching for three suspects after at least 19 people were shot during a Mother’s Day parade on Sunday, Fox News reports. Police spokeswoman Remi Braden said in an email that many of the victims were grazed and most of the wounds weren’t life-threatening. No deaths were reported. The FBI said that…

The Palestinian Authority on Sunday sent a warning to Israel, over what it calls its attempts to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. Speaking during a meeting of the PLO’s Executive Committee, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that it is impossible to hold back in the wake of what he called the attacks by…

Israel’s security cabinet ended marathon talks on proposed cuts in defense spending late on Sunday night. The final decision in the matter is expected Monday morning, before the budget is presented to the government for approval. Finance Minister Yair Lapid wants a cut of four billion shekels ($1.12 billion) to help plug a budget deficit…

Israel has opened a new diplomatic mission in the Gulf, the ultra-leftist daily Haaretz reported on Sunday, citing finance ministry costings for 2014 prepared for submission to the government this week. “The paper is an economic plan for the next year and does not name the location of the new mission,” Haaretz said. Questioned by…

A total of 686 candidates are vying replace Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the country’s upcoming June national election, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported. Among those who have registered to be considered for the post are Ahmadinejad’s top aide Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei and former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Ahmadinejad, who is term-limited and cannot…

Israel’s security cabinet was to discuss on Sunday proposed cuts in defense spending of over a billion dollars, as part of Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s austerity plans which include tax hikes and cuts to public services. Lapid wants a cut of four billion shekels ($1.12 billion) to help plug a budget deficit expected to be…

Several days after a stabbing attack was foiled at the last minute at Joseph’s Tomb (Kever Yosef), the IDF has issued a reminder to Jews not to visit the tomb without prior coordination with the military. Four terrorists from Shechem were arrested by the IDF’s Lavi battalion Wednesday, after specific real-time intelligence on a possible…

More than 10,000 people from some 50 countries on Sunday marked the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Mauthausen in Austria. A somber procession was led by Anna Hackl, who lived some100 miles north-west of Vienna and risked her life to shelter two escaped prisoners. Organizers said they wanted to…

Israeli Premier Binyamin Netanyahu is “fully determined” to halt sales by Russia of advanced missiles to Syria when he visits Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom said on Sunday. A reported Russian plan to sell Damascus S-300 missile batteries “worries us at the highest level and the prime…

More Israelis support than oppose the Women of the Wall organization’s demand to change the rules at the Kotel (Western Wall) to allow their form of prayer services. Pollsters from the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University asked, “Recently there have been several clashes between police and the ‘Kotel Women’ who insist on the…

Israeli civilians are suffering the consequences of Palestinian Authority riots, according to a recent flood of reports to Arutz Sheva. PA residents regularly clash with IDF soldiers at certain points in Judea and Samaria (Shomron) on Friday and Saturday, particularly near the separation barrier. The protests are often held near Israeli communities – and according…

A military judge has reduced the sentence imposed on a terrorist in an Israeli prison, Haaretz reports. According to the report the judge, Amir Dahan, claimed that the detention conditions of terrorists do not allow them to rehabilitate themselves and are instead a “fertile ground” for planning acts of terrorism. The terrorist in question is…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will visit Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin, officials said Saturday, amid concerns Moscow may be about to deliver advanced missiles to Syria. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the visit to AFP, but declined to give details. He told the Russian Interfax news agency that the visit was being planned…

Twin car bombs in Turkey killed 41 people and injured 100 others Saturday. The double blast occurred in a crowded area of the small town of Reyhanli in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, just a few kilometers from the main border crossing into Syria. Al Jazeera quoted Bulent Arinc, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey,…

Israelis marched late Saturday in an echo of mass cost of living protests in 2011, but this time their ire focused on finance minister Yair Lapid who came to power in January on the coattails of that protest movement. 2,000 people gathered in central Tel Aviv, an AFP journalist said, to protest against an austerity budget due for cabinet…

Tests that were conducted on wounded Syrians who arrived in Turkey suggested that chemical weapons may have been used by Syrian security forces, the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday, according to Al Arabiya. Ahmet Davutoglu, who spoke from Amman, said that further tests were being conducted in order to verify the recent evidence. “We…

El Salvador established diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority on Friday, the Global Post reports. The move comes a week after Denmark and Finland became the latest European countries to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic missions in their countries. Garnering official recognition as a state from as many countries as possible has…

A Budapest court has handed down prison sentences of two and three years to three men who verbally abused visitors to the World Jewish Congress (WJC) that was held in the city this week, state newswire MTI reported Friday. The agency said the visitors were victims of an anti-Semitic attack during their stay in the…

Facebook is in talks on a potential $1 billion deal to buy the Israel-based GPS mobile navigation app Waze, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The report, citing unnamed sources, said the discussions were “serious” but that no deal had been finalized. Waze, with more than 40 million users, could allow the world’s biggest social…

The Obama administration is ignoring the link between radical Islam and terrorism, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Thursday. In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) tied the terrorist attack in Benghazi to the Boston Marathon bombings, saying that in both cases, the Obama administration had ignored the connection…

A German opera house has cancelled an opera featuring graphic Nazi imagery following a wave of public protests on opening night. The Düsseldorf opera house announced that it would cancel its second on-stage dramatization of Richard Wagner’s notoriously anti-Semitic Tannhaeuser opera and that only the concert version would be performed. At the opening of the…

Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Daniel Taub, condemned on Thursday a report by the Church of Scotland that questioned the divine right of Jews to the land of Israel. Taub said the document “negates and belittles the deeply held Jewish attachment to the land of Israel in a way which is truly hurtful.” “If a…

Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, charged on Thursday that the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s government has used chemical weapons against its people. Speaking to NBC News, Erdogan called on the U.S. to take stronger action in Syria. “It is clear the regime has used chemical weapons and missiles,” Erdogan said, though he gave no…

As part of his ongoing efforts to get Israel and the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday hosted talks with special Middle East envoy Tony Blair,. The two men met privately for more than two hours in the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Rome, after Kerry also…

U.S. prosecutors have charged a third man in connection with an “al-Qaeda-supported” plot to derail a passenger train at the Canada-U.S. border, the Globe and Mail reported Thursday. According to the report, authorities in New York unsealed an indictment Thursday against  Ahmed Abassi, a Tunisian citizen, who used to reside in Canada, with fraudulently applying…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is in Beijing, attended a festive dinner Thursday evening with senior Chinese economic leaders, Chinese government representatives and Israeli and Chinese business people. At the start of the event, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “This is the conclusion of a very successful visit. I met this afternoon with President Xi and…

Syria will supply Lebanese terror group Hizbullah with “game-changing weapons” despite air strikes reportedly aimed at cutting off the flow of arms to the Lebanese Shiite terror group, Hizbullah’s leader said on Thursday. “You Israelis say your objective is to stop the capability of the resistance (against Israel) from growing… but Syria will provide (Hizbullah) with game-changing…

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the annual Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) parade. Members of youth groups and visitors from across the country took part in the celebrations, waving flags and singing at the traditional Rikudgalim (flag dance).

