Mid-East Conflict

Is Israel witnessing the rise of a kinder, gentler Hamas?

Dec. 30, 2011 -

Hamas' declaration of a cessation of terror activities against Israel seems serious. Does this mean a strategic change on the part of the organization? Not necessarily.

A few days ago Khaled Meshal, head of Hamas' political bureau, announced that their organization would switch from rocket attacks to mass demonstrations and cooperation with Fatah in order to press for the the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Time will tell whether this approach will lead to peace with Israel. Not all leaders in Hamas agree with the policy, and the organization made it clear that they reserve the right to resist the Israeli occupation "using all means." They will continue to builld huge arms stockkpiles in Gaza.

Source: Haaretz

Palestine’s UN recognition bid: What now? Palestinians do not yet have the 9 votes needed on the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to recognize them as an independent state. - Ahram (Egypt)

Prophetic Significance of Mid-EastConflict

Saudi King Calls for Arab Super State

Dec. 22, 2011 - At the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia formally called for the formation of a Gulf Union - a super state in the region. The implied reason for the union would be strength against their rival Iran.

The GCC -- comprised of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates -- was formed in 1981 as a security alliance to counter post-revolution Iran.

The GCC is also considering an alliance with Jordan, Morocco and Egypt. If such a super state were to become a reality it might eventually attract Syria and Lebanon into its fold and the super state would then surround the borders of Israel.

Source: Israel National News

Report: Saudi textbooks teach annihilation of Jews - YNet

Incoming EU president: Europe to block deals with Israel until peace process moves forward

Dec. 18, 2011 - German Socialist Martin Schulz is incoming president of the European Parliament, which represents the half-billion citizens of the EU. He does not believe the EU will collapse, and hopes for his own country to become a "European Germany" instead of wanting a "German Europe." He was asked if the current policy of exerting pressure on Israel will continue during his presidency. He answered,

Yes. The Parliament's decision to block the agreements with Israel stems from the lack of progress in the peace process and from our ambition to pressure the Israeli government to alter this situation. If Israel would seriously act to get out of the dead end, the European Parliament would respond accordingly.

He said that the EU is absolutely divided on the issue of Israel and Palestine. He added that the EU is divided on most questions.

In regard to the current process of Islamization of the Arab world and Europe, he is concerned that a weak Europe will miss a historic opportunity to establish democracy. It seems that the only ones offering solutions to Arab countries are groups like The Muslim Brotherhood.

Source: Haretz

Israel won't accept Palestinian state that perpetuates Mideast conflict

Dec. 16, 2011 - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will meet today with President Obama. He said that he supported the creation of a viable and democratic Palestinian state, but Israel would never agree to a Palestinian state that seeks to perpetuate the ongoing Mideast conflict.

"I believe that an agreement – based on [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] Bar Ilan and Knesset speeches, President Obama’s two speeches from May of this year and the Clinton parameters - can still be achieved."

Source: Haaretz

Gingrich defends assertion that Palestinians are an ‘invented’ people

Dec. 11, 2011 - Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich caused a stir on Friday by telling the Jewish Channel that the Palestinians were an "invented people." He said, "Remember, there was no Palestine as a state - (it was) part of the Ottoman Empire. I think we have an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs and historically part of the Arab community."

Before the debate, Gingrich told a veterans' forum that he supports a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians that includes two separate states.

Source: Haaretz

Is Newt wrong about 'Palestinians'? - WorldNetDaily

Classic analysis of the situation from 11 years ago (updated this year): Myths of the Middle East - Joseph Farah - WorldNetDaily

Outrage - StrategyPage

'New setback' for Palestinian hopes on UN membership

Nov. 4, 2011 - Palestinians are hoping that the UN Security Council will recognize Palestine as an independent country. This vision is growing dim.

A UN diplomat says the UK, France and Colombia have told Security Council members they would abstain in any vote on Palestinian membership.

Germany will either abstain or vote against their recognition. In any case the U.S. would veto any such action at this time.

Source: BBC

New Israel-Palestinian Violence Erupts as Gaza Militants Offer Cease-Fire

Oct. 30, 2011 - Israeli aircraft killed one Palestinian and wounded another as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel.

On Saturday, nine militants and an Israeli civilian were killed in some of the worst violence in the area in months. The exchange of fire continued overnight, with Palestinians firing 10 rockets into Israel in the early hours of the morning.

Israeli aircraft responded with attacks on six rocket sites in Gaza.

Source: FOX

Israel-Gaza exchange rocket and air strikes killing 10 - BBC

More signs Israel preparing to launch attack - WorldNetDaily

Gaffney: Rise of Sharia Law Will Bring War to the Middle East

Oct. 25, 2011 - Frank Gaffney, director of the nonprofit Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C., warns that war is on its way in the Middle East. Tunisia's Islamist party Ennahdahas just won the elections in that country a day after the new leaders in Libya announced that their country will be run on Islamic principles and under Sharia law. Gaffney said,

“I’m afraid there’s a war coming, a very serious, perhaps cataclysmic regional war,” he said. “It will be presumably over, at least in part, the future existence of the state of Israel. It may involve all of its neighbors."

He also expressed concern that it might involve the use of nuclear weapons, and will most likely spread beyond the Middle East.

Gaffney's solution to this threat is that the United States must stand “absolutely, unmistakably” as one with Israel and doing everything to prevent Iran getting its hands on nuclear weapons.

Source: Newsmax

See: Sharia Enshrined in Libyan Draft Constitution - Prophecy Central

Hamas Frees Israeli Soldier as Prisoner Swap Begins

Oct. 18, 2011 - Gilad Shalit, the young Israeli soldier who was abducted in a cross-border raid more than five years ago, was released today by his Hamas captors in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. There will eventually be 1027 Palestinians released.

The question of whether the exchange would lead to more abductions of Israeli soldiers hung in the air on Tuesday for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

One of the released prisoners said Hamas should capture another Gilad Shalit every year until all 5000 Palestinian prisoners are released.

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that any released prisoner who returned to violence was “taking his life into his hands.”

Source: New York Times

US on High Alert, Conducts Drill in Israel and Saudi Arabia

Oct. 16, 2011 - The U.S. is boosting its naval presence in the Mediterranean by moving the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier into the area. In addition, the United States is conducting a week-long large-scale aerial exercise in Israel and Saudi Arabia. All of this is to prepare for possible terrorist activity that could flare up in the Middle East as Israel frees 1,027 terrorists and security prisoners in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

The preparations are also a response to the assassination plot against the Saudi ambassador to the US last week. The plot was apparently orchestrated by Iran.

Source: Israel National News

Israel says 'ready for talks on all core issues' with Palestinians

Oct. 10, 2011 - Yesterday the Middle East Quartet said that they will try to restart peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian representatives in the the coming days. Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is ready to participate immediately.

"We are ready for talks with all the core issues [of the conflict] on the table," , told reporters in Tel Aviv on Monday.

Source: Haaretz

Erdogan: Israel is a nuclear threat in the Mideast

Oct. 4, 2011 - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims that the real threat in the Middle East is not Iran, but Israel because Israel already has nuclear weapons.

Erdogan, who made the comments in a Time magazine article published on Tuesday, dismissed claims that the agreement to install NATO radar in Turkey was a response to the nuclear threat posed by Iran.

Source: Jerusalem Post