Air Force drone crashes near Gedera - Israel News, Ynetnews

Air Force drone crashes near Gedera - Israel News, Ynetnews: The Eitan drone is scheduled to begin operational activity soon. It has been reported that it will also provide coverage for such countries as Sudan and Iran. It has also been reported that France is interested in acquiring several such drones from Israel's Aerospace Industries.

Eitan is meant to be utilized in complex intelligence gathering missions. It has already been dubbed "the most advanced UAV in the world."

Angela Merkel casts doubt on saving Greece from financial meltdown | World news | The Guardian

Angela Merkel casts doubt on saving Greece from financial meltdown | World news | The Guardian: Angela Merkel has cast doubt for the first time on Europe's chances of saving Greece from financial meltdown and sovereign default, conceding that Europe's first ever multibillion euro bailout coupled with savage austerity was not working after a two-year crisis that has brought the single currency to the brink of unravelling.

Fried food heart risk 'a myth' - Telegraph

Fried food heart risk 'a myth' - Telegraph: It is a "myth" that regularly eating fried foods causes heart attacks, researchers have found, as long as you use olive oil or sunflower oil.

Britain, US and France send warships through Strait of Hormuz - Telegraph

Britain, US and France send warships through Strait of Hormuz - Telegraph: All three countries retain a permanent military presence in the Gulf, but a joint passage through the Strait of Hormuz by all of their respective navies is highly unusual. The flotilla will have passed within a few miles of the Iranian coastline.

A western official denied this was a provocative move intended to increase the pressure on Iran. The goal was simply to "illustrate international resolve" to guarantee free movement of shipping through a vital artery of the world economy, he said.

Bolivia's state airline catapults to market leader �| ajc.com

Bolivia's state airline catapults to market leader �| ajc.com: Boliviana de Aviacion has abolished first class and sells all seats for the same low prices, marketing the flights with a socialist stamp in keeping with President Evo Morales' insistence that "all are equal."

The story of how BoA has managed to fly high while governments elsewhere have been privatizing or bailing out their state-run carriers reflects shrewd timing in filling a void in the market, as well as cut-rate fares that have attracted a growing clientele.

BoA now controls about half of Bolivia's domestic air travel market. As its routes and earnings have grown, it has announced plans to expand its fleet by buying as many as six new Embraer 190 planes from Brazil.

Iran to return downed U.S. drone to Obama: a miniature, pink plastic replica - Jihad Watch

Iran to return downed U.S. drone to Obama: a miniature, pink plastic replica - Jihad Watch:

An Iranian firm, seeking to capitalize on the frenzy that followed the crash of the drone — and American calls to have it returned — is now producing miniaturized toy versions of the craft. Most of the toys, which come in several colors and are made of Iranian plastic, have already been snapped up by Iranian government organizations, according to the group that manufactures them.

At least one model — a pink one — has been reserved for President Obama.

“He said he wanted it back, and we will send him one,” said Reza Kioumarsi, the head of cultural production at the Ayeh Art group....

Map Tunnelling Tool

Map Tunnelling Tool: Have you ever wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Find out using this map tunnelling tool.

It’s Payback Time… Israeli Hackers Bring Down Saudi and UAE Monetary Sites | The Gateway Pundit

It’s Payback Time… Israeli Hackers Bring Down Saudi and UAE Monetary Sites | The Gateway Pundit: Today a group of hackers called “Israeli Defenders” brought down the official websites of Saudi Arabia’s Monetary Agency and Abu Dhabi’s Securities Exchange. The hackers signed their message “IDF Team.”
The Jerusalem Post reported:

Israel raises alarm over Sinai-Gaza cooperation

Israel raises alarm over Sinai-Gaza cooperation: Israeli is facing a growing security threat to its south because of the changes brought on by the Arab Spring which is not likely to disappear any time soon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

"The security problem which is developing as a result of changes in the Middle East is getting worse, and is expected to continue for years," Netanyahu told MPs at the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defence, in remarks communicated by a spokesman.

"The state of Israel is required to strengthen its defence and attack capabilities immediately, which costs a lot of money," he said.

"Libyan arms continue to flow into Gaza through Sinai," he said, indicating that there were "more than 10,000 missiles" in the coastal enclave, some of which had a range "surpassing 40 kilometres (24 miles)."