On a tour of the Great Wall of China Thursday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the wall was an apt simile for Israel’s situation. China had constructed a wall to defend itself, and Israel must do something similar, he said. “Just like the Chinese defended themselves by locking themselves behind a great wall, we…

Israel has warned the United States that Russia plans to sell advanced weapons to Syria, a report in the Wall Street Journal Thursday said. The deal is set to take place in the coming months. Reports Thursday said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Barack H. Obama Wednesday night for the first…

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, several days after the alleged Israeli air raids on Syrian targets and as Washington steps up its Middle East peace efforts, AFP reported. The White House said in a short statement that Obama and Netanyahu, who is visiting China, spoke by telephone, and…

A senior Palestinian Authority has praised the use of violence against Israel, asserting that if the PA had the military wherewithal to rise up against the Jewish state, it would not hesitate to do so.   “I swear that if we had a nuke, we’d have used it this very morning,” vowed Jibril Rajoub during an…

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Wednesday, where the two witnessed the signing of a series of trade and cultural deals, the AFP news agency reported. While Netanyahu’s arrival on his five-day trip to China overlapped with a journey by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmud Abbas, the two leaders…

The Shabak, along with the IDF, discovered and halted a major terrorist conspiracy that was being formed in the Binyamin region. The conspiracy was being organized from Gaza, via the Internet. Several members of the conspiracy, including two leaders, were arrested, preventing the group from carrying out its plans. According to the Shabak, the group…

After months of sharp differences, Russia and the United States have agreed to push both sides in Syria to find an end to the bloodshed, offering to hold an international conference in search of peace. Syrian rebels meanwhile said they had seized four Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, the second time in two months…

Eighty years ago on Friday, and only months after Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, his Nazi followers burnt piles of books in what has been labelled the nation’s “intellectual decapitation” — an act of terror that foreshadowed worse to come. A metal plate in the grounds of Berlin’s Bebel Square, where 20,000 books went up…

News reports claiming that Prof. Stephen Hawking had chosen to boycott the State of Israel may have been based on a deception or misunderstanding. Cambridge University says that the noted physicist’s decision to cancel his visit to Israel for the President’s Conference stemmed from health reasons alone. According to The Commentator, the story about the…

Syria was cut off from the Internet on Tuesday, according to U.S. tech firms monitoring Web traffic and the State Department. The reasons were not immediately clear, but a similar blackout happened last November, reported AFP. “Syria is currently experiencing an internet blackout as of this afternoon,” a State Department tweet said. Umbrella Security Labs…

Hamas is lobbying for a stricter enforcement of Islamic law in Gaza – including provisions to cut off the hands of thieves, and execution of individuals who cheat on their spouses. A report in the Al-Hayat daily newspaper said that Hamas expects the new regulations to take effect in the coming months, after introduction of…

Rebels on the Syrian side of the Golan abducted four Filipino UN peacekeepers on Tuesday, AFP reported. The four peacekeepers were patrolling near the Al-Jamlah locality in the ceasefire zone between Israel and Syria, where 21 Filipino peacekeepers were held by Syrian rebels for three days in March, the United Nations said. In a posting…

Washington, D.C. – One hundred and seven leading Holocaust and genocide scholars from around the world have sent a letter of protest to President Obama, urging him to cancel a planned visit to the United States by Sudanese leaders involved in the Darfur genocide. The delegation will represent Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has…

Israel is not getting involved in Syria’s civil war, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Tuesday, just days after two Israeli air strikes hit near Damascus, the AFP news agency reported.  The raids struck several military targets in the early hours of Friday and Sunday, with a senior Israeli source saying they destroyed Iranian missiles…

The United Nations has called on Israel to halt military air patrols over Lebanon amid heightened tensions after air raids on targets in Syria, a UN spokesman said Tuesday. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, had protested after recording an increase in Israeli flights over Lebanon. UNIFIL “says…

World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder has been re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term at a meeting being held in Budapest in solidarity with Hungary’s embattled Jewish community. “I am excited to serve as (president) for another four years,” Lauder told the more than 500 delegates from 70 Jewish communities around the world after…

Fierce fighting continues between Syrian army forces and rebels around the city of Al Qusair, in the rural area of Homs. A spokesman for the rebels in Homs told the Al Sharq newspaper that Hizbullah forces carried out yet another massacre Monday near Al Qusair, in which they used knives to murder twenty people – most…

Life in the Talmonim bloc, in the Binyamin region north of Jerusalem, is becoming a nightmare, due to ongoing Palestinian Authority Arab terrorist attacks, a resident of the region told Arutz Sheva. Many of the attacks were ignored completely by the media, he said. The rise in terrorism began months ago, with the Pillar of…

In what may be a warning to Iran, the U.S. Navy said on Monday that envoys from 41 nations had gathered in Bahrain to begin anti-mine drills in the Persian Gulf. The U.S.-led exercises, which run through May 30, mark the second major show of maritime cooperation in the Gulf in less than a year.…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has requested that the Housing Ministry freeze new construction projects in Judea and Samaria (Shomron), IDF Radio (Galei Tzahal) reports. Netanyahu met with Housing Minister Uri Ariel and asked him to halt promotion of new projects in the region, including by no longer putting up for bids tenders on new projects. Just days…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu pledged to find ways to increase bilateral trade with China. Netanyahu met on Monday in Shanghai with dozens of Israeli businesspeople who represent companies that operate in Shanghai to discuss ideas on developing increased business ties with China. Speaking to the business audience, Netanyahu said “I represent you before the Chinese…

Jewish women gathered in New Jersey on Sunday, for a conference which encourages Jewish women to conquer the American business world. The conference was organized by a team of women leaders and experts together with The Jewish Woman Entrepreneur, and was aimed at helping observant women to balance successful businesses and careers with a dedicated,…

A Jewish man aged 50 is in serious condition at Tel Hashomer Hospital after a rock thrown by Arabs struck him in the head Saturday night as he was driving in a car near the Dolev-Talmonim Bloc in the Binyamin region. At the same time, more or less, Arabs attacked a group of Jews who…

At a meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised that Israel would continue to maintain good ties with Cyprus, regardless of its newly-rekindled relationship with Turkey. Netanyahu met with the newly-elected Anastasiades on Sunday night, before he departed for China. At a press conference after the meeting, Anastasiades said that Israel…

