Category: News

A secret Hizbullah terrorist warehouse exploded overnight near the coastal city of Tyre, located in southern Lebanon not far from Israel’s northern border, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Beirut. The blast occurred in an area under the control of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Nevertheless, Hizbullah forces have prevented security…

Republican presidential contender Ron Paul says it’s “their business” if Israel attacks Iran, “but they should suffer the consequences.” His comments in a debate with other GOP presidential hopefuls set him apart from the crowd and are in line with his view that American foreign aid should be cut back to “square one” without making…

The European Union agreed in principle on Tuesday to sanction some 200 Iranian people, companies and organizations, Reuters repoted. The EU decision is expected to be formally approved by foreign ministers on Dec. 1, at which point European companies will be banned from doing business with the listed firms and organizations, while individuals will be…

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to resume the transfer of taxes Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. According to a statement posted on the UN website, Ban made the request in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu and told him that transferring tax money to the PA…

Environment Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) dismissed recent remarks by former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy, who said that the threat against Israel comes from hareidi-religious extremism and not from Iran. In an interview he gave to Chabad Online ahead of the Shluchim (emissaries) Conference, which will begin Wednesday in New York, Erdan said that the biggest…

Hundreds of activists from My Israel organization and the Likud party were joined by residents from southern Tel Aviv on Tuesday at Metzudat Ze’ev, the Likus’ Tel Aviv headquarters, to demand that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu act to stanch the flow of illegal immigrants into Israel. In recent months, the already steady rate of illegal immigration…

Seif al-Islam Qaddafi was betrayed to his captors by a Libyan nomad who says he was hired by Qaddafi’s son to help him reach neighboring Niger in exchange for one million euros. Seif al-Islam was captured over the weekend, closing what one official called “the final chapter in Libya’s drama.” Yussef Saleh al-Hotmani told al-Arabiya…

Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) is set to make an official announcement on its new cabinet line-up Tuesday, but several key roles have already been announced. Prime minister designate Abdul Raheem al-Keeb said Monday that ministers have already been appointed for the defense, finance and foreign ministries. Osama Al-Juwali, commander of the Zintan Brigade was…

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has denied reports in Arutz Sheva that it is guilty of incitement and insists that Israeli media and schools are sources of agitation. WAFA, the official PA website, stated on Monday that it is not incitement to refer “to cities inside Israel and present documentaries about their Palestinian history.” It added, “Incitement…

An Israeli attack on nuclear sites in Iran would go beyond air strikes from fighter planes and likely include electronic warfare against Iran’s electric grid, Internet, cellphone network, and emergency frequencies for fire and police services, according to a report by Eli Lake, a correspondent for Newsweek and the Daily Beast. For much of the…

As turmoil in Cairo’s Tahrir Square continues, an expert says Egypt is entering a very dangerous time. “As far as a state is concerned, this is the worst situation,” Shimon Karmi, a former intelligence officer and a researcher on political violence in the Tzfat Academic College, told Arutz Sheva Tuesday. “There is no sovereign in…

New sanctions on Iran announced by President Barack Obama and backed by Britain and Canada exclude the Iranian Central Bank, a key to the Islamic Republic’s energy economy. Russia and China, with heavy investments in Iran’s nuclear development and energy sector, oppose the sanctions.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry called sanctions “unacceptable and contradictory to international law.”…

Diplomatic sources in Cairo said the Egyptian government is willing to receive the new Israeli ambassador whenever Israel wishes to send them. The matter is not dependent on diplomatic or security conditions, Cairo daily Al Ahram quoted them as saying Wednesday. The sources said that that the timing for the arrival of a new ambassador…

Israeli researchers say that Jupiter, Venus and Saturn experience lightning storms, known as “sprites,” 1,000 times more powerful than those on Earth. Scientists previously have discovered sprites 30 to 55 miles above the surface of the Earth, but Tel Aviv University researchers say the more powerful lightning storms on other planets may even be a…

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “marches toward a second Holocaust,” Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann warned the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) Sunday night. A staunch supporter of Israel, Bachman, who is a Christian, also declared that if the world allows Ahmadinejad to obtain nuclear weapons, he will use them on the United States after bombing Israel. “Some 80…

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told members of his faction that the ruling coalition will fall apart if the government acts to dismantle communities in Judea and Samaria, Yisrael Hayom reported. Destruction of the outposts whose fate is currently under debate is “a red line,” he told Yisrael Beitenu MKs. “The government will fall apart if…

In a landmark decision with important political ramifications, the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court has accepted the legality of a community that the state currently defines as an “illegal outpost”.  The court ordered the state to grant NIS 15,000 each to residents of Rechelim in Samaria (Shomron) in compensation for violating its contractual obligations to them,…

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is a symbol of the new anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism, according to Dr. Gerardo Stuczynski, the president of the Latin American Zionist Confederation. In a memo to Arutz Sheva, he asserted that the PA is popular because of the new anti-Semitism that “states that all the peoples of the world have…

The security officer of Hevron area community foiled am apparent terrorist attack at dawn Tuesday morning and held an armed Hevron Arab until the IDF arrived and took him into custody. The 30-year-old suspected terrorist was carrying a 4-inch knife when he was spotted and caught by security officers at the southern Hevron Hills community…

The Shomron Regional Authority chief, Gershon Mesika, said Tuesday that the Tel Aviv Magistrates’ Court decision telling the state to draw up zoning plans for Rechelim has “placed a mirror in front of the government, in which to see its own face.” The decision means that the court has accepted the longtime contention of residents…

The F-35 stealth fighter planes purchased from the United States by Israel will be based east of Be’er Sheva, the IDF has announced. The aircraft is considered a key asset in a future war, especially with Iran, but the first deliveries will not be until 2015. Pilots will be trained in the United States a…

The United States, Britain and Canada have all announced a new set of tougher sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The announcements are in accordance with an earlier report which said that Western countries are preparing such sanctions. The Associated Press reported that the American sanctions target Iran’s oil and petrochemicals industry and Iranian…

The city of Jerusalem and the Traditional Karate Federation of Israel hosted the 2011 European Traditional Karate Championship last Thursday. It was the first time that the championship, in which some 170 athletes from 15 countries took part, was held in Israel. The opening ceremony was attended by Mayor Nir Barkat, ambassadors and other dignitaries,…

The Palestinian Authority has created a “vicious, Jew-hating terrorist culture, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein charged Sunday night at the group’s annual dinner in New York. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the crowd by video and praised both the ZOA and Glenn Beck, who received the Defender of Israel award from…

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin on Monday that Israel’s “peace with Egypt is far from over.” Rivlin’s remarks, made during a Knesset event marking 34 years since late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem, were in response to former Defense Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer. Earlier Monday, Ben Eliezer said Israel could not afford to cut…

Egypt’s state television reported the entire Cabinet submitted its resignation to the caretaker junta currently ruling the country The Cabinet said it will stay on to run the nation’s day-to-day affairs until a decision about their replacements is made. The resignation of the Cabinet on Monday came amid widening protests against the ruling military council, during…

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian President Bashar Al Assad Monday that his days as a leader were numbered. “You can remain in power with tanks and cannons only up to a certain point. The day will come when you’ll also leave,” Erdogan said. “Someone shows up and says ‘I’ll fight and die.…

Iran is trying to cover its tracks at a nuclear testing site by removing traces of nuclear research, sources told the Associated Press. The source from an unnamed country said intelligence officials noticed through satellite pictures that there had been an unusual amount of activity at the site, with the movement of a large number…

President Shimon Peres is set to fly Monday night to Vietnam for the official visit by a senior Israeli official since diplomatic relations were established in 1993. Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang invited his Israeli counterpart, who is leading a 60-member security and industrial delegation. The group includes representatives of leading Israeli infrastructures, communications, finance, high-tech,…

Hizbullah’s capture of American spies has severely crippled the U.S. war on the terror group that is responsible for more American casualties than any other group in the past 10 years. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah this summer proudly stated that the terrorist organization and political party caught at least two American spies who had infiltrated…

Israel Radio reported Monday morning that King Abdullah of Jordan said “Israel has an expiration date.” Abdullah’s comments were reportedly made to the BBC last week. During the interview Abdullah said Israel’s survival was dependent on a two-state solution. Israel does not realize it needs such a solution, he added. Abdullah added his government would…

A top Iranian Guards commander has begged Israel to stage an attack so Iran will be justified to throw the “enemy’ into the “trash can of history.” Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh told the Iranian Fars News Agency, “One of our big wishes is that they take this action because it…

As Iran plays “coy” with the United Nations, Western countries prepare to impose tough new sanctions on the Islamic Republic. According to ABC News, the U.S. State Department will announce new sanctions Monday to close loopholes currently used by Iran “to work around existing sanctions on its energy and financial sectors.” The U.S. will allegedly…

Iran says it is “ready to cooperate” with the United Nations “more than ever,” but as usual, its officials used cagey language. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi issued a statement Sunday saying the Islamic Republic is ready to cooperate “further” with the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “We are prepared to cooperate…

High Court judges had some harsh things to say about government officials who authorized permits for homes that had been built and are under construction in a neighborhood in Talmon, but they rejected a petition by Arab and leftist groups who claimed that homes in the Givat HaBrecha neighborhood of the town should be demolished.…

Will Israel really attack Iran and attempt to destroy its nuclear facilities? The conventional wisdom is that although Jerusalem would like to, it most likely won’t – because of fear of what would happen next, and especially “the day after.” In the wake of such an attack, many Israeli officials believe, Iran could strike back…

The United States is investigating whether Iran supplied Muammar Qaddafi’s government in Libya with hundreds of special artillery shells for chemical weapons that Libya kept secret for decades, The Washington Post reported on Sunday. According to U.S. officials, the shells, which Libya filled with highly toxic mustard agent, were uncovered in recent weeks by revolutionary…

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Sunday that an Al-Qaeda sympathizer who plotted to bomb police and post offices in New York City has been arrested. The Associated Press reported that 27-year-old Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, was arrested on Saturday. In a special news conference…

