If you cannot see this email properly, please click here
| Advertise | Subscribe to this report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, Dec 5 '13, Tevet 2, 5774 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Kerry: Israel's Security 'Top Priority' by Arutz Sheva Staff  US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Thursday that Israel's security was a top priority in talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program after an initial deal was signed. "I can't emphasize enough that Israel's security in this negotiation is at the top of our agenda," Kerry told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. "And the United States will do everything in our power to make certain that Iran's nuclear program of weaponization possibilities is terminated." Kerry's remarks were aimed at calming tensions with Israel over the interim deal reached in Geneva on November 24, which saw Iran agree to roll back parts of its nuclear program in return for limited relief from Western sanctions, and comes as polls indicate growing distrust of the Obama administration's foreign policy by Israelis. The deal was roundly condemned by Netanyahu, who called it a "historic mistake". "We agreed on what the goal of the final status agreement (with Iran) ought to be, and in the days ahead we will consult very closely and continuously with our Israeli friends in order to bring about a comprehensive agreement that can withstand everybody's test," Kerry said. Israel had repeatedly warned against entering an agreement with Iran, urging world powers to keep up the pressure of sanctions and threatening to carry out unilateral military action against Tehran if necessary. Kerry landed in Israel late on Wednesday for a trip aimed at giving momentum to peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which have made little apparent headway since they began under his patronage in late July. In late November, senior Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Nabil Shaath revealed that the PA is only staying in the peace talks to release all 104 terrorist prisoners promised as a "gesture." US officials have said the focus during this visit by Kerry would be on Israel's security arrangements under any deal with the PA. However, they refused to confirm media reports citing unnamed State Department officials which claim that Kerry was to present Netanyahu with a proposal aimed at encouraging Israel to drop demands for a continued IDF presence in the strategically-important Jordan Valley. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will reportedly receive the proposal through John R. Allen, the former American commander in Afghanistan and a retired Marine general who serves as an adviser to Kerry on Middle Eastern affairs. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon meanwhile urged the PM to remain firm on insisting Israel retain control of the Jordan Valley under any agreement. "Even if the Americans are our friends we will tell them: Sorry, we are not going to do everything you want, we are not going to give up (security) principles which are essential for us, even if it means the negotiations won't move forward and there won't be a nice ceremony at the White House," he said in an interview with army radio. Tags: Iran, PA Arabs, John Kerry, Jordan Valley, peace talks Comment on this story 2. 'Tell Obama: No, We Can't' by Hezki Ezra, Gil Ronen and Arutz Sheva Staff  As US Secretary of State John Kerry was making his way to Jerusalem, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud / Yisrael Beytenu) said Thursday that Israel will not sign an interim agreement that will put Israeli lives in danger. "Secretary Kerry is coming to Israel again. We cannot count how many times he came already. We welcome him to Israel but we should tell him very clearly – we will not sign an interim agreement that will put the lives of Israelis in danger. "We saw what happened in Geneva. A bad accord was signed in Geneva. We will not sign another bad accord with the Palestinians," he said, referring to the deal reached between western powers and Iran over the latter's nuclear program. That deal has been lambasted by Israeli leaders for being too lenient on the Iranian regime as it pursues a suspected nuclear weapons program. Danon added that Israel "cannot compromise our security" for "another ceremony in the White House". Referring to the timeline put forth by Kerry, according to which the conflict with the Palestinian Authority will be ended by May 2014, Danon said that this was unrealistic. Danon said that he expects Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "to tell our allies very clearly – 'no, we cannot.' We cannot compromise our security and our assets only for another ceremony in the White House." "In another 2.5 years there will be another president in the White House, but we will still be here," he added. Speaking to army radio, Danon ruled out the possibility of any Israeli withdrawal from the strategically-important Jordan Valley. "From the Israeli point of view, there will not be any Palestinian presence at the crossing points (with Jordan)," he said, adding that "An Israeli civilian and military presence in the Jordan Valley is essential." Kerry arrived in Israel late on Wednesday in his latest attempt to drive forward the faltering peace talks which have almost reached the halfway point with very little visible progress. US officials have said the focus this time would be on Israel's security arrangements, although