A New Era of Mideast Energy? | FrontPage Magazine

A New Era of Mideast Energy? | FrontPage Magazine: Finally, a piece of good news from the Middle East after almost a year of mostly bad.

The Middle Eastern energy picture took a turn for the better when Cyprus announced on December 28 that natural gas had been discovered off its southern coast where exploration had been taking place since last September. American-based Noble Energy of Houston, the company conducting the drilling operation for the joint Israeli-Greek Cypriot venture, said the field, named Aphrodite, may contain as much as 5 to 8 million cubic feet. The discovery is said to be large enough to meet Cyprus’s natural gas needs for the next 240 years and, even more encouraging, comes after only the first of 11 offshore areas marked out by the Cypriot government has been explored.

Israel’s Strategic Importance Reaches New Level | FrontPage Magazine

Israel’s Strategic Importance Reaches New Level | FrontPage Magazine: On January 19th 1991, during the first Gulf War​, the United States sent Patriot Missiles and a contingent of U.S. service members into Israel on temporary assignment. This was the least we could have done for Israel as they vowed not to respond to Saddam’s SCUD attacks which reached deep inside Tel Aviv. Never have U.S. forces found a permanent home inside the Holy Land—until today.

Twenty years later, the United States committed to a permanent presence in Israel. According to Defense News, as of September 21st 2011, the United States deployed a high-powered, high-frequency, transportable X-band radar system to Israel along with a small contingent of support personnel. Designed to detect and track ballistic missiles soon after launch, the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components, and some 120 EUCOM personnel are prepared to defeat any Iranian missile attack. Today, these service members make home at Israel’s Nevatim Air Base.

U.S. military moves carriers, denies Iran link | Reuters

U.S. military moves carriers, denies Iran link | Reuters: (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a new aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the Arabian Sea and that another was on its way to the region, but denied any link to recent tensions with Iran and portrayed the movements as routine.

Iran Admits Targeting Nuclear Scientists Takes a Toll � Commentary Magazine

Iran Admits Targeting Nuclear Scientists Takes a Toll � Commentary Magazine: Even before news of the latest assassination, it has become clear that a combination of sanctions and targeted assassinations is taking a toll on Iranian nuclear scientists. As my colleague Ali Alfoneh pointed out in his “Iran News Round Up” from this past Monday:

Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran Atomic Energy Organization director, said a number of Iranian nuclear scientists are not willing to contribute to Iran’s nuclear program. According to Abbasi, the scientists are eager to “preserve their international contacts.” He likened them, however, to “deserters” during the Iran-Iraq.

The latest assassination suggests, however, that preservation of their relationship with foreign scientists is probably not top among the Iranian nuclear scientists’ concerns. Indeed, Abbasi probably understood that, but cannot admit it so directly.

Airbus A380: World's biggest planes are not sky-worthy, say engineers | Mail Online

Airbus A380: World's biggest planes are not sky-worthy, say engineers | Mail Online: Australian aircraft engineers have called for Airbus A380 - the world's biggest passenger aircraft - to be grounded, after Singapore Airlines and Qantas found cracks in the wings of their super-jumbos.

'We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope that they make it until their four-yearly inspection,' said Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.

Both airlines, and Airbus, admitted that they had discovered cracks, but maintained that the aircraft were safe. In total, 67 Airbus A380s are in use worldwide, on seven airlines.The aircraft are in use by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern.

Israel preparing for nuclear Iran: report

Israel preparing for nuclear Iran: report: INSS specialists including a former head of Israel's National Security Council and two former members of the prime minister's office conducted the simulation study in Tel Aviv last week.

If Iran does test a nuclear weapon, INSS predicts a profound shift in the Middle East power balance.

According to extracts of the report seen by the British publication, experts believe the US would propose a defence pact with Israel, but would urge it not to retaliate.

Russia would seek an alliance with the US to prevent nuclear proliferation in the region, although Saudi Arabia would likely pursue its own nuclear programme, the report concluded based on current policies.

General: US planning for military strike on Iran | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner

General: US planning for military strike on Iran | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner: January 8, 2012 5:34pm 0 Comments
General: US planning for military strike on Iran
byJoel Gehrke Commentary Staff Writer
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President Obama's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said this morning that the United States military is developing the plans necessary for a military strike on Iran in the event that the Iranians try to buiild a nuclear weapon.