American journalist and author Aaron Klein has launched a new website and social media project aimed at exposing the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. The new website, ExposeOccupy.com, will be updated constantly throughout the day for news, information, investigations and exposes concerning the anti-capitalist movement. The website will include original reporting, research and blogging as well…

The sheikh of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, a top religious authority of Sunni Muslims, warned Israel Sunday not to continue the “Judaization” of Jerusalem – that is, not to continue settling Jews in its capital. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayib held a news conference in which he declared that the Judaization of “Al Quds” (as Muslims know…

Jordan’s King Abdullah II will meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, PA officials told AFP on Sunday. “King Abdullah II will visit Ramallah tomorrow for a meeting with president Abbas and the two leaders will hold a press conference at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah on the latest political developments,” the French news…

An Israel media report, picked up worldwide, claims Israel, for the first time, has given supposed Palestinian Authority land to a kibbutz whose land was within Israel before the Six-Day War in 1967.   An investigation by Arutz Sheva reveals another in a long line of anti-nationalist media reports that mainstream media spread in its…

  Iran is being coy in its response – or lack of it – to the request by the United Nations to send a mission to assess whether its scientists are building an atomic weapon or not. Although the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency sent its letter of request to Tehran on November 2, the…

The sheikh of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, a top religious authority of Sunni Muslims, warned Israel Sunday not to continue the “Judaization” of Jerusalem – that is, not to continue settling Jews in its capital. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayib held a news conference in which he declared that the Judaization of “Al Quds” (as Muslims know…

Dozens of worldwide fashion writers converge this week on Israel as guests of the Tourism Ministry, visiting as part of Tel Aviv Fashion Week. The ministry is hosting 64 leading fashion and lifestyle journalists from elite magazines worldwide as part of the 3-day event which opens Monday. Leading designers, journalists and fashion experts representing fashion…

Egypt has resumed natural gas deliveries to Israel, nine days after an attack on the el-Arish pipeline halted the flow for the seventh time since February. The East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG)  is responsible for maintaining the pipelines that deliver the precious resource from the Sinai Peninsula to both Israel and Jordan. But the supplies…

Israeli ambassador Yitzchak Levanon has returned to Cairo despite the resumption of the Tahrir Square violence that forced his hasty exit. Levanon arrived in Cairo on Sunday after flying from Turkey, and he plans to meet well-wishers towards his leaving his post after having reached the age of pension. He left Egypt when anti-Israel riots broke…

The first Israeli graduate studies program in Holocaust studies is opening next at Haifa University for students from around the world. The three-semester program for English speakers allows students to access to Holocaust archives in Israel, Germany and Poland. The program is being headed by Prof. Aryeh J. Kochavi, head of the Strochlitz Institute for…

Swedish “humanitarian” funding paid for the publication of an anti-Israel booklet produced in Sweden, for local consumption, that accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing in Judea and Samaria. The 40-page publication, “Colonialism and Apartheid – the Israeli Occupation in Palestine,” accuses Israel of bombing the homes of civilian Palestinian Authority Arabs, among other outright lies. Funded…

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is to meet with Hamas leaders in Cairo Thursday to sum up a unity deal based on “resistance,” a Palestinian Authority state based on the temporary 1949 Armistice Lines and non-recognition of Israel. Abbas, head of the rival Fatah faction, formally signed a formal unity agreement with Hamas in May,…

The spiritual leader of the Jewish community of Paris, Chief Rabbi David Mashash, passed away Sunday after a lengthy illness. Rabbi Mashash, who was age 70, was being cared for in a Paris hospital at the time of his death. He was the son of Rabbi Shalom Mashash, a former Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. Rabbi…

At least one person is dead and more than 600 are wounded after protesters and police clashed Saturday in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, according to theEgyptian state-run MENA news agency. The violence began Saturday morning when riot police tried to remove a small tent camp in the square, according to eyewitnesses who spoke with reporters. The camp…

In another of several interviews he has given this past week on the Iranian issue, Defense Minister Ehud Barak is hinting that in time is running out to stop Iran from achieving nuclear capability. In an interview to CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”, which will air on Sunday and of which an advanced transcript was released…

The son of former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, has been captured in the country’s southern desert, according to Libyan officials. The British-educated 39-year-old seemed set to follow his father as Libya’s leader just one year ago. A screenshot allegedly showing him with bandaged fingers is circulating on the Internet. Reuters said that…

Arabs who work in the Hevron store owned by the family of Hani Jaber, a terrorist murderer released in the Shalit deal, attacked a young Jewish woman Saturday. In response, Jews threw rocks at the store and at Arabs. Jaber was one of three Arabs who ambushed a Jewish yeshiva student aged 22, Erez Shmuel,…

British police arrested four Muslim men in Birmingham Tuesday for allegedly planning terror operations. They have since been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, a police spokesman said. The four were remanded in custody by a judge at Westminster Magistrates Court. The…

Jews familiar with an ancient compilation of Aggadic exegesis called Yalkut Shimoni noticed in recent weeks that current tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia matches a prophecy it contains regarding the year in which the Messiah – the King who redeems Israel and the world – is to appear. In particular, the recently revealed Iranian…

A terrorist released in the Shalit deal is reportedly hospitalized and under IDF guard. According to the family of a Jewish man hospitalized at Hadassah in Jerusalem, he has recently had to share his room with a terrorist who was apparently shot in the course of IDF counter-terror activity. The terrorist is under constant police…

U.S. national security adviser says that U.S., Russia and China are united in their opposition to Iran getting a nuclear weapon; sources say U.S. plans to sanction Iran’s petrochemical industry. The White House said on Saturday that Iran is facing an unprecedented degree of isolation, with major world powers united in their opposition to Iran…

Hamas PM adviser states that Hamas will support Palestinian efforts to receive UN recognition; says goal of all Palestinian factions is a state on 1967 borders with capital in Jerusalem. Fatah and Hamas have agreed that the next Palestinian government will be located in the Gaza Strip, and hence the next head of the Palestinian…

Government newspaper in Iran quotes brother of dead Revolutionary Guard commander saying accidental explosion took place during missile test; Iranian officials have denied press speculation on Israeli involvement. The brother of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander killed in an explosion at an ammunition depot west of Tehran last week has been quoted by a government…

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran on Friday over mounting suspicions it may be seeking to develop atomic bombs, Reuters reported. The resolution was made possible after the six major powers overcame divisions on how to best deal with a defiant Tehran. It failed, however, to list any concrete punitive steps against Iran’s…

Syria agreed in principle Friday to allow Arab observers into the country to oversee a peace plan, as pressure continued on President Bashar Assad to end the brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters. The acceptance came after a week in which the Arab League exerted heavy pressure on Syria, voting last week to suspend Syria from…

Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, to protest against what they say are attempts by the country’s military rulers to designate themselves as the guardians of a new Egypt. The Associated Press reported that it was one of the largest rallies in Egypt in recent months and that while…

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) and the International Young Israel Movement celebrated its 100th anniversary with a special gala on Sunday, November 13. The centennial celebration was held at Terrace on the Park in Flushing, Queens, NY, and was attended by nearly 700 people from across the United States and Israel. The milestone…

Iran launched an air defense exercise on Friday, Israel’s Channel 10 News reported. According to the report, the exercise is being carried at the Seal of the Prophets military base in eastern Iran. As part of the exercise, an attack on all of Iran, and in particular on its nuclear facilities, will be simulated. The…

The website of the Diaspora Museum was defaced by Arab hackers late Thursday, who flooded the site’s Arabic home page with Islamic slogans like “For God the Merciful and Compassionate.” Diaspora Museum CEO Avinoam Armoni said the attack left no doubt the museum’s initiative to reach the Arab world with accurate facts about Jewish history…

The horrific Fogel massacre in Itamar raised fears communities in Judea and Samaria near hostile Arab villages would have difficulty attracting new residents – but the opposite has proven itself true. Just eight months after the tragedy that outraged and shocked the nation of Israel, Itamar’s community secretariat says there have seen a record increase…

Three months after the High Court ordered the demolition of the community of Migron by March 2012, the Attorney General is arguing, “The Palestinians cannot demonstrate rights to the land in Migron.” The court’s ruling came after Civil Administration officials accepted claims from the left-wing NGO Yesh Din that several homes in the community were…

Newly acquired intelligence reports indicate several Arab countries in the Middle East are lobbying the US to strike Iran this year, Israel’s Channel 10 reported. According to the report, which is said to be making its rounds in Britain’s political circles, Saudi Arabia wants the Obama administration to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities before the final…

A 21-year-old man was charged on Thursday with trying to assassinate U.S. President Barack Obama by opening fire on the White House with an assault rifle, Reuters reported. The shooter, Oscar Ortega-Hernandez who was arrested on Wednesday at a hotel in Pennsylvania, reportedly referred to Obama as the “devil”. Ortega-Hernandez appeared before a federal magistrate…

The Pentagon held a successful test flight of a flying bomb that travels faster than the speed of sound on Thursday, AFP reported. The bomb will give military planners the ability to strike targets anywhere in the world in less than a hour, the report said. The “Advanced Hypersonic Weapon,” or AHW, was launched by…

Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood held its first public conference on Thursday, after being banned for decades by the Qaddafi regime, Reuters reported. According to the report, the group used the platform to set a moderate tone, calling for a broad national reconstruction effort. Libyan Muslim Brotherhood leader Suleiman Abdelkader praised the rebellion and called on Libya’s…

Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat on Thursday dismissed reports Ramallah had offered to drop its bid to join United Nations agencies in exchange for Israel unfreezing tax revenue transfers to the cash strapped PA. Israel froze tax revenues transferred to the PA under bilateral agreements — amounting to some $100 million each month —…

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday he would raise American concerns about the unintended consequences of any military action against Iran during his upcoming meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Reuters reported. Panetta and Barak are due to meet on Friday in Halifax, Canada. Speaking to reporters traveling with him to Canada, Panetta…