they have refused to confirm media reports that Kerry was to present Netanyahu with a plan of how this could look in the context of a peace deal. Israel has always insisted that in any final agreement, it would have to maintain a military presence in the Jordan Valley, which runs down the western flank of Judea and Samaria, bordering Jordan. According to a report in Maariv newspaper, when US General John Allen briefs Netanyahu during the morning meeting, he will outline a "bridging proposal" which will enable Israel to reduce, as much as possible, its military presence in the Jordan Valley. Quoting senior diplomats, the paper said the plan would outline arrangements for a transitional period and a permanent status arrangement and may include "guarantees, advanced technological equipment and unique weaponry" which would enable Israel to either "reduce or to replace its military presence along the Jordan River". A central part of the plan would address early warning stations and security over air space, particularly around Israel's main international airport near Tel Aviv. But Danon ruled out any flexibility over security arrangements. "Even if the Americans are our friends we will tell them: Sorry, we are not going to do everything you want, we are not going to give up (security) principles which are essential for us, even if it means the negotiations won't move forward and there won't be a nice ceremony at the White House," he said, echoing his comments to Arutz Sheva. Netanyahu has said Israel would only accepted the emergence of a Palestinian state if it was demilitarised, with Israeli troops deployed along the Jordan Valley, and also completely ruled out any transfer of security control in the border area to a third party - an option which would be acceptable to the Palestinian Authority. After talks with Netanyahu, Kerry will head to Ramallah to meet PA Chairman Mahmuod Abbas at 1200 GMT. Tags: Danny Danon, John Kerry More on this topic
Comment on this story  3. Are Staff Hiding President Peres' Poor Health? by Maayana Miskin  President Shimon Peres has continued to maintain his demanding schedule, including trips abroad, even after celebrating his 90th birthday this year. However, sources in the media who spoke to Arutz Sheva said the situation may not be what it seems. Peres appears to be suffering ill health, they said, but his staff appears determined to conceal that fact. As an example, they said, Peres felt ill during his recent visit to Mexico. The president suffered a severe feeling of weakness, and medical staff reportedly advised him to rest in his room. Peres was reportedly forced to leave a meeting in Russia as well due to illness. Media sources say Peres' staff were angered by public reports of his ill health. His staff have denied the reports, and say Peres is in excellent health. The president underwent a routine medical exam just one month ago, they say, "and every finding was in normal range." Peres' staff confirmed that the president felt ill while visiting Mexico, but blamed that on the altitude rather than poor health. Mexico City is 2,400 meters (7,870 feet) above sea level, and many visitors both need time to acclimate to the lower levels of oxygen in the air, they said. "Because the President did not have the option of taking vacation days in Mexico City, he started work immediately after arriving. He felt unwell as did many others in the delegation, who felt dizzy and weak due to the low levels of oxygen in the air," they said. "Per a doctor's orders, it was decided that the president would rest for a few hours, and immediately afterward would continue with his busy schedule as planned," they continued. The only change in wake of Peres' brief rest was that he met his Mexican counterpart in a different location than had been planned, they added. They denied that Peres had felt unwell while visiting Russia or had left a meeting. "Each visit went very well, and went according to plan, with no deviation whatsoever from the schedule," they declared. They further denied having attempted to hide Peres' brief illness in Mexico, as well as the allegations that staff had expressed upset when the news was published. "The Presidents' spokeswoman was the one who updated writers in Mexico, at her own initiative, regarding the fact that the President did not feel well and would need to rest. No writer was asked not to publish," they said. Comment on this story 4. Dangerous Trojan Horse Virus Hits Israel by Maayana Miskin  The ESET company has revealed the top three threats to Israeli computer-users for the month of November. All three are viruses that have been spread primarily on Facebook and YouTube. The top-ranked threat was the JS/FBOOK virus, a Trojan horse virus spread over links on YouTube and Facebook. The virus is spread via links on popular sites that lead to websites that spread the virus. Once it is on a user's computer, it tracks the person's internet use and collects passwords and other sensitive information. In second place was a virus called Agent which spies on users. In third place was a Trojan horse virus that managed to spread rapidly in wake of a scandal involving popular singer Eyal Golan. The virus was spread via links that claimed to lead to a video with evidence of Golan's alleged misdoings. When computer users clicked on the links, they were then directed to download an application that would allow them to see the video. However, the "application" was in fact the virus, which, once installed, was able to download more viruses, and