The Ministerial Law Committee on Monday authorized for legislation a law that would regulate Bedouin settlement in the Negev. The law will legalize dozens of currently illegal towns and settlements established by Bedouin, while clearing dozens of others, requiring the removal of residents of those settlements. Many of the Bedouin living in illegal settlements are…

Two rockets fired from Syrian territory exploded on the Golan Heights on Monday, without causing casualties or damage, an IDF spokesperson said. The rockets exploded in a field near the ceasefire line in the southern Golan, the spokesperson added. The rocket fire was “apparently connected to the situation inside Syria,” she added, suggesting Israel was…

A Kenyan court on Monday sentenced two Iranians to life in prison on terror-related charges, including the possession of explosives allegedly to be used in bomb attacks. Ahmed Mohammed, 50, and Sayed Mansour, 51, who were arrested last June, were found guilty of possessing 15 kilos (33 pounds) of the powerful explosive RDX, found by…

A new Jewish women’s group is attempting to counter the provocative Women of the Wall group. The group, which calls itself “Women For the Wall” (not to be confused with the name of the other group), says that its main priority is “to make sure that when women come to pray at the Western Wall,…

A U.S. intelligence official said on Sunday that the United States was not given any warning before the recent airstrikes in Syria, that were allegedly carried out by Israel. The official would not confirm that Israel was behind the attacks, but said that the United States was essentially told of the air raids “after the…

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) opened in Budapest Sunday, with hundreds of representatives of worldwide Jewish communities in attendance, even as Hungary has come under fire for rising anti-Semitism. In a speech to some 500 delegates attending the meeting, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to recent…

Syria responded angrily to the overnight air strikes on military targets that it accused Israel of carrying out, warning that the attack “opens the door to all possibilities.” “We will not accept to be humiliated,” Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi said at an afternoon press conference, according to ABC News. “We are all in a…

The President of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Sunday hailed the strength of the Jewish community of Hungary, but warned that continued anti-Semitism is causing Hungarian Jews to consider leaving the country. Speaking at the WJC’s plenary assembly, which began in Budapest Sunday, Ronald S. Lauder thanked the Jewish community in Hungary, adding, “The…

The IDF has decided to close off the air space over northern Israel to civilian flights. According to the Channel 2 news website, Arkia flights between Haifa and Eilat have been cancelled until May 9. This is the second time in the last few months that the airspace over Haifa has been declared a no-fly zone…

Turkey’s prime minister on Sunday delivered his most virulent attack so far on Bashar al-Assad, calling the Syrian president a “butcher” and warning that he will be held to account for the deaths of tens of thousands of his citizens. “If G-d permits, we will see this butcher, this murderer receive his judgment in this…

The government on Sunday authorized a series of steps designed to strengthen Jerusalem. In advance of Jerusalem Day, to be celebrated Tuesday night and Wednesday, the government authorized the establishment of new academic institutions, a project to develop several neighborhoods in the city, and the construction of affordable housing. According to the decision, the government…

The Syrian foreign ministry statement said Sunday that three military sites had been hit in an Israeli nighttime aerial raid: a “research center” at Jamraya, a “paragliding airport” in the al-Dimas area of Damascus, and a site in Maysaloun. “The flagrant Israeli attack on armed forces sites in Syria underlines the co-ordination between ‘Israel’, terrorist…

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appealed Sunday for restraint to avoid an escalation in the Syrian conflict, expressing “grave concern” over Israeli air strikes, AFP reported. “The secretary-general calls on all sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint, and to act with a sense of responsibility to prevent an escalation of what is already a…

Two men in their 20s died Saturday in a Kibbutz Yotvata in southern Israel. The two have been identified as Natan Maharat and Binyamin Kabda. The two young men had visited a local pub shortly before the deaths. Maharat lived on the kibbutz and worked with the Telem project, which assists immigrants from Ethiopia. Project…

This Sunday, just two nights before the start of Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) — the holiday when Jews in Israel and around the world celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967—Young Israel of Jamaica Estates (YIJE) will be hosting a very special event to benefit Israel’s lone soldiers. Lone soldiers, who number in the thousands,…

US nurse Mae Lopatin Herman summed up the horror of Mauthausen when she described her arrival at the Nazi concentration camp after its liberation 68 years ago this Sunday.  “We could smell (the camp) from a long way off,” the former member of a US medical unit recalled. “In the middle of the most beautiful scenery…

Three Jews were wounded on Saturday night in clashes that broke out with Palestinian Authority Arabs at the Talmonim bloc in the Binyamin region. One of the wounded Jews was taken to the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva after being hit in the head by a rock and suffering moderate injuries. Two other people who…

A 17-year-old Israeli youth from the town of Nofim in Samaria (Shomron) won a European championship last week. Nir Shovinsky took first place for his mastery of the kyokushin kaikan style of karate. Shovinsky is the Israeli champion in kyokushin kaikan. He faced off against 349 competitors from 16 countries at last week’s match in…

Israel is justified in protecting itself from advanced weapons shipments to Lebanon-based militant group Hizbullah, United States President Barack Obama said Saturday, the AFP news agency reports. Obama spoke following reports that Israel had bombed a weapons shipment bound for Hizbullah.   Obama joined Israeli officials in declining to comment on the reported strike, saying he…

The Western world is increasingly realizing that the terrorist threat it faces is the same threat that Israel has faced for decades, says Avi Posnick of the StandWithUs Israel advocacy group. Posnick also spoke about calls for peace talks in light of the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing incitement to terrorism, and discussed how pro-Israel Americans reacted…

A series of explosions were heard in Damascus overnight Saturday, as the official Syrian news agency SANA claimed that Israel carried out a rocket attack on the Jamraya scientific research center in Damascus. The agency did not say whether there were any wounded or dead. Syrian television said “the Israeli attack aims at loosening the…

Israel bombed a weapons shipment headed for Hizbullah on Friday, an Israeli source confirmed Saturday. The source spoke after American media outlets reported the strike. Israel has not officially commented on the alleged strike. A diplomatic source in Lebanon told the AFP news agency that the operation destroyed surface-to-air missiles recently delivered by Russia that…

Two IDF soldiers were injured Friday as Palestinian Authority resident Arabs rioted in Judea and Samaria (Shomron). One soldier was hit by a rock thrown during riots near Bethlehem. He was taken to hospital with light wounds. Earlier in the day terrorists opened fire on Israeli civilians on Highway 55 in Samaria. The attack did…

The “game changing” weapons destroyed in an Israeli airstrike Friday before they could reach Hizbullah were sent by Iran, the New York Times reports, citing senior American officials. The strike reportedly targeted Fateh-110 missiles. The Fateh-110 has a range of up to 300 kilometers. Syrian sources gave the New York Times similar information, saying that…