A bus driver, 58, from Nazareth died and forty passengers were injured when a truck slammed into the bus at a junction in the Golan near Beit Ramon. Several Magen David Adom crews responded to the accident to provide first aid for the injured. The bus driver, who sustained serious injuries in the collision, was…

The IDF presented some alarming data on Thursday, according to which the number of Israelis who enlist in the army is on the decline. According to statistics presented by Major General Orna Barbivai, head of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate, by the year 2020 about 60% of the Israeli population will not be serving in the…

Anat Kam, who was convicted of high espionage and handing over of classified information, failed Thursday to convince the High Court to delay the beginning of her prison sentence. She will begin serving the sentence – 4.5 years in jail – on Wednesday, after Judge Miriam Naor agreed to postpone her entrance to prison from…

Advances in ultrasound technology is being inspired and informed by a new Israeli research project that studies dolphins, bats and mole rats. Researchers led by Professor Nathan Intrator at Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik School of Computer Science, in collaboration with Brown University’s Professor Jim Simmons, are working to identify what gives bisonar the edge of…

The United Nations is hoping Iran will allow a high-level mission to inspect the country’s nuclear sites. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano said Thursday he wrote a letter on November 2 proposing an inspection team visit Tehran. “I wrote to Iran’s vice-president and president of the country’s Atomic Energy…

The poverty rates have dropped to levels not seen since 2003 – but a third of Israel’s youth are still hungry, according to the latest government figures released Thursday. The 2010 poverty report noted that 20 percent of the nation’s families – 1.7 million citizens – are still living at or below the official poverty…

Defense Minister Ehud Barak is likely regretting an exchange he had with interviewer Charlie Rose on the latter’s Bloomberg TV show Wednesday. As a result of that comment, MKs and political officials from left to right have been having a field day Thursday, castigating Barak for what in the best case was perhaps a slip…

Hamas announced Thursday that the new rulers of Egypt – swept into power as a result of the “Arab Spring” rebellion – have given their blessing to a major demonstration to take place in Cairo next week. The “million man march” to be sponsored by Islamist groups a week from Friday will protest against the…

A group of high ranking reservist IDF officers and civilians says that there is “an epidemic” of hip stress fractures, ruptured discs and uterine prolapse among women serving in the IDF’s combat units. They claim that this rash of injuries – some of which have permanent effects and can affect a women’s chances of bearing…

Defense Minister Ehud Barak reiterated on Wednesday that a nuclear Iran would have dangerous consequences on the Middle East and the entire world. In an interview on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS, Barak said that the recent IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear program left no room for mistakes regarding Iran’s intentions. “It’s clear that…

National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau was at the sixth annual WaTec (Water Technology) Exhibition and Conference on Wednesday, and told Arutz Sheva why the conference is so significant to Israel. “First of all it’s important because it brings in thousands of people,” Landau said, adding that the conference is attracting ministers and delegations from all…

A 21-year-old Idaho man has been arrested on suspicion of firing a semi-automatic rifle at the White House, authorities said on Wednesday. According to a statement by Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Edwin Donovan, the suspect is Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez. He was detained at a hotel near Indiana, Pennsylvania. The arrest comes after the…

Egypt said Wednesday that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan from Sinai would be renewed within ten days. In an interview with Bloomberg, Majdi Tawfik, the head of Egypt’s state controlled supplier Gasco, said that repairs on the pipeline that was destroyed last week were proceeding nicely, and that the repair would be…

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) published some data in honor of Universal Children’s Day. The most common names given to newborns in the last decade are Noam for boys and Noa for girls. Other popular names for boys include Itai, Uri, Yehonatan, Daniel, David and Ariel. Popular girls’ names include Shira, Maya, Tamar, Talia…

Turkey has no plans to cooperate on nuclear projects with Iran, according to the Turkish energy minister. Responding to remarks by Mohammad Javad Larijani, a foreign affairs adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told reporters Wednesday that Turkey would not cooperate with Iran in building any nuclear power plants.…

For the first time in years, Israel is allowing the import of building materials to Gaza. Israel banned the import of such goods into Gaza in 2007, after Hamas terrorists staged a coup and took over Gaza to prevent their use to aid terrorists.  Israel stated that it was allowing the importation of such materials in…

Solar energy has arrived in the IDF, where an Israeli air base is implementing a new system that uses photovoltaic solar cells in an air defense training school in a system that produces electricity from solar energy. The system, which uses the photovoltaic solar cells to produce “green” energy, was implemented Wednesday for the first…

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani dismissed reports that a blast at an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) base near Tehran on Saturday was related to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear or ballistic missile programs. “The enemies,” Larijani said, using Iranian diplomatic code for Israel, “Instead of showing the realities of the incident have concocted stories about…

MK Aryeh Eldad criticized Israel’s left-wing parties on Tuesday and accused them of trying to rule the country despite the fact that the left is now a minority. The left has widely criticized a proposed bill that would require candidates for Israel’s Supreme Court to be vetted by a Knesset committee, similar to the U.S.…

Two near-simultaneous explosions rocked Lebanon’s southern port city of Tyre early Wednesday – raising fears the country may see renewed sectarian violence. While no casualties were reported, the bombings have raised the specter of sectarian-fueled Islamist violence on the backdrop of an ‘Arab Spring’ that has – to date – left Lebanon untouched. According to…

Nationalist politicians called on Wednesday to increase the penalties for betraying Israel’s secrets, citing the light sentence received by former IDF intelligence clerk Anat Kam. Kam, convicted of leaking over 2,000 classified documents stolen from the IDF in order to provide them Haaretz reporter Uzi Blau, is seeking to appeal her 4-year sentence to Israel’s…

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas vowed Wednesday to speed up reconciliation between his Fatah faction and Hamas. Abbas, speaking at a memorial event for late PLO leader and arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat, said he would meet Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal in Cairo later this month. The two leaders are expected to address the reconciliation deal signed…

The Knesset plenum debated Wednesday the possibility of a strike against Iran, which is preparing nuclear weapons and has stated its intent to destroy Israel. The discussion was prompted by motions filed by MKs Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home), Eitan Cabel (Labor) and Zeheva Galon (Meretz). Minister Michael Eitan (Likud), representing the Prime Minister’s position, said:…

As the Arab Spring heads into an increasingly Islamic Winter some three quarters of Arab youth want to migrate to countries outside the Middle East region, an Arab League official warned on Wednesday. “Due to their poor enfranchisement in society and politics, and due to rising joblessness, 70 per cent of the Arab youth want…

Fatah and Hamas are allegedly set to sign another reconciliation agreement that will lead to PA elections in May. But who knows if it will last that long? Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has spent years trying to convince Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers to step up…

The IDF and security officials have caught two Bethlehem area terrorist gangs who planned to murder IDF soldiers and Jews who ride all-terrain vehicles in the area of Gush Etzion, located immediately south of Jerusalem. They also planned to murder an Arab who cooperates with Israeli security officials. One of the gangs was caught in…

Turki al-Faisal said Monday a military attack on Iran aimed at halting its nuclear program could have catastrophic consequences – and would only strengthen Tehran’s determination to continue nuclear progress. “Such an act I think would be foolish and to undertake it I think would be tragic,” the Saudi prince said. “If anything it will…

The annual Beit El Gala dinner in New York on Sunday, December 4 is geared to attract the future leaders of Jewish causes. The event will take place at 5 p.m. the Manhattan Marriott Marquis and will include live entertainment. The featured speaker will be Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, along with other Israeli and…

Ilan Grapel, the American-Israeli who was released from an Egyptian prison a few weeks ago, gave an interview on Tuesday to CNN. Grapel was arrested by the Egyptians in June on charges of spying for Israel. He was released in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners who were held in Israel. “I was in Egypt on a public interest grant,…

Syrian army defectors attacked an intelligence complex on the edge of Damascus early on Wednesday morning, according to a report by the Reuters news agency. It was the first reported assault on a major security facility in the eight-month uprising against President Bashar Assad, according to activists. The activists told Reuters that members of a…

An ancient 200-year-old Torah scroll, which survived the Holocaust and was donated to the Air Force base in Tel Nof, was placed in the base’s synagogue in a special ceremony on Sunday. The scroll is dedicated to the memories of the victims of the Yasur helicopter crash in July of last year.  Six Israel Air…

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) expressed his concerns on Tuesday over the situation along Israel’s border with Egypt. His concerns come in the wake of the recent massive infiltration of African immigrants from Sinai, and also in the wake of recent terror threats originating in Egypt. “The Chief of Staff gave me the impression that…

Lebanese politicians came to blows live on national television over the crisis in neighbouring Syria on Monday. During the melee MPs were seen hurling insults – and chairs – at each other before the broadcast cut to an impromtu commercial break. Fayez Shukr, representing the Baath Party – which has links to Syrian President Bashar…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to a proposal by MKs Zeev Elkin and Yariv Levin (Likud) that would require candidates for Israel’s High Court of Justice be vetted by a Knesset committee, similar to the US Senate review of Supreme Court Justices. “There will be a hearing for judges before politicians,” Netanyahu…

France warned Israel on Tuesday not to endanger civilians after one of its diplomats and his family was wounded in a retaliatory strike carried out by the IAF. French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the French consul in Gaza, ‘Franco-Palestinian’ citizen Majdi Shakura, was injured in an airstrike on the Hamas-run enclave in the…

A stun grenade was thrown late Sunday night at the home of the Head of Shuva Yisrael Institutes, Rav Yashiyahu Pinto, after Israeli television’s Channel 10 revealed that he has filed a complaint with the FBI according to which a group of people has been blackmailing him and demanding millions of dollars. Rav Pinto of…