to send virus-ridden links to users' friends. ESET warned computer users against clicking on provocative links, and even more so against downloading anything to their computer that website advertise as necessary in order to view certain content. Those who have clicked the link in question should scan their computers for viruses, and are advised to change their Facebook password as well, the company said. ESET also issued a reminder to follow general internet safety guidelines by avoiding downloading applications from an unknown source, and making sure to have an effective, updated anti-virus program running. Tags: Internet, Facebook, computers, virus, computer hacking Comment on this story 5. Officials: Diskin 'Detached from Reality' by Elad Benari  Israeli officials close to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening slammed former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin, who said earlier that there were "too many Jews" living in Judea and Samaria and said that "the solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is more existential than the solution to the Iranian nuclear program." "Anyone who thinks that the Palestinian threat is bigger than the threat of a nuclear bomb in the hands of Iran, which calls for the destruction of the State of Israel, is detached from reality and lacks a strategic vision," said the officials. "Prime Minister Netanyahu will not be affected by recycled statements or by righteous preaching arising from the personal frustration of someone who wanted to be appointed head of the Mossad by Netanyahu and did not get the position," they added. "While others talk Netanyahu will continue working for the safety of Israeli citizens," declared the officials. In his remarks, which were made at a conference honoring the 10-year anniversary of the Geneva Initiative, Diskin called for Israel to adopt a two-state solution in upcoming negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Diskin called for Israel to become a nation "which prefers the sanctity of its people over the sanctity of its land" and which "does not feel it has to occupy others' land." He also admitted that the number of Jews living in the area made it difficult in the future to evict Israelis from their homes in the event that a withdrawal demand becomes a condition of negotiations. On the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu in promoting political negotiations, Diskin added that "the leaders on both sides, those who are supposed to lead, create hope and sweep the masses - are weak and busy blaming each other most of the time." The plan, which was released in 2003, proposed a large-scale retreat from Judea and Samaria, and was backed by politicians from the extreme Left as well as PA representatives. It called for over 100,000 Israeli citizens to be evicted from their homes, for Jerusalem to be divided, and for the Temple Mount - Judaism's holiest site - to be handed over to the Palestinian Authority. Wednesday's remarks are certainly not the first time that Diskin has slammed Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies. He previously portrayed Netanyahu as weak, out of touch, and a danger to Israel's security, telling the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that he did not feel confident that Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Ehud Barak were able to take action on Iran. "We didn't trust these people's motives, we were afraid they would make underhanded moves and complicate matters for us as a country… when we sat in very small meetings we had a feeling they were trying to sneak something under the radar," he accused. Diskin made similar statements several months earlier, portraying Netanyahu and Barak as "messianic" and "unfit to hold the reins of power." Tags: Netanyahu, Yuval Diskin More on this topic
Comment on this story 6. Following Assassination, Israel Warns Hezbollah Against Attack by Arutz Sheva Staff and AFP  Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon has warned Hezbollah against attacking Israel, after the group blamed the Jewish state for assassinating one of its most senior leaders. "If Hezbollah attacks Israeli territory our response will be firm and painful," Danon was quoted by army radio as saying following the accusations. Early on Wednesday, Hezbollah announced that Hassan Hawlo al-Lakiss had been assassinated during the night at his house in the Hadath region, east of Beirut, and was quick to accuse Israel of carrying it out. "Direct accusation is aimed of course against the Israeli enemy which had tried to eliminate our martyred brother again and again and in several places but had failed, until yesterday evening," the Iranian-backed Shia Islamist group said in a statement. The Syrian government - which has supported Hezbollah since its inception - echoed those accusations, adding that it condemned the "terrorist, cowardly" assassination. Israeli officials meanwhile have dismissed the allegations. Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that "Israel has nothing to do with this." "This is yet another Pavlovian response from Hezbollah, which makes automatic accusations (against Israel) before even thinking about what's actually happened," he added. Israel's Energy Minister Silvan Shalom reiterated Palmor's denial on public radio. "Israel has nothing to do with this," he said. "Even if we're happy about it, it's the Salafists who have carried it out," Shalom continued, referring to extremist Sunni Muslim groups that oppose the Shia, Iran-backed Hezbollah. "It's a harsh blow for Hezbollah, which has tried to present the assassination (as Israeli) in order to distract from internal wrangling and divisions in Lebanon brought on by the Syrian" civil war, Shalom stated. Two assassins with 'silenced weapons' Despite Hezbollah's claims that Israel was responsible, two previously unknown Sunni Muslim groups issued separate claims of responsibility. The Free Sunnis Brigade of Baalbek called the killing revenge for "abuses" of Sunnis in Baalbek, a Hezbollah bastion in eastern Lebanon and Lakiss's native city. Meanwhile, Ansar al-Umma al-Islamiya said it assassinated Lakiss because he was "Hezbollah's field commander and directly responsible for the massacre in Qusair", a strategically-important Syrian rebel town that fell to regime forces in June with Hezbollah's help. Hezbollah television said Lakiss was shot repeatedly with a silenced handgun after parking at the building where he lived, adding that there was more than one assailant. A Hezbollah source called Lakiss a "personal friend and one of the closest people to (Hezbollah chief) Hassan Nasrallah, both on the personal and party levels". Fare's precise role in the Lebanese terrorist group is unknown, but the source added that "part of his work was to ensure the organisation of Nasrallah's security." Ali Fares, who lived in Lakiss's building, said his son saw from his window two men fleeing. "I went downstairs with the other neighbors and I saw the body. It appears they attacked him when he was getting out of his car," Fares said. Later on Wednesday thousands of people braved heavy rain to attend Lakiss's funeral in Baalbek. His coffin was carried through the crowds, draped in the Shia movement's yellow and green flag. Lakiss was the most senior Hezbollah figure to be assassinated since Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a Damascus bombing in 2008, which the group also blamed on Israel. Both men were part of Hezbollah's secretive top leadership. Like Mughniyeh, Lakiss operated behind the scenes. His killing comes seven months after Hezbollah first openly admitted fighting in Syria alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Hezbollah's decision to intervene in Syria has fueled tensions in Lebanon, which is bitterly divided over the war. Its stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut was hit by two car bombings this summer, one of which killed 27 people. Bombings in the mainly Sunni northern city of Tripoli in late August also killed 45 people, and ongoing fighting in that city between rival militias supporting different sides in the Syrian civil war have killed scores more. More recently, two suicide bombers killed 25 people in an attack on Iran's Beirut embassy. Nasrallah again defended Hezbollah involvement in Syria on Tuesday in an interview with Lebanese broadcaster OTV, saying it was fighting to protect Lebanon from the Syrian rebels, who include jihadists linked to Al Qaeda. "Should Syria fall into the hands of these armed groups, what will Lebanon's future be?" Nasrallah asked. "We went to Syria to defend all of Lebanon." Nasrallah also accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the bombing of the Iranian embassy. In that case as well, Hezbollah initially blamed Israel. While Hezbollah and its regional backer Iran support Assad, Saudi Arabia backs the Sunni-led rebels seeking his ouster. Tags: Lebanon, Hizbullah, assassination, Danny Danon, Hassan Nasrallah, Syrian civil war, Hassan Hawlo al-Lakiss More on this topic Comment on this story 7. 'I Grabbed a Knife and Ran to Rescue my Daughter' by Gil Ronen  When the wife of a resident of Dolev, north of Jerusalem, called frantically to report Arabs had carjacked their car with their one-year-old daughter inside, the Jewish father quickly picked up a knife and drove to the abduction spot, saving his baby. "I was driving home toward Dolev with the small daughter in the back seat," the mother recalled Tuesday, in an interview with Yediot Aharonot. "Suddenly, a car began tailgating me, so I accelerated. Then heard something hit the car from the back so I went out to see what happened. There were three Palestinians in the car. One of them got out and asked if something had happened. Before I could answer, he was already inside my car. The two cars drove off, speeding away. I was helpless. The cellphone was inside the car. I ran to the middle of the road, screaming that my girl had been abducted. An Arab man let me call my husband." The husband, who is a former officer in an elite IDF unit, was at the family's home in Dolev when he received the call. "She shouted on the phone that the girl had been kidnapped with the vehicle," he recounted. "I put on my shoes, took a knife and ran outside to save my daughter. I looked for a car I could take and saw that a jeep belonging to a friend who has a handgun was parked outside. We drove off at high speed to the abduction spot." The neighbor added: "We knew that every minute was critical, so we drove very fast in order to chase after them, at the same time that we reported to the army." The two met the distraught mother at the spot where the abduction occurred. "My wife pointed to the direction they had driven to. I understood that they were en route to Ramallah. We got in the jeep and entered the village at high speed, to rescue her. I was not afraid. I had one thing on my mind – that my daughter's life is at risk here. "In the middle of the village, an Arab man stopped and told us, in Hebrew, 