China said on Friday it is willing to set up a meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas if they wish to meet while visiting the country, the Xinhua news agency reported. “If the leaders of Palestine and Israel have the will to meet in China, China is willing to…

The Pentagon has redesigned its biggest “bunker buster” bomb with more advanced features intended to enable it to destroy Iran’s most heavily fortified and defended nuclear site, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. U.S. officials see development of the weapon as critical to convincing Israel that the U.S. has the ability to prevent Iran…

Israel is conducting some sort of dialogue with Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers, the head of the IDF’s Gaza Division, Brigadier-General Mickey Edelstein, said on Friday. Speaking at an event with high school students, Edelstein referred to the recent occasional rocket attacks by Gaza-based terrorists and said Israel maintains “a degree of dialogue” with officials in…

Internet giant Google has placed the name “Palestine” on its search engine instead of “Palestinian Territories” in recognition of the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral bid at the United Nations, the U.S. company said on Friday, according to AFP. The domain name www.google.ps now brings up a homepage with “Palestine” written underneath the Google logo. The change…

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that there is no doubt that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has used chemical weapons against rebels. Erdogan added that he would discuss the issue with U.S. President Barack Obama during his upcoming visit to Washington. “We will discuss the use of chemical weapons during the meeting…

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Latino Coalition (TLC) have announced today a cooperative agreement to jointly deepen and strengthen relations between the Jewish and Latino communities in the United States. “We have certainly come a long way,” said Tom Kahn, chair of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, referring to decades of interactions…

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is in charge of the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, met Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss reviving the Middle East peace process, AFP reported. Flying in under the radar from Israel, Livni met with Kerry for about 30 minutes, with U.S. officials declining to divulge…

Sixty-five years after the fall of Jerusalem in the War of Independence, the publication of a diary written by now-renowned Rabbi Shar Yishuv Hacohen sheds new light on life in the city in the midst of battle. Rabbi Hacohen gave his diary to the Neve Shaanan College, which is putting together a biography on him.…

Terrorists in Gaza fired two rockets at southern Israel on Thursday night. The rockets hit the Eshkol region. No casualties have been reported, and the rockets appear not to have caused damage to property. Residents said the rocket strikes were not preceded by a “Color Red” alert. The Color Red alert normally sounds before attacks…

Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said on Thursday night that the attempted terror attack near Mitzpeh Yericho is proof that the Palestinian Authority is not interested in reaching a peace agreement with Israel. “The terrorist attack is another expression of the fact that the Palestinians do not want peace,” Hotovely said, adding, “The Arab…

A Syrian citizen who was wounded in the country’s civil war was brought by IDF soldiers to the Ziv Hospital in Tzfat on Thursday night. The man, who was shot in the abdomen and moderately wounded, was taken to the operating room. Army Radio reported that Chief of Staff Benny Gantz had approved the transfer…

A Republican women’s group in New York held a conference this week on the dangers of radical Islam. The conference was titled, “Radical Islam, Public Enemy Number One – is it Fact or Myth?” Arutz Sheva spoke to Ann Salpeter Schockett, president of the Nassau County Federation of Republican Women. One of the speakers at…

Sixteen people have been killed and three more are missing in Saudi Arabia after downpours caused flash floods in several areas of the desert kingdom, the civil defense authorities said on Wednesday, the AFP news agency reported. Two others died in flash floods in neighboring Oman, local media reported, as cloudbursts swept across most Gulf…

FBI agents arrested a Los Angeles man for allegedly running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that primarily targeted the Persian-Jewish community, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Shervin Davatgarzadeh, who is also known as Shervin Neman, 31, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, for which he could serve a…

Two Iranians were found guilty by a Kenyan court Thursday for possessing explosives allegedly for use in bomb attacks. Ahmed Mohammed and Sayed Mansour, who were arrested last June, were found guilty of possessing 15 kilos (33 pounds) of the powerful explosive RDX. The court said they had suspected links to a terror network planning…

The number of Lebanese troops in the southern border district, near Israel, has been decreasing and leading to an increase in standoffs between UNIFIL and suspected members of Hizbullah, the Lebanese Daily Star reported on Wednesday. According to the report, UNIFIL patrols are finding paths blocked and former temporary observation points suddenly out of bounds…

Italian police arrested four men on Tuesday, who are suspected of planning terrorist attacks in Italy, the US and Israel, reports Reuters News. One of the arrested men is believed to be a Tunisian former imam at a mosque in the city of Andria, in the southern Italian region of Puglia, where police said the terror cell was…

American investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced on Wednesday it had paid $2.05 billion cash to buy the 20 percent it did not already own of the Israeli company Iscar. In 2006, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. acquired 80% of Iscar for $4 billion. Iscar Metalworking Companies (IMC) is an industry leader in the metal cutting…

The Syrian opposition on Wednesday denounced threats from the head of Hizbullah and warned the Lebanese Shiite group against any intervention in the Syrian conflict. “The Syrians and the Lebanese hoped… that the Hizbullah leadership would stop their attacks on Homs and Damascus and take into account the gravity of the situation in the region,” the…

Greece’s neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has once again launched a vicious attack on a leading Jewish organization and has charged that the “Zionists” are in control of United States and Greek policy. In an article posted on its website, the party condemned the upcoming visit to Washington of Greek Prime Minister Samaras, who will be…

A husband and wife from the neighborhood of Neve Yaakov in northern Jerusalem have been arrested for allegedly murdering his ex-wife and dismembering her body. The man, 43-year-old Zev Gorlik, has confessed to the crime. His wife denies involvement. The ex-wife, Iris Gorlik-Vasiliev, 39, went missing two days ago. Her husband reported her missing and…

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is not over land, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, speaking in a meeting with senior officials in the Foreign Ministry. The conflict, he said, is over Israel’s very existence. In proof, he pointed to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which included the forced removal…

The Palestinian Authority and its various state media and political parties have often praised terrorists who murder Israelis, but on Tuesday incitement hit what may have been a new level. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party praised a terrorist just hours after he murdered an Israeli father of five, Palestinian Media Watch reports. Fatah posted…

In a statement to Al Manar TV, the Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah gave his clearest admission to date that the Shi’ite Islamist group is offering active support to Syrian government troops and other pro-regime forces. Nasrallah declared that “Syria has real friends in the region and in the world who will not allow Syria to fall into the…

The IDF is in the midst of a sudden major drill in northern Israel. The exercise began Sunday with an emergency call-up, and will conclude at the end of the week. Roughly 2,000 reservists were called up suddenly to take part in the drill. The exercise was created due to recent threats from Israel’s northern…