A Jewish woman was murdered in Flatbush early Tuesday morning, Yeshiva World News reported. Witnesses reported hearing the victim scream for help, and seeing a man running away from her and jumping into a van. The weapon was reported to be a knife or razor blade. The stabbing happened just after 1:00AM on Tuesday morning…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is seeking to water down a bill seeking to curtail foreign donations to Israeli NGOs involved in domestic politics. Netanyahu’s opposition comes despite broad support for the bills within his Likud party and the ruling government coalition – leading critics to suggest he is out of touch with his own lawmakers…

IAF aircraft attacked a terror tunnel and a center of terrorist activity in northern Gaza on Tuesday night, the IDF Spokesperson said in a statement. According to the statement, direct hits were identified and all Israeli aircraft returned safely to their bases. “The terror tunnels were designed to allow terrorists to infiltrate into Israel and…

The IDF’s “tit-for-tat” response will be replaced by an offensive in Gaza if missile attacks resume, Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Tuesday. He told the Knesset Members on the panel that if Hamas and allied terrorists initiative a new round of fighting, “We will need…

MK Danny Danon (Likud) slammed MK Ahmad Tibi’s intention to speak at a memorial service for late PLO arch-terrorist Yassir Arafat in Ramallah on Tuesday. “Tibi continues his treacherous line toward Israel and represents a fifth column in the Knesset,” Danon said. “To support Arafat is incitement to terrorism and requires the removal of Tibi’s…

Gaza terrorists launched two Qassam rockets at Israel’s communities in the western Negev late Tuesday afternoon. One rocket hit a local kindergarten. There were no physical injuries in the attack, but the kindergarten was badly damaged. The other rocket exploded in an open area in the western Negev. No physical injuries or property damage was…

Iran is morally corrupt and spoiled, President Shimon Peres told CNN’s Piers Morgan Monday night. “An attack on its moral foundations is needed.” “They are the only country that threatens to destroy another country openly,” and an attack on the Islamic Republic’s foundations is needed “because Iran is a spoiled country. It is morally corrupt.” Concerning sanctions…

The Civil Administration, an arm of the IDF, plans to solve charges of bias in favor of illegal Arab buildings – by defining them as legal. Jewish leaders in Judea and Samaria have complained for years that Civil Administration, under the command of Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the IDF, destroys Jewish homes that do…

The Property Tax Authority has recognized the April incident in which Palestinian Authority (PA) police murdered yeshiva student Ben Yosef Livnat as a terror act. The Authority will compensate Roi Nagar, who owns the car in which Livnat was shot to death, with 12,000 shekels. The car was riddled with holes from bullets fired by…

Hizbullah has canceled leaves and is preparing for war, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah. “Hizbullah cancelled the vacations of all its militants, summoned thousands of its members and gave orders to its prominent officials to remain unseen in case a war broke out,” the daily said. It added that the terrorist army and political…

A Jewish collector of Israeli art, determined to ensure the treasure would not get lost in what he referred to as “the ghetto,” has donated his collection to the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington. Donald Rothfeld and his wife, Susan Merker, donated the collection in honor of Israel’s Ambassador to…

France has ruled out the military option in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe warned Monday that such a move send events into “an uncontrollable spiral,” Reuters reported. France has expressed deep concern over the Iranian nuclear program and its clear progress towards development of a nuclear warhead. The latest…

Tunisia’s final election results confirmed the victory of a once-banned Islamist party, the country’s election commission said Monday. According to the Associated Press, the final results for the Oct. 23 contests give the once-banned Ennahda Party 89 out of 217 seats (41%) – more than triple the seats won by any other party. International observers…

After the embarrassing incident in which he was caught calling Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a ‘liar’, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is doing some damage control. Sarkozy, who sent a condolence letter to Netanyahu for the death of his father-in-law Shmuel Ben-Artzi, took the opportunity to apologize for the incident and pledged his friendship to the…

The Judea Regional Brigade of the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division held an educational program for all its commanders and medical teams on Monday, in preparation for a terror attack with multiple casualties and injuries. It was the largest exercise held in the Brigade in years and it incorporated many forces and civilian simulators. The…

Mark Langfan, the American-Israel Security 3D-Map topographer, and this year’s co-recipient of the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award at the upcoming Zionist Organization of America dinner along with his father William, has offered concrete evidence which conclusively debunks the litany of falsehoods and distortions found in the book “Israel Lobby” written by Professors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. The…

For the second year in a row, a group of American wounded soldiers toured Israel on bikes with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The ten-day “Soldier Ride” took them from the banks of the Dead Sea to the Western Wall in Jerusalem to the northern border with Syria. The program is intended to build community…

Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad said Monday he will not be used as a pretext for avoiding reconciliation between Fatah and the Hamas terror organization. “It is time to end division,” Fayyad told the Jerusalem- based Al-Quds newspaper Monday. “I call upon all factions and political parties to agree on a new prime minister.”…

Envoys from the Quartet for Middle East Peace made no headway in restarting moribund peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority after separate meetings Monday, Reuters reports. “Envoys continued to encourage the parties to resume direct bilateral negotiations without delay or preconditions,” a reticent Quartet statement said. They “called upon the parties to create…

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Israel would be happy to lift its blockade on Hamas-run Gaza if France would pull its weight – by sending in the Foreign Legion to keep order. Lieberman, known for his candid and colorful mode of expression, was responding to recent criticism from the government of French President…

The large Chabad-Lubavitch community in France lost an icon Monday with the passing of its first and most important female leader, Rebetzin Bassie Azimov. Described as Chabad’s “head shlucha (female emissary) of France,” the wife of emissary Rabbi Shmuel Azimov died Monday morning in Paris. Rebetzin Azimov came from a renowned rabbinical background; she was the daughter…

Amir Kahanovich, chief economist at Clal Finance, one of Israel’s largest brokerage houses, says a sharp rise in the price of oil, the costs of war and the damage to global trade will cause the world to soft-pedal Iranian nuclear ambitions. In a report entitled “The Iranian Issue through Economic Eyes,” Kahanovich laid out courses…

On Monday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II publicly called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, becoming the first Arab leader to call for his neighbor’s resignation. Abdullah told the British Broadcasting Corporation in an exclusive BBC World News television interview that if he were in Assad’s situation, he would “make sure whoever comes after me…

The Knesset Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved two bills that aim to limit foreign funding for political NGO’s in Israel on Sunday. One bill would cap donations from foreign governments’ contributions to “political” NGOs at NIS 20,000. The other bill would deprive political NGOs that rely on foreign funding of tax exempt status and levy…

Moody’s Investors Service warned Monday that the failure of the Hizbullah-dominated government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon could lead to international sanctions on Lebanon. The STL was established in March 2009 with the purpose of holding trials for the people accused of carrying out the 14 February 2005…

Iran has rejected claims a terrorist cell busted by Qatar and Bahrain had links with the Revolutionary Guards or the Basij paramilitary militia. The denial comes on the heels of a report saying Qatari authorities had arrested four Bahrainis on Friday whom they say were planning to attack high-profile targets in Bahrain. The targets reportedly…

Kenya’s prime minister, visiting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, asks Israel to help his country get rid of Al Qaeda terrorists. Kenya’s soldiers have crossed into Somalia to hunt down al-Shabab terrorists, linked with Al Qaeda, in Somalia. Prime Minister Raila Odinga asked Preisdent Peres Monday for helping his security forces in…

Iran, worried by possible sabotage or an attack at the hands of Israel, has raised to five years the jail term for the crime of visiting Israel. State television reported on Monday that the parliament approved an amendment that ups the jail term to 2-5 years from the current three months. The original ban on…

Israel paid Syrian President Bashar Assad’s grand-uncle $100 million for the Golan Heights before the Six-Day War in 1967, says a former close friend to assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Dr. Mahmoud Jame’ said Sadat was briefed on the deal, according to the Jordanian-based Albawaba website. Jame’, a member of the first Consultative Council in…

Israel’s cabinet voted Monday to maintain its freeze on tax revenue transfers to the Palestinian Authority. The decision was taken contrary to recent reports the two-week freeze would be short-lived in PA affiliated media sources. Israel transfers some $100 million in tax payments to the PA every month, but an eight-minister forum decided to withhold…

A Palestinian Authority TV program recently stated that the rain in Jerusalem washes away the impurity of the footsteps of Jews on behalf of Muslims who come to pray in the city. The Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) research institute translated the program and presented it on its website. “The golden dome [of the mosque] shines…

“Mossad,” the Israeli international intelligence agency, was behind Saturday’s explosion at a missile base next to Tehran, in the estimation of an official Western intelligence source cited by TIME magazine on Monday. The official said, “Don’t believe the Iranians that it was an accident.” A leading figure in Iran’s nuclear development program was among at…

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told the Knesset Monday that talk about Jordan as the Palestinian state works against Israeli interests and “contradicts reality.” “The statement that Jordan is Palestinian is opposed to international law and the peace treaty we signed with Jordan,” Lieberman told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “A Palestinian state will be…

IDF forces paid visits Sunday to the homes of seven of the terrorists who were freed in the Shalit deal, according to a report in the Palestinian Authority (PA) based Ma’an news agency. Ma’an calls the visits “raids” and says that the seven received summonses to report to the Shin Bet intelligence service. Military vehicles…

Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi, Head of Israeli Central Command and Colonel Guy Hazut, commander of the IDF’s Judea Brigade, came on Sunday to the home of Rabbi Dan Mertzbach from Otniel who was accidentally killed by an IDF soldier on Friday. Mizrahi and Hazut, who came to offer condolences to the family currently sitting shiva for the…

Vandals threw a firecracker on Sunday night at the home of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto in Ashdod. The firecracker exploded in the rabbi’s yard. No one was hurt in the incident, but damage was caused to a table. Ashdod Police have launched an investigation, and Chief Superintendent Doron Benamo, a spokesman for the police’s Southern District,…

On November 9, five US Congressmen ventured into otherwise uncharted territory, at least by the standards of traditional diplomatic delegations to Israel. A strong affinity to Israel and genuine frustration with repeated fatal failures of “peace processes” drove these American leaders to take a fresh look at Israel’s heartland. The tour is a manifestation of…