'Come with me, things will work out OK.' We drove on and found the car abandoned at the side of the road, with some Palestinians already milling about next to it. I immediately went over to the back door to see that my daughter is OK. She had just woken up. She did not know what was happening around her and was surprised to see me." According to the newspaper, some Palestinian Authority police also arrived on the scene and demanded to take the father to questioning, in Ramallah. The father refused. The couple drove off with their baby to the Modiin Illit police station, where police showed the mother photos of known car thieves. They did not reach home until evening. "I don't want to think what could have happened," the father said. "If they had decided that they have a bargaining chip in their hands, they could easily have taken her to a basement in Ramallah, and my daughter would be a hostage for bargaining with. Luckily for us, the police acted in a determined way and entered the village without waiting for rockproofed cars. "We live in a crazy state of defense," he added, "between fences and patrol cars. It makes no sense that we should feel so exposed and vulnerable and that any Palestinian who gets a crazy idea into his head, whether criminal or nationalistic, can do what he wants with us. We hope this event will be the last. We live in fear and there is a quiet intifada here." Tags: carjacking, abduction attempts Comment on this story 8. US to Present Judea, Samaria 'Security Proposal' to Israel by Tova Dvorin, Arutz Sheva Staff  US State Department officials declared Wednesday that US Secretary of State John Kerry is planning on presenting a new security proposal regarding Judea and Samaria to Israel this week, according to the New York Times. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will receive the proposal Thursday through John R. Allen, the former American commander in Afghanistan and a retired Marine general who serves as an adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry on Middle Eastern affairs. It will be the General's first briefing to Netanyahu, and will be provided when Kerry meets with the Prime Minister, according to the report. General Allen has made several trips to Israel and developed his ideas in consultation with Israeli officials. "It will include many details and specifics," said a State Department official, who asked to remain anonymous. "He will be presenting a piece of what will be a larger whole." The proposal is allegedly still under development as part of the larger peace talk plans, which the Department also indicated hung on a yes-or-no answer from Israeli officials. Mark Regev, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office, has declined to comment on the reports. Israel has stated repeatedly that it will not give up its security over the crucial Jordan Valley region, which is the buffer zone in the event of a war between Israel and an official Palestinian State. Deputy Minister Danny Danon responded Wednesday with a warning that Israel will not accept "a horrible [interim] deal like the deal in Geneva" from the Secretary of State, referring to the agreement over the Iranian nuclear program which has been denounced by Israeli leaders, and added that while Israel understands that the US wants to effect change in the region, "it will not come at the price of Israel." Danon added, "an interim arrangement is dangerous - the next step is American pressure on the Prime Minister to include concessions and the release of more terrorists. Clearly we say we do not support U.S. pressure and that this will not come to pass." Regarding the ongoing tensions between the two countries, Danon explained that "our commitment to the United States exists - but not at our expense." "In another 2-3 years Obama and Kerry will not be in the White House and we will be left with agreements, dangers and enemies," he predicted. "Therefore, we are committed to the security of Israel and we will not make agreements that would endanger Israel's safety." The peace talks until now have been widely panned as a failure, following a catastrophic visit by Kerry last month. During those talks, Kerry made a number of threats against Israel - including a "third intifada" if talks failed - and declared Israel's presence in the Judea and Samaria areas as "illegitimate." Meanwhile, polls recently revealed that most Israelis have lost trust in the US-Israel relationship following last month's talks, and in the wake of the interim deal established between P5+1 and Iran. Israelis surveyed felt that the Jewish State needs to break away somewhat from its dependency on the US. The PA has threatened to approach international bodies against Israel if talks fail, and PLO officials have publicly declared that they are using the talks as leverage to attain the release of more terrorists, while a senior EU official had threatened that the international body would take action against both Israel and the PA should they fail to reach an agreement. Tags: PA, US, PLO, Netanyahu, John Kerry, Israel-US, peace talks Comment on this story More Website News:
|
Op-Eds  Blogs  Exchange Rates
Weather Forecast
Halachic Times
Shabbat Times
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subscribe / Change Format | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel National News | | | POB 388 | | | Bet El | | | D. N. Mizrach Binyamin | | | 90628 | | | Israel |
Email marketing software by ActiveTrail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment