Wish I'd said that

“Obama’s preference for posture over policy is nothing new. It has been his standard operating procedure throughout the region. When the Iranian people rose up against their regime in June 2009 in the Green Revolution, Obama stood on the sidelines. As is his habit, he acted as though the job of the US President is…

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Hama is in ruins but Syria claims it has 'ended revolt'

BY NADA BAKRI AND ANTHONY SHADID, NY TIMES— Syria’s state media broadcast stark images of the destruction in the besieged city of Hama for the first time on Friday, showing burnt buildings, makeshift barricades and deserted streets strewn with rubble, in footage that appeared designed to show that government forces had put down a rebellion in…

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Obama's only policy

BY CAROLINE GLICK, JPOST— Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has explained repeatedly over the years that Israel has no Palestinian partner to negotiate with. So news reports this week that Netanyahu agreed that the 1949 armistice lines, (commonly misrepresented as the 1967 borders), will be mentioned in terms of reference for future negotiations with the Palestinian…

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New U.S. Ambassador to Israel: UN Vote Won't Change Reality

BY HAARETZ— Dan Shapiro, the new U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said Wednesday that the Palestinians know approaching the United Nations will not change reality, according to a report by Israel Radio. Shapiro, who is also a former adviser to U.S. President Barak Obama, said in the interview that the Palestinians’ bid for UN recognition in…

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lsrael's Game-Changer…and Money Maker?

BY LAUREN STONE, JEWISH POLICY CENTER— Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, the first system in the world to deflect incoming rockets and missiles mid-air, is a one-of-a-kind defensive tool that has the potential to make Israel millions as well as protect its people. According to Israel Defense magazine, three countries, the U.S. and two…

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The Palestinians' Imaginary State

BY STEVEN J. ROSEN, FOREIGN POLICY— In a few weeks, an overwhelming majority in the United Nations General Assembly will likely vote for collective recognition of a Palestinian state. But which Palestinian state? Of the three Palestinian states the assembly could recognize, two are real and arguably could meet the requirements for statehood. But it…

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Attacks continue; rocket hits Kiryat Gat

BY TOVA DADON, YNET— A loud explosion was heard in the Kiryat Gat region in southern Israel Thursday evening after the anti-rocket Color Red siren was activated. Officials said that a rocket apparently landed in an open area in the town’s vicinity. No injuries were reported in the latest attack but two people were treated…

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Israel's misguided revolution

BY MICHAEL FREUND, JPOST— The sight of Israel’s youth taking to the streets to protest against the established order has captured the public imagination. With their simple tents and simplistic demands, the protesters have touched a chord in society, evoking widespread popular support and terrifying the politicians. It is, the media would have us believe,…

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IDF strikes Gaza in response to Kassam attack

BY HAARETZ— The Israel Defense Forces launched a retaliatory airstrike early Thursday against two Gaza city training facilities operated by the armed wing of the Islamist militant movement Hamas, witnesses and officials said No casualties were reported. Israeli F-16 jets flew shortly after midnight over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, firing a missile at each of…

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And the winner is…the Muslim Brotherhood

BY EARL COX, JPOST— All the dissent and uprisings in the Muslim Middle East recently have certainly made startling news and unprecedented history but, at this point, it seems that they have generated great drama and hope but no real change. While it appeared that the people of the streets were demonstrating for democracy and…

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Middle Eastern Christians and anti-Semitism

BY AYMENN JAWAD— I was recently told by my aunt in Baghdad that there was a widespread belief among Iraqis that some external force was behind the protests and uprisings across the Middle East. What outside conspiracy, I wondered, could be responsible for the Arab Spring? Not to worry, however; George Saliba – the Syriac…

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Israel Bows to Obama’s 1967 Borders Pressure

BY DAVID HORNICK, FRONTPAGEMAG.COM— Media reports quote anonymous Israeli officials saying Israel has decided, after all, to negotiate a two-state arrangement with the Palestinians based on the 1967 borders. The reports have a certain shock value; reading between the lines, the shock dissipates somewhat. AP calls it a “dramatic policy shift” and cites a report…

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Water for Kassams?

BY DAVID LEV, ARUTZ 7— In a “gesture” to Gaza Arabs on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, which began this week, Israel will transfer to Gaza an additional 3 million cubic meters of water. The decision on the allocation increase was made Tuesday by Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Israel announced a host of…

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