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Konstantin Grishchenko, visited the Kotel (Western Wall) on Sunday. He was accompanied by Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Reuven Dinel, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel, Hennadii Nadolenko. The three were led by Rabbi Mordechai Elihav, the Director-General of the Wall Heritage Foundation and Rabbi Yossi Kurzweil of Chabad, who was recently appointed by…

Iran said on Sunday it had detected Duqu, a computer virus that experts say is based on Stuxnet, the virus that hit the Islamic Republic’s computers last year. “We are in the initial phase of fighting the Duqu virus,” Gholamreza Jalali, the head of Iran’s civil defense organization, told the official IRNA news agency. “The…

Egypt had arrested and filed charges against Muhammad al-Teehi, who is believed to have been involved in the multi-pronged attack near Eilat in mid-August that killed eight Israelis. According to Channel 2 News, Egyptian authorities say that al-Teehi belongs to a terror group affiliated with Al Qaeda. According to some reports he is the leader…

The world must see the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report for what it is and stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons before it is too late, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Cabinet Sunday. The IAEA report last week stated what Israel has been claiming for years – that Iran is trying to manufacture…

The families of Turkey’s diplomats and staff in Damascus are being evacuated from Syria following an attack on its embassy in Damascus. A mob of at least 1,000 pro-Assad rioters hurled rocks and bottles at the embassy in the Syrian capital, Turkey’s state-run Anatolian news agency reported. Syrian police eventually intervened to end the attack, reporters…

Egyptian authorities may have arrested a suspect in connection with last week’s bombing of the pipeline that brings natural gas to Israel and Jordan. One suspect, Mohamed al-Teehi, is a leading member of Al-Takfir Wa Al-Hijra (Excommunication and Exodus), an armed Islamist group. He was arrested in the northern coastal city of el-Arish, according to…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu bowed to pressures from the Attorney General, mainstream media and some of his own Likud party Knesset Members Sunday and postponed a vote on a bill on High Court appointments. The measure is strongly supported by nationalists and is sponsored by the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu parties. The bill would require nominees…

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted Sunday to support a bill limiting the funding that political non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may receive from foreign governments and international bodies to NIS 20,000 shekels. The bill was authored by MKs Ofir Akunis and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) and Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beitenu) . The Committee also voted in favor…

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said that re-electing President Obama would mean accepting a nuclear Iran. Romney warned that if President Barack Obama is re-elected, “Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.” Newt Gingrich and Romney, two of the top contenders for the…

The police recently arrested a citizen of Jerusalem simply for responding to a Facebook status written by an extreme leftist. The incident occurred this past week when Y (whose full name cannot be revealed for reasons of confidentiality) was surfing on Facebook. He came across a post by extreme leftist Dorit Eldar (a lecturer at…

The military police will question the IDF soldier who fired on Friday at the vehicle driven by Rabbi Dan Mertzbach from Otniel, killing him and wounding two other passengers. The questioning will take place after the Military Advocate General ordered an investigation into the matter on Saturday. As well, an officer from outside the military police…

A video by Al-Jazeera’s English television network is claiming that the one person who will decide whether there will be peace in between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is none other than Yesha Council chairman Danny Dayan. The video claims that conventional wisdom, which claims that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and…

While it is a foregone conclusion that Vladimir Putin will be elected president and United Russia will have an outright majority simply because they control the electoral commission, the independent polls from Russia (including those of the respected Levada Institute) are signaling a decline in support for United Russia as well as for Putin and…

Anti-Semitic vandals went on a rampage in Brooklyn before dawn Friday, burning Jewish-owned cars and scrawling swastikas in a Jewish area. The latest hate attacks followed by only several hours an announcement by police that they caught one man who was responsible for hate attacks earlier this week on two libraries and a synagogue. A Jaguar,…

Israel is speeding up on-board missile defense systems for commercial planes in light of fears that Gaza terrorists have obtained anti-aircraft missiles during the recent war in Libya, defense officials told the Associated Press. It is only a matter of months before the laser-based ”C-Music” system will be installed on approximately 100 Israeli passenger planes,…

An explosion at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards depot killed at least 17 soldiers. Sabotage is suspected in what may be another attack on the regime, possibly part of a secret war that Israel could be waging. The blast occurred approximately 30 miles west of Tehran. A semi-official Irnaian news agency reported that ammunition was being moved at the…

The Arab League suspended Syria on Saturday following another day of mass murder of civilians and deserting soldiers by the Assad regime. Almost all of the 22 members of the Arab League voted to take the unprecedented action against Syria. Yemen was the only opponent outside of Syria itself and Lebanon, which Damascus effectively controls…

Explosion occurs in the village of Bidganeh where the Fifth Raad Missile Brigade, responsible for launching Shahab 3 and 4 missiles, is stationed; satellite images of the site reveal two large military bases near the village. At least one massive explosion at a military weapons depot near the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday killed several…

U.S. Secretary of State says at a Pacific Rim summit that Islamic Republic has ‘long history of deception’ regarding its nuclear program. Iran must respond soon to a report by the UN atomic agency alleging that it is working secretly on developing a nuclear weapon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday while attending…

Speaking to reporters in Tunisia, Palestinian President rules out the possibility of dissolving the Palestinian Authority if UN efforts fail. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his officials stressed Saturday that they will continue efforts to seek full United Nations membership in spite of the latest setbacks at the UN Security Council. A Palestinian application for…

The Palestinian Authority’s bid for UN membership officially went to the Security Council on Friday, after its admissions committee approved a report saying there is no consensus among the 15 council nations. The Associated Press reported that the admissions committee report said the council is divided among those who support the bid, those who cannot…

Despite a huge campaign by the Tourism Ministry and many efforts to amass votes, the Dead Sea has been left out of the list of finalists for the new seven wonders of nature. The voting officially closed on Friday (11.11.11) at 11:11 a.m. (Britain time). 28 sites around the world had been part of the…

The death of Rabbi Dan Mertzbach of Otniel due to IDF fire around 05:00 on Friday marks the second accidental death under the command of Brigadier General Hagai Mordechai. Rabbi Mertzbach’s vehicle was identified by an IDF situation room in Beit Hagai, which noted it was moving quickly towards an impromptu security check-point with only…

Hundreds – Othniel and area residents, friends, students and family members – accompanied Rabbi Dan Mertzbach, 55, to his final resting place on the Mount of Olives on Friday.  He was survived by a wife, five children and 10 grandchildren. A professional architect, Mertzbach served as a rabbi for Tene Omarim, Shima and Eshkolot. He…

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanon-based Hizbullah terror group, warned on Friday that a war against Iran and Syria will spread across the Middle East, NOW Lebanon is reporting. The Hizbullah chief ruled out, however, the likelihood of an Israeli offensive on Lebanon happening in the near future. “Unless there is a plan for waging…

Palestinian Authority officials are confident Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to freeze tax revenue transfers to Ramallah will be short lived. The decision, which came in the wake of UNESCO’s admission of the PA to its ranks as a full member, was hailed in Israel as a long-overdue sign of strength from the Netanyahu…

Palestinian Authority officials warned Thursday the region would descend into “violence and anarchy” because of the failure of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ statehood bid at the United Nations. Officials in Ramallah refused to say what they were planning to do now that they have conceded the measure does not have sufficient support in the UN…

A nephew of late PLO founder Yasser Arafat says the family will be releasing a 558-page French medical report detailing the cause of his death. Naser al-Qudwa told the Palestinian Authority’s semi-official Maan News Agency  the document is being translated from French before it is released. Al-Qudwa claimed the report would answer “many questions,” adding…

Arab leaders reportedly told the United States they are willing to provide safe haven to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to hasten what they say is his “inevitable departure” from power, a senior US official said on Wednesday. Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman did not identify which countries had offered a place for Al…

UNESCO’s recent acceptance of the Palestinian Authority as a full-member state has cost it $65 million, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday. The large hole in the agency’s budget was created by the loss of U.S. funds. The U.S. cut its funding to UNESCO immediately after the UN’s cultural agency approved the PA’s request…

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was not allowed to view secret documents when he served as Minister for Strategic Affairs, journalist Amir Rappaport revealed on the Israel Defense website on Thursday. Lieberman held the post in Ehud Olmert’s government from 2006 to 2008. According to Rappaport’s report, when Lieberman was in charge of the Iranian issue…

A French citizen who lives in Ma’aleh Adumim and recently tried to renew his French passport, received a letter which said that his country of residence in the new passport would be listed as “occupied Palestine.” The citizen turned to MK Lia Shemtov from the Yisrael Beiteinu party and asked her to take care of…

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday that military action against Iran could have unintended consequences, The Associated Press reported. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Panetta said he agrees with earlier assessments that a strike would only set Iran’s nuclear program back by three years at most. “You’ve got to be careful of…

An Israeli nonprofit team of young scientists is participating in the competition for the Google Lunar X Prize – a $30 million contest for landing an unmanned vehicle on the moon and transmitting still images and video back to earth. The team wants the Israeli flag to be the third national flag to land on…

Dennis Ross, President Barack Obama’s key Middle East advisor, said Thursday he would resign from his post, AFP reported. Ross, a veteran U.S. peace negotiator, said in a statement that he had made a promise to his wife to return to private life after two years in the administration and had outstayed that promise by…

Egypt on Thursday released new details on the explosion that, for the seventh time this year, shut down the Egyptian pipeline which provides gas to Israel and Jordan. Officials said that terrorists planted an explosive device under the pipeline, setting off the explosion from a distance, probably by cellphone. The terrorists dug a hole in…

After ostensibly working out a deal to resolve the Greek debt crisis last week, the spotlight has turned this week on perhaps Europe’s biggest “debt bomb.” Italian officials say that for now, there is nothing to worry about. Yields on Italian 10-year bonds shot up to 7.25% Thursday afternoon – a euro-era high – as…

According to a report by the Israel Security Agency there was an uptick in terror in October due to increased rocket fire from Hamas-run Gaza. October 2011 saw an increase in the number of terrorist attacks carried out against Israel — 80, compared with 68 in September. In October, 46 attacks originated in Gaza, compared…

Russia’s nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said Thursday that Tehran is interested in purchasing more Russian-built reactors. Russian and Iranian officials have discussed building more reactors in the past, but Kiriyenko’s latest statement comes amid Western calls for sanctions on Tehran over the IAEA report released Tuesday that details suspected nuclear weapons-related advances. It also comes…

If anybody thought that this week’s report by the International Atomic Energy Agency would be a game changer in terms of international efforts to compel Iran to desist from its nuclear weapons program, the Russian and Chinese reactions furnish a reality check. Russia has ruled out stiffer sanctions against Iran. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov…

After admitting that their unilateral bid to be accepted as a member state to the United Nations has failed, the Palestinian Authority is now turning to ‘Plan B.’ The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the entity will now seek an upgraded observer status that would give them access to key international organizations. According to the…

With an International Atomic Energy Agency report to be issued this week that will state, officials said Wednesday, that Iran is clearly working towards developing a nuclear weapons program, speculation has turned to possible military actions by Israel or other western countries to prevent Tehran from getting “the bomb.” On Thursday, the British Daily Mail…

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations is asking that body’s Security Council why it’s not “shocked” by the constant barrage of rockets and mortars fired by Gaza terrorists at southern Israel. Ambassador Ron Prosor declared Wednesday during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the unstable security situation in southern Israel should shock that…

Over a hundred thousand people took part on Tuesday in the funeral of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, head of the famed Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, the largest yeshiva in Israel and second largest in the world. The revered Rosh Yeshiva was a member of the Torah Council of Sages of Degel HaTorah. Rabbi Finkel passed away early Tuesday morning…

At least seven people are dead after an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale hit eastern Turkey on Wednesday evening, causing a six-storey hotel and other buildings to collapse, trapping people inside them. The earthquake comes just over two weeks after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Van region on October 23, killing at least 600…

An Egyptian pipeline which provides gas to Israel and Jordan was once again hit by an explosion early Thursday morning. Egypt’s security services told AFP that the blast occurred 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the town of el-Arish in the north of the Sinai Peninsula. Witnesses said they had seen armed men at the…

In a last effort to encourage votes for the Dead Sea as one of the new seven wonders of nature, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has released a video in which he emphasizes the wonderful effect that having the Dead Sea win will have on tourism. Netanyahu says that having the Dead Sea chosen would not…

The White House is trying to stifle diplomatic fallout from an open microphone incident in which President Barack Obama appeared to show frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In a recent conversation between Obama and French President Nikolas Sarkozy, the latter said about Netanyahu, “I cannot stand him. He is a liar.” Obama reportedly…

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) condemned Wednesday “price tag” phenomenon while simultaneously warning Israelis not to repeat the mistake made by leftists after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin wherein the entire nationalist population was condemned for the actions of a “crazy extremist fringe.” Rivlin’s comments came during a plenary session marking the 16th…

At least three people are dead after an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale hit eastern Turkey on Wednesday evening, causing a six-storey hotel and other buildings to collapse and trapping people inside. The earthquake comes just over two weeks after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Van region on October 23, killing at least…

The Taliban suffered an embarrassing defeat when as many at 70 fighters were killed during an attempted raid on a coalition forces base in eastern Afhganistan, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. The disastrous raid took place late on Tuesday at a combat outpost in Paktika province, close to the border with Pakistan. No international troops…

Two-thirds of the Jewish public in Israel favors a tough response to Gaza terrorists’ recent attacks on civilians in the south, according to a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI). At the same time, 54% said they believe the government’s current restraint is justified in order to avoid further straining Israel’s relationship with…

British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed the UK would abstain in the UN Security Council should the Palestinian Authority application for statehood be brought to a vote, AFP reported Wednesday. “In common with France and in consultation with our European partners, the United Kingdom will abstain on any vote on full Palestinian membership of the…

GOP nomination contender Mitt Romney continued wooing Jewish voters upset with the Obama administration’s policy towards Israel, this time saying US President Barack Obama had proven his disdain for the ‘special relationship’ between Israel and the United States. Romney seized on media reports French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Obama had exchanged unkind words about Israeli…

“The IAEA report corroborates the position of the international community, and of Israel, that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. “The significance of the report is that the international community must bring about the cessation of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons which endanger the peace of the world and of the Middle East.” Netanyahu’s remarks were…

Iranian army general: Dimona nuclear site could be targeted in response if Israel attacks Iran. By Interfax News Russia will not support new, tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian diplomat as saying on Wednesday. “Any additional sanctions against Iran will be seen in the international community…

Foreign Secretary William Hague tells House of Commons that decision to abstain made after consultations with fellow Security Council member France and other European countries. By The Associated Press Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain will abstain when the United Nations Security Council votes on the Palestinian bid for statehood. Hague told the House of…

A Tel Aviv University researcher warns the deadly polio virus is still a threat, contrary to the widespread belief in Western countries the disease no longer exists. Dr. Lester Shulman of the university’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Israel’s Ministry of Health has spent years tracking isolated cases of live poliovirus infections. The illness has…

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a leading figure in the religious world and the spiritual head of Shas, has stepped into the debate over the fate of several Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. He has called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to destroy the communities, but rather to find a way to legalize them. Rabbi…

More than six years after the expulsion of Jews from Gaza, families from Netzarim, Atzmona and elsewhere are finally settling down in new homes. The homes are in the new towns of Naveh and Bnei Netzarim, both a short distance from Gaza. Bnei Netzarim is now home to 96 families, while Naveh houses 80. The…

MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), a former IDF Chief of Staff, on Tuesday said that Iran’s nuclear program was the ultimate limtus test for US President Barak Obama’s foreign policy. “We are approaching the point where there is a balance of terror in the Middle East,” Mofaz said during a speech to the heads of Jewish Federations in Denver, Colorado…

Military officials said on Tuesday that a terrorist cell that was recently targeted by IAF aircraft in Rafah was about to fire a rocket with a range of 80 kilometers, twice the range of the rockets that have been used until now. The incident occurred on Saturday, October 29, when IDF forces attacked a terrorist…

Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman is considering easing the sentences of some of the Jewish prisoners currently serving time in Israeli prisons. Neeman has reportedly given Attorney Ami Palmor, who heads the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, a list of names of Jewish prisoners as a first step in the easing of their sentences. The Justice Minister,…

The White House would not deny or confirm on Tuesday the reports of a conversation between President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in which the latter called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu “a liar.” White House spokesman Jay Carney said he had no comment on the conversation or about Obama’s response, when asked about…

  Terrorists in Gaza launched a Qassam rocket at the Shaar HaNegev region, a district with a population of 6000 located in southern Israel between Beer Sheba and Ashkelon, shortly after six on Tuesday evening. The “color red” alarm system was activated during the attack. The rocket reportedly exploded in an open field. No physical injuries or…

Attorneys for the government filed a motion asking Israel’s High Court to extend the deadline for them to file their position on the destruction of neighborhoods and communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha). The petition, filed on behalf Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the IDF commander in Yesha, said “the respondents need two more days…

  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report Tuesday saying it had credible intelligence Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology. “The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program,” the IAEA report said. “After assessing carefully and critically the extensive information available to it, the agency finds the information…

Senator John McCain, the Republican standardbearer in 2008, was highly critical of the exchange between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama in which Sarkozy called Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a liar. Most of the media concentrated on Sarkozy’s remark. However, the conversation, picked up by a hot microphone, had Obama responding to the…

Top commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened Tuesday to kill “dozens” of US citizens should Washington kill any of its members. “You also should not forget that American commanders have plenty of presence and travel in the region. If you kill any of us, we will kill dozens of you,” Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief…

Months after President Barack Obama hastened the end of the Mubarak regime, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants the military regime in Cairo to move faster on elections. Parliamentary elections are scheduled in three weeks, but discord, suspicion and protests may upset the timetable. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists are leading the pack,…

  Terrorists in Gaza launched a Qassam rocket at the Shaar HaNegev region, a district with a population of 6000 located in southern Israel between Beer Sheba and Ashkelon, shortly after six on Tuesday evening. The “color red” alarm system was activated during the attack. The rocket reportedly exploded in an open field. No physical injuries or…

IDF top censor Brig. Gen. Sima Vaknin told attendees at Haifa University lecture Wednesday that public discourse about a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear program did not compromise Israel’s national security. Vaknin’s statement came just days after it was reported the Prime Minister’s Office had ordered a probe into leaks concerning sensitive discussions between ministers…

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday only “crippling sanctions” against Iran’s central bank and gas industries would halt Tehran’s nuclear program. Lieberman’s remarks were made ahead of the publication of a key report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in which the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran was on the verge of being able…

The head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said on Tuesday that Iran would start a ‘street war’ in Tel Aviv if its nuclear program was attacked. “Israel is not big enough to launch a military strike on Iran, but if it takes such a foolish decision, the Iranian military will…

The court case against the Jewish community of Migron north of Jerusalem took a dramatic turn Monday, according to the Samaria Regional Authority. The Arabs who claim the land is theirs withdrew their lawsuit for damages after being required to present proof of ownership. This means that the Arabs have no evidence showing that the…

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in a diplomatic knot after telling President Barack Obama, in what he thought was a private call, “Netanyahu is a liar.” The president also made a negative remark about the Prime Minister. He and President Obama were talking in a private room after a press conference at the G20 summit…

As Iran moves closer to building a nuclear weapon, sanctions against Tehran have failed because of trade ties and fears of economic chaos. The IAEA is expected to issue a public report this week disclosing evidence pointing to what everyone unofficially knows – the Islamic Republic is trying to build a nuclear weapon and has…

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is gaining influence in Gaza by increasing aid to Hamas 24-fold in the past two years, following the flotilla clash between Turkish-based IHH terror activists and the Israeli navy. Relations between Israel and Turkey turned an about-face for the worse after the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist operation in late…

The possibility of Israel’s attacking Iran has been headlined in Israeli media for a week, spearheaded by comments by Meir Dagan, who until recently was head of the Mossad. He said a military strike would be absurd. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, speaking on Voice of Israel government radio, expressed thinly-veiled criticism on Dagan on others,…

A group of eighteen prominent former United States senators recently wrote to President Barack Obama and asked that he free Jonathan Pollard, according to a report on Monday by Yeshiva World News. Pollard, who was convicted on a single count of passing classified information to an ally more than 26 years ago, is serving a…

Dr. Ephraim Kam, deputy director of the Institute for National Security Studies, said on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s nuclear program is likely to have important implications, particularly on Russia and China. Kam told Arutz Sheva that the report will be more severe than previous ones, since up until…

Germany’s Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, warned on Monday against a debate about a military strike against Iran, Reuters reported. Westerwelle said in an interview with a local newspaper that publicly discussing an attack on Iran is dangerous and strengthens the leadership of the Islamic Republic rather than weakening it. “I warn against floating the idea…

Homefront Defense Minister Matan Vilnai announced on Monday that his office has developed a new program to fully protect all communities in southern Israel that are located up to 15 kilometers from Gaza. Vilnai made the announcement at the conclusion of a special meeting held in the office of Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin. To date,…

The Palestinian Authority will receive some $200 million in frozen US aid dollars after top House Republican Ileana Ros-Letinen ended her brief hold on the money. Some view Jerusalem’s silence on the matter, on the heels of Jerusalem freezing tax revenues to the PA, as reason enough to question the US administration’s assertion that the resumption…

The heads of six parliamentary factions in the Knesset on Monday sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu entitled “Saving the towns and neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria from destruction.” The faction heads, who represent a majority of lawmakers in the Knesset, called for Netanyahu to set up a legal team with the mandate…

Iran’s legislature plans to file a complaint against the US at the UN Security Council demanding the prosecution of Washington officials for their alleged open call for “terror attacks” on Islamic Republic officials. “The Iranian nation’s live and telling documents prove that the US administration as a symbol of terrorism in the world has killed…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday one could be loyal to the settlement enterprise and adhere to to the law – admitting he was abandoning Jewish neighborhoods slated for destruction under a controversial ruling by Israel’s High Court. His comments come admid furor in his Likud faction over the looming demolition of Amona, Givat…

Rock attacks are continuing by Palestinian Authority Arabs hurling the sharp-edged projectiles at motorists traveling along roads in Judea and Samaria. On Monday, a 63-year-old tourist was slightly wounded when her car came under attack by a group of PA Arabs hurling rocks in Samaria. The victim was treated at the scene and then evacuated…

Two new films have been uploaded to the virtual cinema site of the Spielberg Archive — one depicting scenes from the Warsaw Ghetto, and the second showing the agricultural development of the first settlements along the Dead Sea that followed its destruction. Von Horvot Bis Zum Heimland, “From Ruins Till Destruction” tells the tale of…

Six days after shelling began in the central Syrian city of Homs, dozens are dead and hundreds of others have been wounded according to residents and activists. Syrian army forces fired tank shells into the Bab Amro district, the flashpoint section of the city where residents have been demonstrating against the government for days, the…

Speaking in the name of the Fatah movement at a ceremony in honor of the released prisoners in the recent Shalit deal, Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, praised Hamas for kidnapping the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), Rajoub, who was representing Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas,…

Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority (PA) by freezing tax revenues after the PA joined UNESCO, a Fatah official charges. Fayiz Abu Aita, a spokesman for the party headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said that the Israeli measure and its announced speed-up of building in Judea and Samaria will have “disastrous results…

Ireland elects as president poet Michael Higgins, who was against the American war in Iraq, protested against visiting President Ronald Reagan and rallied against Israel’s maritime embargo of the Hamas terrorist authority in Gaza. He won a cantankerous election that was characterized by personal insults and charges of corruption among other candidates. One of his…

An IDF force spotted a terrorist squad Monday around noon, as it planted two explosive charges near the northern section of the security fence separating Gaza and Israel. The IDF Spokesman’s Unit said that the Israeli soldiers fired tank shells at the terrorists and identified hits on target. Arab news sources said that three people…

Hamas’ rival Islamic Jihad has built an 8,000-man army supported by Iran and “ready for martyrdom or victory.” “Martyrdom is the more desirable,” it says. Its estimate of the number of terrorists trained for war against Israelis the first time Islamic Jihad has disclosed how many fighters it has. “We are proud and honored to…

MK Daniel Ben-Simon (Labor) announced on Sunday that he plans to submit a bill to the Knesset that would prohibit prime ministers and presidents to own private businesses for personal gain for a period of three years after the end of their tenure. Instead, MK Ben-Simon’s bill will have these former leaders focus on activities…

Dr. Ephraim Laor, who headed the National Steering Committee for Earthquake Preparedness, outlined on Sunday some steps that should be taken by Israelis to prepare themselves for a major earthquake that could hit Israel. Laor spoke to Arutz Sheva just two weeks after he warned against Israel’s lack of preparedness to deal with an earthquake. He made…

MK Yariv Levin (Likud) warned on Sunday that the planned demolitions in certain Jewish communities could cause a split in the Likud. Several communities – Migron, Givat Assaf and the Ulpana neighborhood in Binyamin – are slated for demolition in the near future. At the root of the problem are several issues: Supreme Court Dorit…

Dozens of people demonstrated on Sunday evening outside the home of President Shimon Peres, demanding the release of Jewish prisoners. The protesters shouted, “We want to light the Chanukah candles with our loved ones.” One of the protesters was Tova Aharonov, girlfriend of Dennis Alhazov who was convicted in 2009 of killing an Arab in…

Rioting Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs attacked IDF soldiers on patrol Sunday afternoon next to the Judean village of El Aroub. Some 30 Arabs who were involved in the melee hurled rocks at the soldiers. IDF troops responded with riot control measures. Earlier in the day, PA Arabs ambushed Israeli motorists with a number of rock and…

Arab League secretary-general Nabil el-Arabi warned Damascus on Saturday that a “catastrophic” situation is imminent in Syria, according to the Egyptian state-run Middle Eastern News Agency (MENA). “The failure of the Arabic solution would have catastrophic consequences for the situation in Syria and the region, and that’s what the Arab League is trying to avoid…

Several government websites crashed on Sunday afternoon, leading experts to suspect a coordinated hacker attack on the main server supporting the sites. Among the sites down were those of the Shin Bet and IDF. IDF spokespeople said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash, and that servers may have been down…

Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy has apologized for the hurt caused by his comments suggesting that hareidi-religious Jews are a bigger threat than Ahmadinejad – but has not rescinded the remarks. “The hareidization in Israel is widening rifts in the Jewish people. I’m sorry if people were hurt, but I’m also angry… that the rift…

An Israeli man was wounded Sunday morning in a firebomb attack in the Samaria region. He was targeted by Arabs as he drove near Karnei Shomron. The man received medical treatment at the scene, and did not require hospital care. Later in the day the HNN news site reported a terrorist firebomb attack on an…

A week of rumors that Israel plans to attack Iran has prompted a warning that it can deal Israel a “crushing response” and that “any Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic would be reciprocated with a destructive reprisal.” Responding to repetition in the media that Israel has decided that the “military option” is the only…

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday for a Jewish boy born in Jerusalem to have his birthplace in Israel’s sovereign capital listed on his U.S. passport. The case, Zivotofsky v. Clinton, No. 10-699, began with a lawsuit filed in 2003 by Menachem Zivotofsky’s parents, Naomi and Ari. The couple was incensed when the…

A labor court injunction is all that stands in the way of the first general strike in years. Banks, schools, transportation – including Ben Gurion airport – and government offices will be shut down unless the court interferes. The Manufacturers’ Association and The Federation of Israeli Economic Organizations have filed an appeal to the court…

American SEAL commandos killed Bin Laden in the first 90 seconds of the raid on his compound and not after a 45-minute gunfight, according to a former SEAL commander who said he interviewed several of the soldiers who raided the terrorist’s compound last May. American officials deny his claims. “Bin Laden was dead within 90 seconds…

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, said on Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s upcoming report on his country’s nuclear program lacks authenticity, The Tehran Times reported. The report, which has been termed “critical” by U.S. officials, is expected to show that Iran is inching closer to having a nuclear weapon. However, Salehi rejected this and said…

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has announced his decision to build new homes specifically meant for the terrorists who were released in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal. Israel has already freed 477 terrorists in the first part of the deal, and an additional 550 are to be released in the second phase. According to Saturday’s…

Egypt has announced the discovery of oil in the Sinai Peninsula, this time in the southern part of the region.  The country’s Ministry of Petroleum said Friday production had already begun at the newly discovered well. The site is located 40 kilometers south of Abu Rudais City. The well is producing 2,270 barrels of crude per…

One foreign worker was hospitalized early Sunday morning as Gaza terrorists “retaliated to retaliation” from the IDF that killed one Islamic Jihad terrorist and wounded two others. The worker is being treated for moderate injuries at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Two missiles hit the coastal region overnight south of the port city, home to strategic…

IDF troops prevented a rocket attack on Israel Saturday night by striking at a terrorist gang that was preparing to fire a missile at the Negev. IDF planes targeted the gang in southern Gaza, near Khan Yunis. Among the terrorists eliminated was a high-ranking member of Islamic Jihad, IDF sources said. Meanwhile, reports in the…

Dozens of anti-Israel activists attempted to barge into the Israeli consulate in Boston over the weekend in protest over Israel’s seizure of the Canadian-Irish flotilla ships that attempted to sail to Gaza. Bearing PA flags, the activists attempted to storm the building but were turned back. They swore to return, shouting slogans about how the…

