Poverty rate lowest since 2003, report finds

BY JPOST STAFF— Israel has reached its lowest poverty levels since 2003, according to  the 2010 Israeli Poverty Report released on Thursday, but still faces significant problems in wealth disparity and impoverished  children. According to the report, 20 percent of Israeli families – some 1.7  million people – live in poverty. Among them are 873,000…

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Iran expert: U.S. elections increase likelihood of Israeli strike

BY REUTERS— An Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites may become likelier in 2012 if Israel calculates it has more room to act alone in a U.S. presidential election year, a former U.S. official and nuclear diplomacy expert said. Mark Fitzpatrick, an Iran watcher at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, told Reuters the latest…

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Netanyahu "is acting to stop" Iran's nuclear armament

BY DEBKAFILE— A short statement was read out to the Knesset by cabinet member Michael Eitan Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 16. It read: “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu informed the full Knesset plenum that all options are on the table when it comes to Iran’s nuclear program. The prime minister and the authorized bodies are acting to…

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Will Israel face Iran alone?

BY P. DAVID HORNICK, FRONTPAGEMAG— Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem correspondent for Britain’s Telegraph, reports that “Israel has refused to reassure President Barack Obama that it would warn him in advance of any pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” and that Obama “was rebuffed last month when he demanded” such a guarantee. Blomfield says he has this…

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2-state vision is dead

BY ADI MINTZ, YNET— In recent days we were told about the expected departure of Dennis Ross, President Barack Obama’s senior advisor on Mideastern affairs. Ross’ retirement, which will follow George Mitchell’s resignation from his role as Mideast envoy in May, creates an opportunity to change direction. Dennis Ross was Bill Clinton’s senior aide and…

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Fatah, Hamas agree to establish caretaker government without Palestinian PM Fayyad

BY AKIVA ELDAR, HAARETZ— Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed to hold elections next May and are due to establish a caretaker government in the coming weeks which will exclude Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Palestinian sources said Tuesday. According to Palestinian sources, a breakthrough in Egyptian mediation efforts occurred in recent days, ahead of…

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Palestinians To Evangelicals: Zionism is a sin

BY ABRAHAM COOPER AND YITZCHOK ADLERSTEIN, JPOST — In announcing the push for recognition of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state, Palestinian Authority President Abbas told the UN General Assembly in September: “I come before you today from the Holy Land, the land of Palestine, the land of divine messages, and ascension of the Prophet Muhammad,…

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Sarkozy pleges 'friendship' to Netanyahu

BY REUTERS— French President Nicolas Sarkozy has written to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reaffirm friendship despite what he refers to as their “differing views on the Middle East,” Israeli officials said on Monday. Sarkozy’s comments, in a condolence message to Netanyahu for the death of his father-in-law, seemed an effort to try to clear…

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Spot Report: We are the 36%

On November 4, 2011, ‘Occupy Boston’ protestors stormed the lobby of the Israeli consulate to stage a sit-in.  The activists had two demands: the liberation of Palestine and the departure of Israeli diplomats from the US.  The protestors chanted slogans such as, “Not another nickel!  Not another dime!  No more money for Israel’s crimes!” and…

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Congressmen with 'Judeo-Christian Spirit' Tour Heartland

BY GIL RONEN, ARUTZ 7— 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…

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In GOP debate, Iran takes center stage

BY RYAN MAURO, FRONTPAGEMAG— Most of the Republican presidential candidates called for supporting the Iranian opposition and military action if necessary to stop a nuclear-armed Iran during Saturday’s debate on national security and foreign policy. The candidates were mostly united on Iran, while there were differences on foreign aid to Pakistan, withdrawing forces from Afghanistan…

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If Iran gets the bomb

BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL— The International Atomic Energy Agency this week released its most detailed assessment to date about Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, and if “Paranormal Activity 3″ wasn’t enough to keep you awake at night, the report’s 14-page annex detailing the state of Iran’s weapons work should do the trick. It…

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Most Americans back Israeli strike on Iran

BY YITZHAK BENHORIN, YNET— Most Americans support an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, while a smaller majority endorses such US strike, according to a poll commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League. Some 63% of poll respondents characterized Israel as a “crucial ally” and said that the Jewish state’s relationship with the US does not undermine…

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