"My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning [for if Iran tries to build a nuclear bomb], to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option -- in some cases to position assets, to provide those options in a timely fashion," General Martin Dempsey said on Face the Nation today. "And all those activities are going on," he added.

Hezbollah comes to the US, cont’d | Power Line

Hezbollah comes to the US, cont’d | Power Line: Last month, the US government filed suit against a number of American and Lebanese businesses that allegedly helped bankroll the Lebanese terrorist group. The civil indictment in Manhattan blew the lid off a vast criminal network that included money-laundering, cocaine deals and more — including 30 US car dealerships that helped the group launder cash.

As one investigator quipped, Hezbollah is the “Gambinos on steroids.”

World News - Iran warns US carrier to stay out of Persian Gulf

World News - Iran warns US carrier to stay out of Persian Gulf: Iran will take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier which left the area because of Iranian naval exercises returns to the Gulf, the state news agency quoted army chief Ataollah Salehi as saying on Tuesday.

"Iran will not repeat its warning ... the enemy's carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf," Salehi told IRNA.

"I advise, recommend and warn them (the Americans) over the return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Salehi as saying.

Obama’s Iran Promises: Security or Votes? � Commentary Magazine

Obama’s Iran Promises: Security or Votes? � Commentary Magazine: Given the problems a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran would entail, these assurances might be enough to dissuade the Netanyahu government from acting on its own. But given the contradictory signals the administration has been sending about the use of force on Iran and the differences between the two countries over intelligence on the threat that Lake reports, there is little reason for Jerusalem to be comforted by Obama’s promises. Israel’s leaders would be well advised to see this latest shift on Iran as intended more to convince American voters of the president’s good intentions than to make Tehran step back from the brink.

Obama’s pledges to Israel lack credibility for a number of reasons.

U.S., Israel Discuss Triggers for Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure - The Daily Beast

U.S., Israel Discuss Triggers for Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure - The Daily Beast: Matthew Kroenig, who served as special adviser on Iran to the Office of the Secretary of Defense between July 2010 and July 2011, offered some of the possible “red lines” for a military strike in a recent Foreign Affairs article he wrote. He argued that the U.S should attack Iran’s facilities if Iran expels international nuclear weapons inspectors, begins enriching its stockpiles of uranium to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, or installs advanced centrifuges at its main uranium-enrichment facility in Qom.

Got To Get Jew Into My Life: Is Paul McCartney Converting For Nancy Shevell?: Gothamist

Got To Get Jew Into My Life: Is Paul McCartney Converting For Nancy Shevell?: Gothamist

While no one would confuse "McCartney" as a Hebrew name, Sir Paul does seem to have a thing for nice Jewish girls. His first wife, Linda, was a member of the tribe, and apparently Macca had talked about converting after marrying her, but "never got around to it." After a brief stint with shiksa Heather Mills, McCartney has once again fallen for a Jew, current MTA board member Nancy Shevell, whom he married last month. And this time, he's being a real mensch.

National Enquirer is reporting that Macca, who was baptized as a Roman Catholic but was "admittedly never very devout," promised Shevell that he'll convert to Judaism, as she takes religion rather seriously. The two reportedly spent the night before their wedding at Yom Kippur services, and McCartney apparently told his friends he'll be completing his conversion studies next year. Mazel tov, you crazy kids! Let's hope Shevell doesn't turn out to be a real Lady Meshugganah. Remember: All you need is l'chaim.

Guide for the Perplexed | FrontPage Magazine

Guide for the Perplexed | FrontPage Magazine: I have come to realize just how difficult it may be to decipher news about the Middle East, Islam, Israel, the Arab World, and all these powerful and explosive issues of our times for those who rely on such media stalwarts as The New York Times​, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the major television networks, cable news, etc. for their information. For example, how is a person to ascertain whether the slayer of a family is a terrorist or a militant or a gunman or an assailant or an activist or a freedom-fighter?

So, purely as a public service, I have organized the following glossary of the most pertinent terms and expressions, as typically used in the above-mentioned news sources. I hope, insha’allah, the reader will find it helpful to unravel the Gordian Knot of language that is today’s (and yesterday’s and tomorrow’s) Middle East!

IDF sets up Magic Wand Unit - Israel News, Ynetnews

IDF sets up Magic Wand Unit - Israel News, Ynetnews: The IDF is perparing to establish a new unit that will address missile threats on densely populated areas in central Israel.