Three fires broke out in the Lachish region on Tuesday, destroying an estimated 20,000 dunams. Firefighter spokesman Meir David told Arutz Sheva that the fire was started by IDF fire during training. “The fire spread quickly due to the weather – the strong wind and low humidity – and to it being a topographically complex…

More than 840 Holocaust survivors and some of the American soldiers who liberated them from Nazi death camps in World War II came together on Monday in what could be the last commemoration of its kind, the AFP news agency reported. They gathered under a large white tent by the National Mall for a 20th anniversary…

Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed Monday that his office has received money from the US Central Intelligence Agency over the past decade, with piles of cash reportedly handed over in suitcases and backpacks. Karzai thanked the United States spy agency for what he said was money well spent just hours after The New York Times…

An Arab terrorist armed with a knife stabbed an Israeli at the Tapuach junction in Shomron (Samaria) on Tuesday morning. Initial reports indicate that the terrorist stabbed the Jewish Samarian resident in the upper body, wounding him critically. The terrorist then grabbed his gun and fired at the Border Police who were stationed in the…

A Syrian man who was wounded in the ongoing civil war in his country was transferred on Monday evening to the Ziv Hospital in Tzfat, after IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz authorized the move. The man, who suffered moderate wounds to his waist, was taken to the hospital’s trauma unit for initial treatment. He…

Domestic violence is not one-sided, Professor Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire told Arutz Sheva on Monday. Straus participated at the two-day conference entitled “Violence, Conflicts and Unity in Family Context: A Reappraisal of Therapeutic and Judicial Doctrines.” The conference is being held at the Ariel University. “The bottom line is that in…

The Mashadi Synagogue in Great Neck, New York is holding this week, for the fifth year in a row, a special “shuk” (market), the profits from which are dedicated to the IDF, Magen David Adom and other Israeli organizations. “This is the fifth year that we are running this shuk,” one of the organizers said,…

Former Defense Minister MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said on Monday that the regime in Syria has begun to transfer chemical weapons to the Hizbullah terror group, its proxy in Lebanon. “The process of weapon transfer to Hizbullah has begun,” Ben-Eliezer told The Associated Press. He would not elaborate. Earlier, MK Ben-Eliezer told Kol Yisrael radio…

Iran is continuing to progress to the “red line” of nuclear capability, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at a meeting of the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu faction Monday. However, there is still time to stop Tehran from crossing it, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu was thus publicly disagreeing with former Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin, who last week said…

Israel is keeping a close eye on the situation in southern Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at a meeting of the Likud-Yisrael Beyteinu faction Monday. “There is an attempt to revive the wide-ranging attacks on Israel by terrorists attacking the south,” Netanyahu told MKs at the meeting. “They are attempting to reverse the quiet…

While negotiating teams discuss ways to bring the two countries back together again, a veteran Turkish diplomat is contending that it is essential for Ankara to renew its ties with Israel, saying the move will help bring peace to the entire region. “Developments in the Middle East closely interest and influence Turkey,” pointed out Istanbul-based Turkish diplomat Prof.…

Terrorists in Gaza sent a mortar shell crashing into an open area in southern Israel on Monday. Over the past two months, terrorists in Gaza have been firing sporadically across the border, ending a period of calm that followed November’s Operation of Pillar of Defense. “A mortar shell struck an uninhabited area in the Eshkol…

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi survived a bomb attack that targeted his convoy in central Damascus on Monday, according to media reports. The blast occurred in the Mazzeh district, state television said. Both Syrian state television and the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the incident. At least one person was killed in the…

An investigation has found that three-year-old Adelle Biton’s wounds were caused directly by a rock flung at her car, Channel 10 reports. Adelle, her mother and two sisters were all wounded several weeks ago when terrorists hurled heavy stones at their car as they drove in Samaria (Shomron). The rock attack caused a car crash,…

Jewish leaders gathered this week at the first-ever Jewish Communal Security Summit in New York to strategize with top experts in the field regarding how best to ensure the safety of the community. The conference, held April 24 and 25 by the Secure Community Network (SCN) at the offices of The Jewish Federations of North…

Hundreds of Jewish worshippers on Sunday completed an annual pilgrimage to Ghriba, Africa’s oldest synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba, where security was high to prevent any violence. Organizers expressed satisfaction at the number of pilgrims, including Israelis who flew in from Europe, who took part in the ritual which had been scrapped in…

Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan said on Sunday that there was no immediate threat to Israel from Syria. Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, Dagan said that the reason for this is that the Syrians are currently “preoccupied with internal matters”. He added that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad had managed to fool…

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday was named as chairman of a ministerial committee to reduce the cost of living in Israel. The establishment of the panel, said Bennett, showed the government’s intention to “open up the stops and blocks in the bureaucratic process to enhance the breaking of monopolies and enhance competition to reduce…

Syria’s civil war is slowly but surely “leaking” out to Lebanon, a result of the direct participation by Hizbullah terrorists in the war, assisting Bashar al-Assad’s government forces against Syrian rebels. Hizbullah terrorists have joined Assad’s forces in several key battles, including a large battle at Al-Kuseir. According to reports, many Hizbullah terrorists were killed…

The Ministry of Religious Services, along with the “Beautiful Israel” organization, will be sponsoring a “most beautiful mikveh” contest, with the winner receiving a prize, recognition, and accolades. The contest is designed to encourage operators of the ritual baths to improve their physical plant and their service. Among the criteria to be evaluated will be…

An estimated 200,000 people took part in an all-night celebration in Meron on Saturday night. They danced, sang, prayed and learned Torah in celebration of the holiday of Lag BaOmer, which marks the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The town of Meron is home to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi), a…

The Syrian government ordered the use chemical weapons against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) during select battles with Syrian regime forces, a defected general told Al Arabiya late Saturday. Zahir al-Sakit, a former army general from the chemical weapons branch, told Al Arabiya that he was instructed to use chemical weapons during a regime battle…

The government will vote Sunday on a new series of bills that the Bank of Israel plans to issue. The proposed designs for the bills will be presented to the cabinet. Among those to be honored on the new bills are Hebrew-language poets Leah Goldberg, Natan Alterman, and Shaul Tchernichovsky. Minister of Trade and Labor…

Anti-Semitic incidents in Canada rose by 3.7 percent in 2012, and Holocaust denial rose 77 percent, revealed the Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents released by the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada. According to the audit, there were 1,345 anti-Semitic incidents in Canada in 2012, up from 1,297 in 2011. “We are particularly concerned…

Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri said Saturday the Lebanese authorities have banned his award-winning film “The Attack” from cinemas in his home country because it was partly shot in Tel Aviv using Israeli actors. “I regret to inform you that the Interior Minister of Lebanon, Minister (Marwan) Charbel, has decided to punish us and the film…