IAEA plans to share satellite imagery of a large steel container believed to be used for nuclear arms-related high explosives tests, diplomats say. By The Associated Press The UN atomic agency plans to reveal intelligence next week suggesting Iran made computer models of a nuclear warhead and other previously undisclosed details on alleged secret work…

Senior U.S. military official tells CNN U.S. ‘increasingly vigilant’ over military developments in Iran and Israel, says ‘absolutely’ concerned Israel may attack Iran nuclear facilities. By Haaretz U.S. officials are concerned that Israel will not warn them before taking military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, a senior U.S. military official said Friday. The official, who…

Israel Navy intercepted two vessels with 27 activists, medical supplies sailing from Turkey to Gaza on Friday; one Israeli citizen released, two Greek citizens flown home Saturday, two journalists flying Sunday. By Reuters, Jack Khoury and Anshel Pfeffer Israeli authorities on Saturday began deporting pro-Palestinian activists who tried to breach the naval blockade of the…

Israeli naval officers took over on Friday afternoon the two ships that had attempted to reach Gaza and break the naval blockade imposed on the Hamas-controlled area. The takeover was met with no resistance from the 27 Irish, Canadian, and American activists on board. The ships were searched by IDF officers, who did not find…

French President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated his country’s commitment to act in case of a threat to Israel’s existence by the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Iran’s behavior and its obsession over the desire to achieve military nuclear capability is a violation of international law,” Sarkozy was quoted by Channel 10 News as having said. “France strongly…

President Shimon Peres hinted on Friday that Israel was closer than ever to taking military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program. In a special interview he gave to Israel’s Channel2 News, Peres said that a military strike would probably solve the Iranian issue better than diplomatic methods would. “It seems Iran is moving closer to…

Former IDF Judge Advocate General Avichai Mandelbilt’s slated appointment to chair a committee tasked with normalizing threatened Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria has drawn sharp criticism from nationalist leaders and area residents. During his eight year tenure, Mandebilt, a confidant of Defense Minister Ehud Barak who advocates destroying the communities the committee is intended…

IDF naval forces made initial contact via radio with a pair of boats headed for Gaza – who refused to alter course. The captains of the vessels were informed their course would lead them into waters legally closed by Israel and were informed they could turn around or head for a port in Egypt. The…

Residents of Givat Assaf whose homes are under threat by standing demolition orders set up a protest tent city in Haifa. The bivouac, near the home of Minister of Science, Rabbi Daniel Hershkovitz, is intended to pressure his Jewish Home faction into exert pressure on the government to stand-down from plans to destroy their community.…

The Jewish Home party is facing growing pressure over the threat to Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, with residents of the region calling on MKs to make their issue make-or-break for the coalition. The Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council voted unanimously Thursday to call on Jewish Home MKs to make it clear that if…

  Senior Palestinian Authority official Riyad al-Malki said Thursday officials in Ramallah would accept nothing short of full state membership at the United Nations. “We do not want, after all of these struggles, sacrifices, and efforts by the entire Palestinian people, to accept an observer state in the United Nations. We will not accept less…

Activists aboard two vessels seeking to violate Israel’s blockade of Hamas in Gaza say they won’t resist Israeli naval forces when boarded.  “The two ships are close to Israel’s waters and their crew has been instructed not to resist naval forces who will attempt to stop them,” Denis Kosseim told AFP. “Our representatives have signed…

Despite calls to protect the holy site, Jerusalem Muslims continue to bury their dead along the walls of the Temple Mount, according to a report in Maariv. The most recent funerals were revealed by the Committee to Prevent the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities. The burials took place despite a government promise, made in response…

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said on Thursday that, if elected president, he would support an Israeli air strike on Iran if there is proof that the Islamic Republic is inching closer to a nuclear weapon. “Obviously, we are going to support Israel,” Perry said in an interview with CNN. “And I’ve said that we…

Gilad Shalit underwent surgery Friday to remove shrapnel from wounds suffered in the 2006 attack in which he was kidnapped by Hamas. Doctors in Haifa’s Rambam hospital conducted the surgery, which was declared successful.  Two soldiers were killed in the attack in which Shalit was taken hostage, and three others were wounded. Shalit suffered injuries…

Palestinian Authority Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Thursday that the PA is considering taking “significant steps” in response to Israel’s decision to accelerate the construction of 2,000 homes in east Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Abu Rudeineh, who was interviewed on BBC Radio, said the PA will soon “change the Middle East” but would not…

Israel has approved several relief measures for the Palestinian Authority Arab population of Judea and Samaria, in honor of the upcoming Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. The Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea and Samaria said on Thursday that as part of these relief measures, some roadblocks in the area will be removed, in accordance with…

Anti-Semitism is growing in the United States, according to a nationwide survey released on Thursday. The survey, conducted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), found that 15 percent of the population – nearly 35 million Americans – holds deeply anti-Semitic views. According to The New York Daily News, which presented the findings, the survey found that…

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently faced a silent protest to which he could only respond with: “That’s stupid.” At the conclusion of his talk at Yale University last week, Friedman was faced with a banner which read: “With friends like Chomsky, Soros, Mearsheimer and Thomas Friedman, does Israel need enemies?” The banner was…

The U.S. Senate received a special treat Wednesday, as the session was opened by British Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who gave the invocation. Rabbi Sacks appeared in the Senate at the invitation of Connecticut Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. Although separation of church and state is enshrined in the U.S. constitution, courts in the U.S.…

IDF soldiers exchanged fire with Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists Thursday along the border of northern Gaza after they were ambushed. The terrorists opened fire on the soldiers as they were working on the security fence near Kibbutz Zikkim. Both gunshots and mortar shells were fired at the IDF troops, who immediately called for backup. IDF tanks and…

The Arab Ra’am party came under fire on Thursday over the State Comptroller’s report, which found that the faction used public taxpayer funding to pay for engraved plaques, which it awarded to six terrorists who took part in the assault on IDF soldiers on board the Mavi Marmara. The 5,000 shekel payment was placed under the item…

The Israeli Air Force will host Greece’s Air Force for joint exercises in two weeks’ time. Last year, the IAF was in Greece for joint exercises, and a security official said on Thursday that the reciprocal visit from Greece is very significant. In addition the IAF will host the Italian Air Force next month for…

In a surprising movel, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority should not pursue its plan to be recognized as a member state of the United Nations. Now that the PA has been accepted into UNESCO, the Authority’s leadership should be satisfied with that achievement. Anything beyond that, Ban said, will…

The U.S. says a “critical” report by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, due next week, should help the world to determine whether Iran is “meeting its obligations” on regulating its nuclear development program. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed the matter in advance of the G20 (Group of 20 Finance…

UNESCO has lost another $2 million, this time from dues payable annually from the State of Israel. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave the order Thursday afternoon for the Jewish State to stop payment on its dues to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Netanyahu instructed that the funds be diverted to parallel…

Lebanon’s March 14 opposition factions insist any future dialogue to resolve political disputes must include a discussion of Hizbullah’s terror militias and munitions. Talk of the possibility of re-launching dialogue resurfaced after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced he would meet President Michel Sleiman to discuss the proposal. Sleiman has repeatedly called for the revival of…

IDF naval forces are preparing to intercept two vessels bound for Gaza in the latest attempt to breach Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-run enclave. The yachts – one Canadian and one Irish – departed Turkey on Wednesday carrying 27 anti-Israel activists. Turkey denied it was aware the vessels intended to head for Gaza when they…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday allegedly ordered a probe into leaks regarding a plan to strike Iran’s nuclear program. The report comes amid a storm of speculation in Israel’s media based on unverified claims Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have been lobbying for ministerial support for the strike. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper…

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized Israel on Wednesday for its decision to accelerate the construction of more than 2,000 Jewish homes in east Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the decisions announced by the government of Israel in response to the decision of UNESCO’s General Conference in favor of Palestinian membership,”…

In an interview with a Turkish newspaper, Iran’ s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Saleh said that if attacked Iran would impose “a cruel response on all nations in the region that seek to insult Iran.” Not leaving the interviewer to guess to whom he was referring, Saleh derided the latest round of reports in the…

Residents in the central region of Israel heard an air raid siren at mid-morning Thursday – but this time it was for a good reason. Home Front Command launched its emergency rescue and military preparedness drill in the Gush Dan area. Security and rescue forces are participating in the exercise, both to check their ability…

Former National Security Council director Giora Eiland said in an interview with Israel Radio that contrary to opinions rendered by other top security officials – most notably former Mossad director Meir Dagan – there was nothing “irresponsible” in considering an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “It’s not a crazy idea,” Eiland said, as long as…

Israeli security officials are keeping a wary eye out on several groups that are planning mass marches on Jerusalem. One march is scheduled for November 25, and is being organized by the group that tried to conduct a mass march to Jerusalem last September. This time, however, organizers – and Israeli security officials – believe…

The United States has been facing tough questions from reporters this week, following its decision to cut off funding to UNESCO after the UN body accepted the Palestinian Authority as a full member. Israel’s decision to sanction the PA and accelerate the construction of Jewish homes in east Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria has also…

Israeli negotiator David Meidan is expected to head to Ankara to seek a compromise on wording of an “apology” to the Turkish government that can thaw relations between the two nations, according to reports published Thursday in Hebrew-language Israeli media. Meidan, a former Mossad official, was the lead negotiator who arranged the prisoner swap with…

The Palestinian Authority’s Ramallah government claims that Israel could have been behind a cyber attack that crashed the PA’s Internet system Tuesday in Judea, Samaria and Gaza from morning until after nightfall. The system in the PA territories was struck the day after the entity was granted full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific…

Israel decided Tuesday to freeze tax revenue transfers to the PA and accelerate the construction of new homes in eastern Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, and Maale Adumim. In a statement, Hamas said the decisions showed Israel had a policy to pressure and control the ‘Palestinian people.’ Hamas also cited Israel’s ‘bombardment’ of without reference to rocket…