After the deployment of the Iron Dome missile defense system, which has provided southern Israel with limited yet efficient protection from Qassam and Grad missiles, the defense establishment is forging ahead with developing the Magic Wand system, designed to thwart mid and long-rage missiles.

Personal info of 9 million Israelis stolen, available online

Personal info of 9 million Israelis stolen, available online: I think this incident just goes to show that no database can ever be 100 percent secure, but it must be extremely galling when your own country can't guarantee that the information it has stored on you will be kept safe and confidential - especially when that information wasn't volunteered but collected by default.

San Diego Reader | Hidden Pipeline, Secret Menace?

San Diego Reader | Hidden Pipeline, Secret Menace?: Some residents refer to it as the Sleeping Giant. An eight-inch-diameter Navy pipeline, carrying diesel and jet fuel from Point Loma to Miramar, lies beneath San Diego streets and canyons. Each year, 323 million gallons of fuel are pumped through the pipe at 800 pounds of pressure per square inch. The pipeline is 57 years old.

Missing Libya Missiles Find Their Way to Gaza Border - ABC News

Missing Libya Missiles Find Their Way to Gaza Border - ABC News: Some of the thousands of surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing since the collapse of the Gadhafi regime in Libya have now turned up just miles from the Israeli border.

Egypt: Planes patrol Sinai without Israel's consent - Israel News, Ynetnews

Egypt: Planes patrol Sinai without Israel's consent - Israel News, Ynetnews: Egypt's Air force chief dispatches warplanes to patrol border with Israel, despite peace treaty terms, MENA news agency reports; 'We do not need permission to increase our forces on our land,' General Reda Hafiz says

Computer virus hits US Predator and Reaper drone fleet

Computer virus hits US Predator and Reaper drone fleet: But despite their widespread use, the drone systems are known to have security flaws. Many Reapers and Predators don’t encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground. In the summer of 2009, US forces discovered “days and days and hours and hours” of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents. A $26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video.

Israel to Assad: We Will Bomb Gaza, Whole of Lebanon if Tel Aviv Attacked - Naharnet

Israel to Assad: We Will Bomb Gaza, Whole of Lebanon if Tel Aviv Attacked - Naharnet: Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that should Tel Aviv be attacked, then it will retaliate by bombing the Gaza Strip and the whole of Lebanon

Gaza and Gas | FrontPage Magazine

Gaza and Gas | FrontPage Magazine: The Turkish-Israeli dispute over natural resources under the eastern Mediterranean’s seabed may soon enter a new and much more dangerous phase.

Last week, it appeared Turkey was going to make good on its threats to stop a joint Israeli-Greek Cypriot venture to explore for natural gas in Greek Cypriot waters and at the same time, militarily challenge Israel’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. But as the Texas-based Noble Energy company moved a rig from Israeli waters into position off of Greek Cyprus’ south-eastern coast to begin drilling, Turkish naval vessels and warplanes limited their actions to shadowing the transfer operation, keeping outside of Greek Cypriot waters and airspace. Turkey now appears resigned, at least for the moment, to halting the project through the offices of the United Nations (UN).

Showdown in Cyprus | FrontPage Magazine

Showdown in Cyprus | FrontPage Magazine: While world attention has been focused on a Turkish-Israeli military showdown over aid flotillas to Gaza, a possibly even more dangerous dispute is unfolding between Turkey and Israel-allied Cyprus. Tensions between the two countries are at their highest level in years, as the Greek Cypriot government in the divided island’s southern half went ahead with plans to have Texas-based Noble Energy start offshore exploration for natural gas in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Note to Erdogan: Nobody Likes the Turks � Commentary Magazine

Note to Erdogan: Nobody Likes the Turks � Commentary Magazine: In 1822, the Ottomans dispatched 40,000 Turkish troops to the Greek island of Chios with orders to kill all infants under three-years-old, all males over 12-years-old, and all females over 40-years-old, except those willing to convert to Islam. Some 20,000 Greeks were killed and the island was depopulated, eradicating a 2,000 year culture. Two years later, Ottoman soldiers burned the island of Kasos to the ground and killed 7,000 of its inhabitants. Eventually, Europeans navies dispatched by Britain and France, and a navy dispatched by Russia, intervened to stop the atrocities.