Thousands of Jews are still making their way to Meron for the Lag Ba’omer “Hiloula” celebration that began Saturday night at midnight. Police, emergency rescue and fire teams are on hand in large forces. The roads around Meron will be closed to traffic. Parking will be available at the Farod parking area, at Ein Zeitim and at…

Pilgrims arrived on Friday at Tunisia’s Ghriba synagogue, the oldest in Africa, expressing hope that this year would mark a turning point for the ritual despite a rise in Islamist unrest since the 2011 revolution. The three-day pilgrimage is taking place amid tight security, with reinforcements deployed around Djerba, the Mediterranean resort island that houses…

Bulgarian investigators on Friday re-enacted a July 2012 bomb attack blamed by Sofia on Hizbullah that killed five Israelis, AFP reported. The investigators blew up two old buses and 11 silicon mannequins in a controlled explosion as part of the re-enactment. The aim was “to provide information and important evidence on the type and quantity…

A would-be synagogue bomber in New York City was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, the New York Post reports. Mohamed Mamdouh, 22, a naturalized citizen from Morocco, had pleaded guilty in a closed-court proceeding last year to conspiracy and weapons possession as crimes of terror. His co-defendant, Algerian citizen Ahmed Ferhani, got…

U.S. President Barack Obama repeated on Friday his past assertions that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a line and produce an American response. At the same time, he indicated that he was not yet 100% certain that the findings by U.S. intelligence agencies are an indication that such weapons had indeed…

The Lebanese army has increased its presence along the Lebanon-Israel border, the official Lebanese National News Agency reported on Friday. According to the report, the IDF increased its presence along the border as well, and IAF aircraft were seen flying over Lebanese territory. The news comes a day after an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) penetrated…

U.S. President Barack Obama is awaiting a “definitive judgment” on whether the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against rebel fighters before taking action, the White House said on Friday, according to AFP. “We’re working to establish credible and corroborated facts,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. “The president wants the facts,” he added, saying…

The teenaged Boston bombing suspect has been moved to a prison medical facility, officials said Friday, according to an AFP report. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old wounded in a wild escape attempt, was sent to the Federal Medical Center Devens near Boston, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Drew Wade said in a brief statement. It gave no…

The United Nations has been a “major disappointment” in the 21st Century and has “inverted right and wrong,” human rights scholar and activist Anne Bayefsky tells Arutz Sheva in a special interview. The UN “was founded in the middle of the 20th Century to offer a new world order based on peace and security and…

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is protesting a cartoon published in the Dutch newspaper De Volksrant that utilizes Nazi imagery to depict Israel as a threat to world peace. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the organization, had traveled to the region last week where he met with Deputy Prime Minister Asscher, intelligence officials, and Dutch Parliamentarians to…

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that growing evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime was “extremely serious”. Cameron agreed with President Barack Obama that such use would represent a “red line” for the international community, but said the response would likely be political rather than military, the AFP…

U.S. Senators said on Thursday it was time to intervene in Syria, after the United States said for the first time that Syria had likely used chemical weapons against rebel forces. Sen. Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that President Bashar Al-Assad had “crossed a red line” and…

Hundreds of descendants of Peruvian Jews are planning to make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel, the Jewish Agency reports. The community of Peruvians with Jewish ancestry has been dubbed the “Amazon Jews.” The members of the community who will be moving to Israel have undergone a conversion to Judaism through the Conservative movement. Because the Conservative…

The United States said Thursday for the first time that Syria had likely used chemical weapons against rebel forces, but emphasized spy agencies were still not 100 percent sure of the assessment, AFP reports. A senior White House official said that “all options are on the table” should use of the chemical weapons be confirmed,…

A Slovak court has paved the way for the extradition of an alleged Nazi-era war criminal from Hungary to Slovakia after rejecting his complaint against an earlier verdict, Slovakia’s TASR news agency said on Thursday. “The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a complaint filed by Laszlo Csatary over a formal mistake,” TASR wrote, according to…

Arab Bank, Jordan’s largest lender, has lost a bid to avoid a U.S. trial in a lawsuit brought by terrorism victims who accuse it of supporting attacks in Israel, Bloomberg reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon rejected the bank’s request to throw out the case, sending it toward trial. The victims claim in…

“Hizbullah denies sending any unmanned drone towards occupied Palestine,” the movement’s television channel, Al-Manar, said Thursday. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was in a helicopter flight on the way to a tour of northern Israel, when the IAF spotted what is believed to have been a Hizbullah UAV in the skies of Haifa Thursday. The prime minister’s staff,…

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon promised Thursday that Israel would retaliate for the UAV flight into Israeli airspace Thursday, assumed to be a Hizbullah operation. “There will be an Israeli reaction,” said Danon on IDF Radio. “We have seen our ability to deter Hizbullah,” he added. “We still see Hizbullah’s leaders hiding in the shelters…

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that American intelligence believes “to some degree of varying confidence” that Syria has used chemical weapons. During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, he said it was suspected that sarin gas had been used against rebels. Hagel said the use was “small scale” and did not specify…

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said that the situation with Iran “is very perilous” because the regime “is close to achieving its twenty year long objective of getting nuclear weapons.” “I don’t think the economic sanctions have slowed the program down at all…

Israel has a presence in Syria and it is thus logical that it would know if chemical weapons had been used in the civil war, a Syrian rebel leader has claimed. Speaking to CNN, the Chief of Staff for the Free Syrian Army, General Salim Idriss, said Israel is one of the countries that now…

Organizers of a Jewish pilgrimage to Africa’s oldest synagogue, on the Tunisian island of Djerba, said Wednesday they are hoping for a revival this year, after an Al-Qaeda attack in 2002 and post-revolution unrest caused a slump in attendance. Some 450 foreign pilgrims as well as Tunisian Jews are expected for the event that runs…

Egypt’s leaders have assured visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that they are committed to their country’s peace treaty with Israel. A statement on Wednesday by the U.S. embassy in Cairo said that during Hagel’s visit, “Egyptian leaders reiterated their commitment to Egypt’s international obligations, including the Peace Treaty with Israel.” Hagel urged Egypt’s Islamist-led…

Five people were found dead on Wednesday in their home in the small town of Manchester, Illinois. Suspected gunman Rick Odell Smith, 43, shot and killed a great-grandmother, a young couple and three young children. Then, in a move that puzzled authoritied, took a 6-year-old girl, who was still alive, and carried her to a…

Anti-Semitism in Canada increased just slightly between 2011 and 2012, figures released on Wednesday show. Amidst reports of a global rise of over 30% in anti-Semitic incidents in 2012, with France showing an unprecedented increase of 58%, the Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents released by the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada announced an…

A museum dedicated to painter Mark Rothko opened in his Latvian hometown Wednesday, a century after the abstract artist left and found fame and fortune in the United States. “It’s a wonderful homecoming for my father,” the late artist’s son, Christopher Rothko, told AFP at the opening in Daugavpils, Latvia’s second largest city. “But it’s…

Shots were fired near the French embassy in Yemen on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, after a car bomb attack on France’s embassy in Libya wounded two French guards and caused extensive damage. France is watching the situation in the capital Sanaa “carefully”, a ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency. Paris stepped up security…

Israeli President Shimon Peres is set to meet Pope Francis on a three-day visit to Italy that will begin on Monday. Peres will also hold a series of diplomatic meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Italy, and take part in a ceremony in the city of Assisi. At the ceremony he will receive…

The mosque attended by the two suspects in the Boston marathon bombings “has a curriculum that radicalizes people,” according to the interfaith group Americans for Peace and Tolerance. The mosque has reportedly been associated with other suspected terrorists and is affiliated with the controversial Muslim American Society, APT says. Among the former attendees of the…

The UN atomic agency said Tuesday it will hold a new round of talks with Iran on May 15 in Vienna on suspected nuclear bomb-making efforts by Tehran, AFP reports. Previous reports indicated that the agency was discussing with Iran possible dates for what would be the 10th round of talks since late 2011. The…

Microsoft celebrated the graduation of its second class of Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure in Israel on Monday, after a four-month intensive program in Herzliya. Thirteen up and coming Israeli companies were chosen from a pool of 300 applicants. Arutz Sheva was there and spoke with some of the graduates. Microsoft Azure Accelerator provides a…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem Tuesday morning. Before the start of the meeting, Netanyahu said, “Israel appreciates deeply, the support – the military and security support – that it enjoys from the United States. It reflects a very deep alliance between…

An apparent car bomb has exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two French guards and causing major damage, the BBC reported Tuesday. The blast completely destroyed the embassy’s reception area and parts of neighboring homes. French President Francois Hollande called on Libya to act swiftly over what he called an…

The One Israel Fund hosted its nineteenth annual dinner, dubbed “Our Eternal Bond with Israel,” on Monday night, April 22, in New York City. Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Steven Orlow, the president of the organization, said that since its founding nineteen years ago, the organization has had “one purpose” and that purpose, he said, is…

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving suspect in the bombing of the Boston marathon, has confirmed that his older brother Tamerlan was behind the attack, CNN reports, citing a United States government source. Tamerlan, 26, was killed in a shootout with police last week. Dzhokhar has reportedly said little to investigators, but confirmed that Tamerlan was…

Syria’s opposition warned on Monday that Hizbullah’s role in fighting in Homs province amounts to a “declaration of war,” while the terrorist group said it is merely protecting Lebanese people, AFP reports. The comments came as a watchdog said the Lebanese Shiite terror group was leading the battle in the Qusayr area of Homs, which…

Arabs carried out a rock terror ambush against a bus carrying children to school in Samaria Tuesday morning. No one was hurt. The attack took place on the Nahal Kana road, between Revava and Yakir. The bus was driving down a major road, not far from where a toddler, Adelle Biton, suffered grave wounds in…

An Iranian citizen has been arrested for spying on Israeli sites in an apparent search for a target, Channel 2 news reports. The man was found to be in possession of a false Israeli passport. He had received the false passport in Malaysia and had successfully used it to enter Nepal and Sri Lanka. He…

IAEA deputy director Rafael Grossi, one of the top officials in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, has announced his resignation, the UN nuclear watchdog said Sunday. “I can confirm Assistant Director General Rafael Grossi has submitted his resignation from the IAEA,” an International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman told the AFP news agency. “The timing of…

Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov won the gold medal in the men’s floor exercise at the 2013 European Gymnastics Championship in Moscow on Sunday. Shatilov, 26, received 15.533 points for his performance and will share his gold medal with British gymnast Max Whitlock, who received a matching score. Shatilov finished sixth place in the floor exercise finals at the…

Yehuda “Yavda” Abramov, who is accompanying Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mamadiarov on his visit to Israel, is apparently the only Jewish Member of Parliament in the entire Muslim world. Abramov, who is also the chairman of the Israel-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Committee, told Arutz Sheva he does not see anything extraordinary about his status. “I do not…

The Israel Manufacturers Association appealed to the National Labor Court on Sunday night against the airline workers’ strike. The Court has been asked to issue an injunction ordering the strikers to return to work immediately. The President of the Labor Court, Justice Nili Arad, received the appeal and instructed both sides to prepare their cases…

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Monday implicitly confirmed that Israel was behind a January strike on a weapons convoy in Syria, saying the Jewish state had acted to stop advanced weaponry reaching Hizbullah terrorists. Speaking at a news conference with US Defiance Secretary Chuck Hagel, Yaalon said Israel would not allow “sophisticated weapons” to fall…

Syrian opposition activists said on Sunday that government troops seized a town near Damascus, killing at least 80 people, including women and children. The army stormed the town of Jdaidet al-Fadl after five days of heavy fighting, the activists said, according to the BBC. Syria’s SANA state news agency said government forces “inflicted heavy losses…

A British government minister has spoken out against anti-Jewish sentiments in the Muslim community, affirming that in the country, “anti-Israeli sentiment can sometimes be a cover for anti-Semitism.” “As the Community Security Trust will tell you, antisemitic attacks spiral in the UK when there is increased unrest in the Middle East,” said Baroness Warsi, the…

A record 10,000 Hungarians took part Sunday in an annual march to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, amid recent reports of increasing racism and anti-Semitism in the country. Over 10,000 people, more than double the usual turnout, participated in the “March for Life”, according to an AFP count, alongside government and opposition members, and…

The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Haim Yellin, said on Sunday that it is time that Israel follow up on its words with actions and act to stop the rocket attacks from Gaza. Yellin spoke to Arutz Sheva after terrorists once again targeted Eshkol with a rocket on Saturday night. The rocket exploded in…

MK Elazar Stern (Hatnua) was attacked on Sunday evening by an illegal infiltrator from Eritrea, as he was visiting neighborhoods in southern Tel Aviv. Stern came to southern Tel Aviv at the request of the local residents, who have been suffering from endless harassment and other problems by the many illegal infiltrators who end up…

An Iranian US-made F-5 fighter plane crashed Sunday after hitting a mountain in the west of the country, killing both crew members, Iranian media reported, according to the AFP news agency. The two pilots were killed upon impact as the jet fighter hit the mountain near Abdanan town of Ilam province. The town’s governor Morad Naseri…

British tabloid newspaper The Mirror says that police believe Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were specially trained to carry out the devastating attack, and were part of a larger “sleeper cell.” This report is not corroborated by other news outlets and its veracity cannot be ascertained. The Mirror quotes a source close to the investigation who…

Following complaints by residents of Judea and Samaria about repeated thefts of vehicles and attempts to rob vehicles that are stranded on road shoulders, especially near Maaleh Efraim, the Judea and Samaria Police decided to take action against the problem. Detectives for the district placed a vehicle at the side of the road Sunday to…

Israel will “extract a price” from those who launched the terror attack against the Red Sea resort town of Eilat last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday. The statement made it clear that Israel has decided to draw a line in the sand for terrorists from Gaza – and elsewhere — operating against the…

A multi-billion dollar arms deal with Israel is designed to send a “clear message” to Iran, says U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. A major U.S. defense contract with Israel sends a “very clear signal” to Iran that military action remains an option on the table, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters on Sunday just before…

Gaza-based terrorists once again interrupted the lives of southern Israeli residents on Saturday night. Shortly before 1:00 a.m. the “Red Alert” siren was sounded in the region as a Qassam rocket was fired towards the region. The rocket exploded in an open area of the Eshkol Regional Council. No physical injuries or damages were reported.…

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrives in Israel on Sunday, where he will kick off a trip to the Middle East, his first since taking office. Hagel will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon. He is expected to talk with Israel’s leaders about Iran, Syria, and the…

The United States said on Saturday it would double its aid to Syria’s opposition, including with new non-lethal military equipment, but paid no heed to calls for arms supplies or a direct intervention, AFP reports. In a statement after talks among the pro-opposition “Friends of Syria” group in Istanbul, Secretary of State John Kerry said…

US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas in Istanbul on Sunday, the State Department said, as a US-led “peace” push focusing on the PA’s economy steps up. Kerry and Abbas, who have met several times recently, will “continue the conversation that they’ve been having for several weeks now…

For unknown reasons, Israeli authorities are keeping lid on an archaeological find that may turn out to be a royal castle from David’s time, reports Makor Rishon newspaper. The newspaper did not give any details that might identify the exact location of the find. According to the paper, the site was identified by Binyamin Tropper,…

The brothers who set off two bombs at the Boston Marathon this week were Muslims from the Caucasus area, near Chechnya. Not much is publicly known yet, however, about their motives for attacking innocent Americans. Nor is it known if they acted alone or were part of a larger network. The brothers were Russian-born, hailing…

At least 39 people were hurt on Friday after opposition activists marched on thousands of Islamists rallying outside the Supreme Court in central Cairo demanding judicial reform, an official said. AFP reported that the fighting took place in Abdel Moneim Square and on the October 6 Bridge that passes over it after crossing the Nile…

The U.S. Defense Department is expected to finalize a $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates next week that will provide missiles, warplanes and troop transports to help them counter any future threat from Iran, according to a Friday report in The New York Times. A week-long visit to…

Sirens rang out and church bells tolled on Friday as Poland marked the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising that saw young Jews rise up against Nazi German forces. Hundreds of people including, Holocaust survivors gathered, at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, where Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski called the revolt a “fight for…

EU foreign ministers, among them Britain’s William Hague and Laurent Fabius of France, have said they will back EU efforts to label products from Israeli communities in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, according to a letter obtained by AFP on Friday. “We warmly welcome your commitment to work with fellow commissioners to prepare EU-wide guidelines…

Saudi Arabia is hoping to wean jailed Al-Qaeda terrorists off religious extremism with counselling, spa treatments and plenty of exercise at a luxury rehabilitation center in Riyadh, AFP reported on Friday. In between sessions with counselors and talks on religion, prisoners will be able to relax in the center’s facilities which include an Olympic-size indoor…

The Boston Marathon bombings suspect who was killed in a police shootout features a YouTube page listing links to men he identified as “terrorists” and Islamic teachers, AFP reports. The Russian-language YouTube page of the dead suspect, identified as 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, features various links to websites pulled by YouTube as well as to those…

An angry uncle of the two Boston bombing suspects pleaded Friday with one nephew still on the run to “turn yourself in and ask forgiveness” from victims of the terror attack, AFP reported. In an impassioned 10-minute interview with reporters outside his Maryland home, Ruslan Tsarni said his nephews “put a shame on the entire…

U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating accounts from European allies that Syria may have used chemical weapons in its war against opposition forces, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. There were indications a “deeply suspicious” agent may have been used in recent battles in Syria but spy services were still evaluating the information and had not…

The young Jews who rose up against Nazi Germany “wanted to save human dignity”, a Polish underground activist said Thursday, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. Around 100 people were gathered at the Nozyk synagogue to pay tribute to the hundreds of poorly-armed Jews who took a stand against…

Hamas security forces in Gaza have banned fishermen from working since Monday, a human rights center said Wednesday, the Ma’an News Agency reported. Naval security forces have reportedly imposed a ban on fishing early Monday morning for “security reasons,” according to the Al-Mezan center for human rights. Sources in Gaza told Ma’an that the ban…

A Pakistani court on Friday put ex-military leader Pervez Musharraf under house arrest for two days after he surrendered to a magistrate over charges related to his nine-year rule, officials said. The Islamabad High Court had on Thursday ordered his arrest over his controversial decision to dismiss judges when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.…

Terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza fired two rockets at southern Israel on Thursday evening. The rockets exploded in an open area of the Eshkol Regional Council, causing no physical injuries or damages. On Wednesday morning, the Color Red rocket alert siren blared throughout the city of Eilat shortly after 9 a.m. It is believed that terrorists fired three…

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have broken up an Al-Qaeda cell comprising seven Arabs who were plotting attacks in the Gulf state, an official statement said on Thursday, according to the AFP news agency. The cell was “plotting acts that would have harmed the security of the country, its citizens and foreign residents,” said…

Palestinian Authority Arabs living in the neighborhoods of Tzur Baher and Hado’ar living on the Israeli side of the security fence are to be “gifted” with Israeli citizenship. The Arabs, several thousand in number, will be eligible to vote and will receive National Insurance and other benefits that come with Israeli citizenship. The Arabs will…

Israeli news outlets have ignored the imminent razing of an ancient Roman archaeological site by Hamas in Gaza, according to Israel Media Watch (IMW). The terror group is building a military training site for terrorist purposes. To this end, it is partially destroying the ancient Anthedon Harbor—which includes the ruins of a Roman temple and…

Israeli airline staff called a strike for Sunday to protest against a government proposal to finalize a deregulation plan with European carriers which they say would result in widespread layoffs, AFP reported. “The strike is an existential one for the future of Israeli airline companies,” a statement from the Histadrut trades union federation said on…