Greece: Wall to be built along Turkish b... JPost - International

Greece: Wall to be built along Turkish b... JPost - International: Minister says country can't take in anymore illegal immigrants; says barrier will be similar to wall built on US-Mexico border.

Swelling list of demands fuels Israel protests - FT.com

Swelling list of demands fuels Israel protests - FT.com: "Israel’s social protest movement started with a tent on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard and a few voices demanding affordable housing. In less than a month it has grown into a national phenomenon – and perhaps the most serious challenge yet to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Last Saturday, more than 250,000 Israelis took to the street to call for social reform. Tent cities have sprung up across the country, drawing in an ever-expanding cast of protesters – from students to pensioners, and Holocaust survivors to taxi drivers."

World's first 'printed' airplane takes to the skies | ZDNet

World's first 'printed' airplane takes to the skies | ZDNet: "The plane, called SULSA (Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft), was printed on an EOS EOSINT P730 nylon laser sintering machine, which fabricates plastic or metal objects, building up the item layer by layer.

Once all the components were printed, assembly took minutes, say the engineers. No fasteners were used and all equipment was attached using ’snap fit’ techniques so that the entire aircraft can be put together without tools."

The future of the black box flight recorder explored (Wired UK)

The future of the black box flight recorder explored (Wired UK): "The tragedy of Air France 447 might have been on the minds of executives from Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, when they announced in 2010 that their new CSeries narrow-body jets, scheduled to come to market in 2013, would be the first commercial airliners built with the capability to transmit telemetry data instead of merely recording it. The idea -- to stream black-box data in real time, either directly to a ground station or by satellite relay -- isn't new, even though there remains no consensus on whether to call it an uplink, which is conceptually accurate, or a downlink, which expresses the physical relationship of an aeroplane to the ground."

Sinai: From Buffer to Badlands | FrontPage Magazine

Sinai: From Buffer to Badlands | FrontPage Magazine: "arms shipments to the Strip have been surging…: everything that has been sent by the Iranians and their emissaries in recent years and was hidden by the Bedouins…has flowed freely into Gaza in the past five months. Meanwhile, new shipments arrived and were transferred to Hamas and Islamic Jihad without delay or a need to hide them."

Get a Free Snapshot of Your Car's Health - Popular Mechanics Reader Special - Popular Mechanics

Get a Free Snapshot of Your Car's Health - Popular Mechanics Reader Special - Popular Mechanics: "Are you wondering what part of your car will be the next to go south, and what it will cost to fix it? Or are you just curious why that pesky check engine light won't go off? At PM, we're bringing our readers a new and quick way to get a vehicle health snapshot, and know in advance what maintenance could be around the corner.

CarMD, the company that sells the inexpensive diagnostic tool by the same name, has amassed huge database of auto repair information. That info comes from two main sources: the hundreds of thousands of CarMD tools that customers have hooked up to the Internet looking for answers for why their 'check engine' light is on, and from thousands of professional mechanics CarMD keeps on retainer to provide those answers"

6 False Lessons Of The Space Shuttle - Atlantis Final Flight - Popular Mechanics

6 False Lessons Of The Space Shuttle - Atlantis Final Flight - Popular Mechanics: "The last space shuttle flight has now launched. And with Atlantis safely in orbit, many are reflecting on the legacy of the shuttle program, which lasted a little over three decades and for much of that time was at the center of America's human spaceflight program. While it was a magnificent technological achievement, and had many great accomplishments, it was a failure in the primary purpose for which it was built: to dramatically reduce the cost of access to space, and make such trips routine and safe. So as NASA heads into an uncertain future, many are drawing lessons from the shuttle experience to apply to policy going forward."

Barack Obama’s Top Ten Insults Against Israel | FrontPage Magazine

Barack Obama’s Top Ten Insults Against Israel | FrontPage Magazine

The Korean-Talmud Love Affair - - News - Israel National News

The Korean-Talmud Love Affair - - News - Israel National News: "Reports of the Talmud being a national classic in S. Korea have been floating around for years, but it’s now official: Students must study Talmud."

YouTube - ‪Latma presents: The Audacity of Dopes Band brings you "Guns, Guns, Guns!"‬‏

YouTube - ‪Latma presents: The Audacity of Dopes Band brings you "Guns, Guns, Guns!"‬‏

Greeks stop another Gaza-bound ship - Israel News, Ynetnews

Greeks stop another Gaza-bound ship - Israel News, Ynetnews: "Greek authorities have said that ships carrying activists destined for Gaza with aid for Palestinians were prohibited from leaving Greek ports."

U.S., EU Seek to Revive Mideast Peace Talks - WSJ.com

U.S., EU Seek to Revive Mideast Peace Talks - WSJ.com: "This intensified diplomatic activity is being driven by mounting concerns in Washington and Europe that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's push for a U.N. General Assembly vote on a state embodying the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem set for September could have far-reaching implications for Mideast stability. The Palestinians currently have the status of U.N. observers without voting rights but are hoping that a September vote would give them status as a sovereign member.

Such a vote would have only limited legal implications for the Palestinians, according to Western and Arab diplomats, and would likely pass by a wide margin. But there are concerns a yes vote could raise expectations among Palestinians, hopes that might quickly succumb to violent discontent among Arab groups if the actual creation of an independent state remains elusive."

State TV: Greek Socialists in power-sharing talks - Yahoo! News

State TV: Greek Socialists in power-sharing talks - Yahoo! News: "The protests in Athens and in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where another 20,000 people rallied peacefully, were part of a 24-hour general strike, the result of months of growing frustration over the country's slide."

White House Insider: Obama’s Rage Over Netanyahu Meeting: "What the F-ck was that?" | Newsflavor

White House Insider: Obama’s Rage Over Netanyahu Meeting: "What the F-ck was that?" | Newsflavor: "The essence of the president’s rage and embarrassment can best be summed up with him yelling out very loudly, “What the f-ck was that!?” That phrase was apparently repeated a number of times in the span of about five minutes, a time period in which Obama’s voice became “louder and louder” and culminating in Obama exclaiming, “Never again! Do you understand me? Never again!” Any response by Bill Daley back to the president, if given, was not overheard."

“Tsunami of September” | FrontPage Magazine

“Tsunami of September” | FrontPage Magazine

The Israeli Defense Minister is warning of the “tsunami of September” when the U.N. will vote on recognizing an independent Palestine. Spain will recognize a Palestinian state even before then. International pressure against Israel is ratcheting up, and at the same time, Fatah has buried the hatchet with Hamas and seeks to do the same with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Dozens of countries support recognizing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, including Russia, China, India, South Africa and the countries of the Arab League. Most of South America has already formally recognized a Palestinian state, and now Spain intends to join them before the September vote at the U.N. takes place. If a member of the U.N. Security Council blocks the recognition of a Palestinian state, there will be an international uproar. It is very possible that a stream of countries will follow in Spain’s footsteps and independently recognize a Palestinian state. This may encourage the Palestinians to unilaterally declare statehood, setting the stage for war.

Dispute Grows as Egyptian Gas Doesn’t Flow to Israel - NYTimes.com

In Israel, which depends on Egypt for 40 percent of its natural gas, the electric company has warned that customer rates could rise by 15 percent. Officials in the Israeli company that co-owns the gas line say the Egyptian government is afraid of popular opposition to Israel and the perception that Israel has had a sweetheart deal.

Dispute Grows as Egyptian Gas Doesn’t Flow to Israel - NYTimes.com

US: Hezbollah has more missiles than most states - Israel News, Ynetnews

US: Hezbollah has more missiles than most states - Israel News, Ynetnews: "Hezbollah is armed with more missiles and rockets than most states, according to outgoing US Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, Gates warned against the Shiite group's arming methods and the possibility that it owns chemical and biological weapons, CNN reported Wednesday.

Egypt's anti-Israel turn | Philip Klein | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner

 

The current military-led Egyptian government is already shifting to a more anti-Israel posture, announcing today that it would permenantly reopen its border with Gaza. The move puts Israeli civilians at greater risk by undermining the blockade on Gaza and making it significantly easier for the terrorist group Hamas to import weapons.

During the Egyptian uprising, there was a big debate on the right about what a new government would mean. In the wake of today's news, it's time to reconsider the myth that neoconservatives are primarily concerned with Israeli interests. In the case of Egypt, they cheered on protesters who put a new government in place that is already aiding Hamas and threatening Israel's national security.

Egypt's anti-Israel turn | Philip Klein | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner