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1. Azerbaijan Arrests Hizbullah-Linked Terror Cell
by Elad Benari
A month after a terror attack against Israelis was foiled in Azerbaijan, local authorities have arrested a terrorist cell whose members belonged to the Hizbullah terror group and held Iranian passports.
According to a report on Tuesday by Israel’s Channel 2 News, Azerbaijan police arrested the members of the terror cell on suspicion of planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the country. The report quoted a source in the local Defense Ministry as saying that the terrorists belong to the Iranian intelligence service and to Hizbullah, and that their target was foreign citizens residing in the country. However, it was unclear from the comments whether the terrorists specifically targeted Israeli civilians.
The report noted that security services in Azerbaijan believe there is a connection between the terrorists who were nabbed in the country and the terror attack at the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi last week. According to local police, the captured terrorists had been gathering intelligence and acquiring weapons.
In January, Azerbaijan officials said they uncovered an Iranian-linked Muslim gang that plotted to assassinate Chabad rabbis who teach at the Chabad Jewish school in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s National Security Ministry named one of the gang members as Balagardash Dadashov, an Azerbaijan citizen who lives in the Iranian city of Ardabil. He and two others, Rasim Farail Aliyev and Ali Alihamza Huseynov, were charged with smuggling weapons and explosives into the country.
The National Security Ministry said that Dadashov had contacts with Iranian intelligence agencies and promised Aliyev, his brother-in-law in Ardabil, $150,000 to kill foreigners in Baku “in order to put an end to their public service.”
It was later reported that the terrorists who were arrested were planning an attack against the Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Michael Lotem.
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by Elad Benari
A month after a terror attack against Israelis was foiled in Azerbaijan, local authorities have arrested a terrorist cell whose members belonged to the Hizbullah terror group and held Iranian passports.
According to a report on Tuesday by Israel’s Channel 2 News, Azerbaijan police arrested the members of the terror cell on suspicion of planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the country. The report quoted a source in the local Defense Ministry as saying that the terrorists belong to the Iranian intelligence service and to Hizbullah, and that their target was foreign citizens residing in the country. However, it was unclear from the comments whether the terrorists specifically targeted Israeli civilians.
The report noted that security services in Azerbaijan believe there is a connection between the terrorists who were nabbed in the country and the terror attack at the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi last week. According to local police, the captured terrorists had been gathering intelligence and acquiring weapons.
In January, Azerbaijan officials said they uncovered an Iranian-linked Muslim gang that plotted to assassinate Chabad rabbis who teach at the Chabad Jewish school in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s National Security Ministry named one of the gang members as Balagardash Dadashov, an Azerbaijan citizen who lives in the Iranian city of Ardabil. He and two others, Rasim Farail Aliyev and Ali Alihamza Huseynov, were charged with smuggling weapons and explosives into the country.
The National Security Ministry said that Dadashov had contacts with Iranian intelligence agencies and promised Aliyev, his brother-in-law in Ardabil, $150,000 to kill foreigners in Baku “in order to put an end to their public service.”
It was later reported that the terrorists who were arrested were planning an attack against the Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Michael Lotem.
Tags: Azerbaijan ,terrorism ,Hizbullah ,Iran
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2. Court Bans ‘Tal Law’ for Religious Exemptions from IDF
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Almost all political leaders have welcomed the High Court decision Tuesday night that the ‘Tal Law” for religious exemptions from the IDF is illegal, although it is another example of the High Court interfering with legislation that is under review in the Knesset.
The law was named after the Tal Committee’s suggestion, adopted in law in 2002, allowing young men to learn in yeshiva with a deferral from enlisting until the age of 22, when they can decide whether to serve in the army or continue to learn. Those who opted to go to work were obligated to four months of army duty or one year of civilian service.
The government admitted several years ago that the law did not achieve its aim of significantly increasing the enlistment of those who wanted to forego army service altogether in favor of learning in yeshiva.Others feel that a gradual process has begun and cite the Nahal Hareidi and Shachar Kachol projects for hareidi soldiers which grow in size significantly each year.
The High Court ruled by a 6-3 vote that the law violates Israel's Basic Law for Human Dignity and Freedom because it contradicts the principle of equality. The law, since Israel has no constitution, is interpreted broadly by the Supreme Court and was used by former Chief Justice Aharon Barak to say that "everything is justiciable".
The justices said the law can remain on the books for the time being but cannot be extended when its time limit expires in several months.
There was no unified bloc of justices on either side of the decision. Among those in favor of striking down the law were outgoing court president Dorit Beinisch, a declared secular justice who has consistently ruled against Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria, and Neil Hendel, a graduate of Yeshiva University and who is known to have national religious views.
Voting against striking down the Tal Law were Asher Dan Grunis, who will replace Beinisch next month as president and who is religious, but is against "justiciability", and Edna Arbel, another secular justice who has not been favorable to a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
The majority of justices concluded that the government failed to implement the law, creating a situation of inequality.
The head of the commission that drafted the law,, Tzvi Tal, is a retired Supreme Court judge who lost a son in one of Israel's wars. That did not influence his guidance of the commission where he emphasized the need to take into account the hareidi lifestyle and the need to refrain from forcing change rather than having it take place gradually.
Justice Grunis wrote in his dissension that the judicial system has not done any better than the government to encourage the enlistment of hareidi religious Jews.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who has said he wanted to extend the law in altered form, said after the ruling that the government will present a new law within six months to “lead to a more just share of the burden of military service” among Israelis.
Leaders of almost all parties except for Shas and United Torah Judaism welcomed the ruling. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has made the elimination of the Tal Law a principle of his party’s platform so he welcomed the work being done for him by the court. Opposition from his party and the Independence faction to the law’s extension led Netanyahu to back away last month from his plan to advance the law without change.
Kadima also praised the ruling. Party leader Tzipi Livni accused the government of "enslaving” Israel’ future's in favor of a minority.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who was on the Tal committee that recommended the law, said that it has not met expectations and should be eliminated.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Almost all political leaders have welcomed the High Court decision Tuesday night that the ‘Tal Law” for religious exemptions from the IDF is illegal, although it is another example of the High Court interfering with legislation that is under review in the Knesset.
The law was named after the Tal Committee’s suggestion, adopted in law in 2002, allowing young men to learn in yeshiva with a deferral from enlisting until the age of 22, when they can decide whether to serve in the army or continue to learn. Those who opted to go to work were obligated to four months of army duty or one year of civilian service.
The government admitted several years ago that the law did not achieve its aim of significantly increasing the enlistment of those who wanted to forego army service altogether in favor of learning in yeshiva.Others feel that a gradual process has begun and cite the Nahal Hareidi and Shachar Kachol projects for hareidi soldiers which grow in size significantly each year.
The High Court ruled by a 6-3 vote that the law violates Israel's Basic Law for Human Dignity and Freedom because it contradicts the principle of equality. The law, since Israel has no constitution, is interpreted broadly by the Supreme Court and was used by former Chief Justice Aharon Barak to say that "everything is justiciable".
The justices said the law can remain on the books for the time being but cannot be extended when its time limit expires in several months.
There was no unified bloc of justices on either side of the decision. Among those in favor of striking down the law were outgoing court president Dorit Beinisch, a declared secular justice who has consistently ruled against Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria, and Neil Hendel, a graduate of Yeshiva University and who is known to have national religious views.
Voting against striking down the Tal Law were Asher Dan Grunis, who will replace Beinisch next month as president and who is religious, but is against "justiciability", and Edna Arbel, another secular justice who has not been favorable to a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
The majority of justices concluded that the government failed to implement the law, creating a situation of inequality.
The head of the commission that drafted the law,, Tzvi Tal, is a retired Supreme Court judge who lost a son in one of Israel's wars. That did not influence his guidance of the commission where he emphasized the need to take into account the hareidi lifestyle and the need to refrain from forcing change rather than having it take place gradually.
Justice Grunis wrote in his dissension that the judicial system has not done any better than the government to encourage the enlistment of hareidi religious Jews.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who has said he wanted to extend the law in altered form, said after the ruling that the government will present a new law within six months to “lead to a more just share of the burden of military service” among Israelis.
Leaders of almost all parties except for Shas and United Torah Judaism welcomed the ruling. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has made the elimination of the Tal Law a principle of his party’s platform so he welcomed the work being done for him by the court. Opposition from his party and the Independence faction to the law’s extension led Netanyahu to back away last month from his plan to advance the law without change.
Kadima also praised the ruling. Party leader Tzipi Livni accused the government of "enslaving” Israel’ future's in favor of a minority.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who was on the Tal committee that recommended the law, said that it has not met expectations and should be eliminated.
More on this topic
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3. Muslims Stone Police on Temple Mount
by Gavriel Queenann
Muslims hurled stones and shoes at police escorting Jewish and Christian visitors on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday.
"An officer was slightly wounded and treated at the scene," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that two Arabs were arrested.
Police say officers had been put on high alert earlier in the day after receiving reports Jewish and Muslim groups were set to clash at the site, preceded by.various Muslim groups posting calls online urging people to head to the compound to "protect" it from a group of Jewish pilgrims planning to ascend to Judaism's holiest site.
Police were deployed around the Temple Mount and throughout the Old City "following various calls on different Internet sites by terrorist groups calling on people to go protect the compound after calls from the extreme right to come today," Police spokeswoman Liba Samri said.
Over a dozen vans filled with riot police were reportedly parked by the Dung Gate, an entrance to the Western Wall plaza where the Mughrabi ramp ascends up to the Temple Mount.
On Sunday, police used tear gas to disperse Muslims who were throwing stones at tourists and police inside the compound. In that incident police arrested 18 people.
A similar protest took place last week when a group of Jewish worshippers sought access to the site.
Police say it "was not clear" why the "disturbances" broke out, but one local Arab told an AFP reporter stone throwers were targeting religious Jews who entered the site with a group of Christian tourists.
However, it was reported earlier on Tuesday that the Al-Aqsa Center had released a report, denied by Israel, that Israeli authorities planned to allow Jews free access to the Temple Mount.
According to the report, Jews would be able to perform "Talmudic rituals" (i.e., pray) on the Temple Mount. At present, Jews are allowed to ascend at certain times, under heavy supervision, but may not pray there - for fear of "disturbing the peace".
The Al Aqsa report goes on to say that Israeli police plan to use the new arrangement to "cleanse the Temple Mount of Muslims under flimsy pretexts."
According to another plan "revealed" by the Al Aqsa Center, Jews will "freely enter the mosque" between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., between Muslim prayer times. These alleged plans will be implemented this year.
The Temple Mount is the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (705 CE). However, way before that, it was the site of the the First Holy Temple, built by King Solomon (stood from ~950 BCE to 587 BCE) and the Second Holy Temple (517 BCE to 70CE) and is indisputably Judaism's most sacred site. The Western Wall, where Jews are allowed to pray, is merely a remnant of an outside compound wall of Herodian days and not part of the Temples.
The Muslim Waqf, the religious Muslim authority, has systematically attempted to destroy all archaeological evidence of earlier Jewish presence on the Mount, illegally excavating and destroying priceless and irreplaceable relics. Israeli archaeologists and volunteers sift painstakingly through the debris of the excavations, finding artifacts that are then transferred to Israeli museums.
The Muslim Waqf was allowed to manage the site after Israel succeeded liberating the Temple Mount in 1967 at the suggestion of then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. It maintains a discriminatory policy seeking to bar Jews entry to the site. The Israeli police, afraid of riots, allow the Jewish worshippers to be discriminated against to the point of not being allowed to even whisper prayers on the Mount.
Comment on this story
by Gavriel Queenann
Muslims hurled stones and shoes at police escorting Jewish and Christian visitors on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday.
"An officer was slightly wounded and treated at the scene," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that two Arabs were arrested.
Police say officers had been put on high alert earlier in the day after receiving reports Jewish and Muslim groups were set to clash at the site, preceded by.various Muslim groups posting calls online urging people to head to the compound to "protect" it from a group of Jewish pilgrims planning to ascend to Judaism's holiest site.
Police were deployed around the Temple Mount and throughout the Old City "following various calls on different Internet sites by terrorist groups calling on people to go protect the compound after calls from the extreme right to come today," Police spokeswoman Liba Samri said.
Over a dozen vans filled with riot police were reportedly parked by the Dung Gate, an entrance to the Western Wall plaza where the Mughrabi ramp ascends up to the Temple Mount.
On Sunday, police used tear gas to disperse Muslims who were throwing stones at tourists and police inside the compound. In that incident police arrested 18 people.
A similar protest took place last week when a group of Jewish worshippers sought access to the site.
Police say it "was not clear" why the "disturbances" broke out, but one local Arab told an AFP reporter stone throwers were targeting religious Jews who entered the site with a group of Christian tourists.
However, it was reported earlier on Tuesday that the Al-Aqsa Center had released a report, denied by Israel, that Israeli authorities planned to allow Jews free access to the Temple Mount.
According to the report, Jews would be able to perform "Talmudic rituals" (i.e., pray) on the Temple Mount. At present, Jews are allowed to ascend at certain times, under heavy supervision, but may not pray there - for fear of "disturbing the peace".
The Al Aqsa report goes on to say that Israeli police plan to use the new arrangement to "cleanse the Temple Mount of Muslims under flimsy pretexts."
According to another plan "revealed" by the Al Aqsa Center, Jews will "freely enter the mosque" between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., between Muslim prayer times. These alleged plans will be implemented this year.
The Temple Mount is the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (705 CE). However, way before that, it was the site of the the First Holy Temple, built by King Solomon (stood from ~950 BCE to 587 BCE) and the Second Holy Temple (517 BCE to 70CE) and is indisputably Judaism's most sacred site. The Western Wall, where Jews are allowed to pray, is merely a remnant of an outside compound wall of Herodian days and not part of the Temples.
The Muslim Waqf, the religious Muslim authority, has systematically attempted to destroy all archaeological evidence of earlier Jewish presence on the Mount, illegally excavating and destroying priceless and irreplaceable relics. Israeli archaeologists and volunteers sift painstakingly through the debris of the excavations, finding artifacts that are then transferred to Israeli museums.
The Muslim Waqf was allowed to manage the site after Israel succeeded liberating the Temple Mount in 1967 at the suggestion of then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. It maintains a discriminatory policy seeking to bar Jews entry to the site. The Israeli police, afraid of riots, allow the Jewish worshippers to be discriminated against to the point of not being allowed to even whisper prayers on the Mount.
Tags: Israel Police ,Waqf ,Temple Mount
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4. Likud MKs Urge Netanyahu to Implement Migron Agreement
by Elad Benari
Several Knesset members from the Likud party called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to implement the agreement that has been reached regarding the community of Migron.
The MKs made the remarks at an official Likud event, during which they met with the heads of some of the party’s local branches. The event began with a visit to Migron and then continued with a special dialogue regarding the community’s future.
It was recently reported that an agreement has been reached in the negotiations between residents of Migron and Minister Benny Begin regarding the planned eviction of residents and demolition of the structures that have been built on the site.
According to the agreement, alternative structures will be built at a permanent site not far from Migron, and the IDF will "consider positively" leaving existing structures intact.
The agreement will make it possible for residents to peacefully leave the site and avoid confrontation with demolition forces. The agreement is the result of negotiations in which the residents were represented by Attorney Yaakov Weinrot and Binyamin regional authority head Avi Roeh, vis-à-vis the government as represented by Minister Begin.
During the meeting with local Likud heads, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin called on the Prime Minister to respect the agreements that were reached regarding Migron and added that there is no moral or legal justification to demolish the community and evict the residents from their home.
“We did not develop this agreement in the dark,” said Rivlin, adding, “I'm sure the government will live up to its obligations since Minister Begin worked as its emissary.”
MK Miri Regev noted that she will refuse to accept demolitions of communities as was the case during the eviction from Gush Katif in 2005. She added, “Migron is a symbol of the credibility of the government and we will defend this fact that in the Supreme Court as well.”
MK Ayoob Kara said that “Migron is Yafo (Jaffa) and Yafo is Haifa and Haifa is Jerusalem. Whoever does not understand this will bring us back to Gush Katif.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, all those who were present signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to implement the agreements between the residents of Migron and government representative Minister Benny Begin. Migron residents have announced that they are planning to continue collecting signatures from the heads of the Likud branches in the coming days, and then submit the petition to the Prime Minister.
Daniella Weiss, one of the leaders of the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria, has criticized the Migron agreement and called it an “agreement of submission.”
“There was no reason to move Migron even by a millimeter,” Weiss told Arutz Sheva. “Everyone knows that there was no claim of the land by any Arab owner, it was all bogus. There was no legal problem. They wanted to hurt one of the stronger communities in the region.”
Weiss argued that the Migron agreement was designed to weaken the struggle of local residents against Netanyahu’s possible land concessions as part of a future agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
Several Knesset members from the Likud party called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to implement the agreement that has been reached regarding the community of Migron.
The MKs made the remarks at an official Likud event, during which they met with the heads of some of the party’s local branches. The event began with a visit to Migron and then continued with a special dialogue regarding the community’s future.
It was recently reported that an agreement has been reached in the negotiations between residents of Migron and Minister Benny Begin regarding the planned eviction of residents and demolition of the structures that have been built on the site.
According to the agreement, alternative structures will be built at a permanent site not far from Migron, and the IDF will "consider positively" leaving existing structures intact.
The agreement will make it possible for residents to peacefully leave the site and avoid confrontation with demolition forces. The agreement is the result of negotiations in which the residents were represented by Attorney Yaakov Weinrot and Binyamin regional authority head Avi Roeh, vis-à-vis the government as represented by Minister Begin.
During the meeting with local Likud heads, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin called on the Prime Minister to respect the agreements that were reached regarding Migron and added that there is no moral or legal justification to demolish the community and evict the residents from their home.
“We did not develop this agreement in the dark,” said Rivlin, adding, “I'm sure the government will live up to its obligations since Minister Begin worked as its emissary.”
MK Miri Regev noted that she will refuse to accept demolitions of communities as was the case during the eviction from Gush Katif in 2005. She added, “Migron is a symbol of the credibility of the government and we will defend this fact that in the Supreme Court as well.”
MK Ayoob Kara said that “Migron is Yafo (Jaffa) and Yafo is Haifa and Haifa is Jerusalem. Whoever does not understand this will bring us back to Gush Katif.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, all those who were present signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to implement the agreements between the residents of Migron and government representative Minister Benny Begin. Migron residents have announced that they are planning to continue collecting signatures from the heads of the Likud branches in the coming days, and then submit the petition to the Prime Minister.
Daniella Weiss, one of the leaders of the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria, has criticized the Migron agreement and called it an “agreement of submission.”
“There was no reason to move Migron even by a millimeter,” Weiss told Arutz Sheva. “Everyone knows that there was no claim of the land by any Arab owner, it was all bogus. There was no legal problem. They wanted to hurt one of the stronger communities in the region.”
Weiss argued that the Migron agreement was designed to weaken the struggle of local residents against Netanyahu’s possible land concessions as part of a future agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
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5. Jordan's King Abdullah Blames Israel for Stalled Peace Talks
by Elad Benari
Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday blamed Israel for the deadlocked Middle East peace process, the official Petra news agency reported.
According to the report, the king made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the New York-based Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations. The organization’s Annual Leadership Mission was held in Jerusalem this week.
Petra reported that King Abdullah was specifically concerned over Israel's “unilateral policies”, including changing the identity of the Arab sector in east Jerusalem and tampering with Muslim holy shrines there.
Speaking after the meeting with the king, Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, acknowledged the king's concerns but said he had also been complimentary of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's peace efforts and had asked Hoenlein to convey a message of thanks for Israel's proposals in the latest round of peace talks.
Jordan recently hosted Palestinian Authority and Israeli representatives for a series of “exploratory” talks, which ended after the PA refused to continue them.
“[The king] praised Netanyahu and asked that we specifically give a message to 'my friend' that I appreciate his taking risks by putting forth the package that he did ... a package that he knew was difficult to do, but he created a climate to enable the process to move forward and for negotiations to take place,” Hoenlein was quoted by AP as having said.
The details of the exact “package” offered by Netanyahu were not revealed, but a recent unconfirmed report said that Netanyahu plans to announce a plan to uproot communities and carry out mass evictions in Judea and Samaria.
The report said that due to the political impasse between Israel and the PA, Netanyahu is expected to propose a final status solution that would leave Israel with only the major settlement blocs and eastern Jerusalem.
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday blamed Israel for the deadlocked Middle East peace process, the official Petra news agency reported.
According to the report, the king made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the New York-based Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations. The organization’s Annual Leadership Mission was held in Jerusalem this week.
Petra reported that King Abdullah was specifically concerned over Israel's “unilateral policies”, including changing the identity of the Arab sector in east Jerusalem and tampering with Muslim holy shrines there.
Speaking after the meeting with the king, Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, acknowledged the king's concerns but said he had also been complimentary of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's peace efforts and had asked Hoenlein to convey a message of thanks for Israel's proposals in the latest round of peace talks.
Jordan recently hosted Palestinian Authority and Israeli representatives for a series of “exploratory” talks, which ended after the PA refused to continue them.
“[The king] praised Netanyahu and asked that we specifically give a message to 'my friend' that I appreciate his taking risks by putting forth the package that he did ... a package that he knew was difficult to do, but he created a climate to enable the process to move forward and for negotiations to take place,” Hoenlein was quoted by AP as having said.
The details of the exact “package” offered by Netanyahu were not revealed, but a recent unconfirmed report said that Netanyahu plans to announce a plan to uproot communities and carry out mass evictions in Judea and Samaria.
The report said that due to the political impasse between Israel and the PA, Netanyahu is expected to propose a final status solution that would leave Israel with only the major settlement blocs and eastern Jerusalem.
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Hoenlein: Wrong to Advocate Taking Options on Iran Off the Table
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Peres: Iranians to "Cast Dark Shadow" on Heritage
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Abbas: Reconciliation with Hamas Doesn't Conflict with Peace
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Peres: Peace Process Is Up to Palestinian Authority
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6. Israel Accused of ‘Occupying' Goa
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
It is not enough that Israel is accused of “occupying” land restored to the country in 1967. An Indian MP charges Israel – and Russia – are taking over villages in Goa.
Indian Congress member Rajya Sabha Shantaram Naik said Tuesday, "Russians and Israelis have occupied certain villages in a manner which cannot be called ideal tourism, and they indulge in business activities in violation of the laws of the land, including Foreign Exchange Management Act," according to the Times of India's Economic Times website.
Naik spoke at a students' convention, where he added, "Goa's precious lands needs to be protected and we cannot allow any Goan village to be called 'Israel Village' or 'Russian Village'.’”
He was referring to beaches in North Goa that are popular for tourists, particularly Israeli, many of whom remain and begin businesses.
Indian authorities several years ago investigated real estate deals along the coast, allegedly funded by Russian mafia operatives.
The website estimated that approximately 4,000 Israelis visit the beaches every year and that 40,000 Russian tourists "invade" the coastal area between October and March.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
It is not enough that Israel is accused of “occupying” land restored to the country in 1967. An Indian MP charges Israel – and Russia – are taking over villages in Goa.
Indian Congress member Rajya Sabha Shantaram Naik said Tuesday, "Russians and Israelis have occupied certain villages in a manner which cannot be called ideal tourism, and they indulge in business activities in violation of the laws of the land, including Foreign Exchange Management Act," according to the Times of India's Economic Times website.
Naik spoke at a students' convention, where he added, "Goa's precious lands needs to be protected and we cannot allow any Goan village to be called 'Israel Village' or 'Russian Village'.’”
He was referring to beaches in North Goa that are popular for tourists, particularly Israeli, many of whom remain and begin businesses.
Indian authorities several years ago investigated real estate deals along the coast, allegedly funded by Russian mafia operatives.
The website estimated that approximately 4,000 Israelis visit the beaches every year and that 40,000 Russian tourists "invade" the coastal area between October and March.
Tags: Goa ,occupation ,tourists
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7. Bangkok Iranians Tried to Make Magnetic Bombs
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Iran’s “three Musketeers” Bangkok terrorists used $27 portable radios to hide one bomb and parts for other explosives that appeared be meant for magnetic bombs against Israelis, ABC reported Tuesday night.
The disclosure ties the modus operandi with the magnetic bomb attack in New Delhi, where the wife of an Israeli diplomat was seriously wounded.
ABC said it obtained exclusive photos that showed the inside of the cheap radio with six magnets along with small ball bearings, ingredients for a magnetic bomb.
Another photo showed one of the terrorists, Saeid Moradi, holding a radio in each hand. The botched bomb plot unraveled when explosives being handled by Moradi and others in the terrorist cell blew up in the house they were renting. The Iranians fled, but Moradi had taken at least two bombs with him. He threw one of them at a taxi cab that he unsuccessfully tried to flag down. The bomb injured bystanders.
Police already were approaching him when he threw a second bomb, which hit a nearby pickup truck and bounced back at him, exploding and blowing off his legs.
Police said that they discovered two more unexploded bombs and explosives in the rented house.
Sources told ABC that the bombs were smuggled though the airport when the terrorists arrived two weeks ago, or they might have been brought in via a diplomatic pouch.
The attack in New Delhi and foiled attacks in Baku and Bangkok point to an Iranian effort to engage in international terror against Israelis in retaliation for the assassination of five Iranian nuclear scientists over the past two years. The Mossad was alleged to be behind those attacks, but Israel has not commented on the allegations.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Iran’s “three Musketeers” Bangkok terrorists used $27 portable radios to hide one bomb and parts for other explosives that appeared be meant for magnetic bombs against Israelis, ABC reported Tuesday night.
The disclosure ties the modus operandi with the magnetic bomb attack in New Delhi, where the wife of an Israeli diplomat was seriously wounded.
ABC said it obtained exclusive photos that showed the inside of the cheap radio with six magnets along with small ball bearings, ingredients for a magnetic bomb.
Another photo showed one of the terrorists, Saeid Moradi, holding a radio in each hand. The botched bomb plot unraveled when explosives being handled by Moradi and others in the terrorist cell blew up in the house they were renting. The Iranians fled, but Moradi had taken at least two bombs with him. He threw one of them at a taxi cab that he unsuccessfully tried to flag down. The bomb injured bystanders.
Police already were approaching him when he threw a second bomb, which hit a nearby pickup truck and bounced back at him, exploding and blowing off his legs.
Police said that they discovered two more unexploded bombs and explosives in the rented house.
Sources told ABC that the bombs were smuggled though the airport when the terrorists arrived two weeks ago, or they might have been brought in via a diplomatic pouch.
The attack in New Delhi and foiled attacks in Baku and Bangkok point to an Iranian effort to engage in international terror against Israelis in retaliation for the assassination of five Iranian nuclear scientists over the past two years. The Mossad was alleged to be behind those attacks, but Israel has not commented on the allegations.
More on this topic
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8. Iran Threatens Pre-Emptive Strike on Pre-Emptive Strike
by Elad Benari
A top Iranian general warned Tuesday that the Islamic Republic will pre-emptively strike anyone who threatens it, The Associated Press reported.
The news agency quoted Gen. Mohammed Hejazi, who heads the military's logistical wing, as having told the Fars news agency, “We do not wait for enemies to take action against us. We will use all our means to protect our national interests.”
The remarks come following speculations in the media that Israel may launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Both the U.S. and Israel have not ruled out such an attack, but the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said earlier this week it is “premature” to decide to attack Iran at this point.
Last week it was reported that officials in key parts of President Barack Obama’s administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear program and believe that the U.S. will be left with no option but to launch an attack on Iran or watch Israel do so.
The report in the British Guardian said that there is a strong current of opinion within the administration – including in the Pentagon and the State Department – that believes sanctions are doomed to fail, and that their principal use now is in delaying Israeli military action.
The growing concern among U.S. officials that Israel may strike Iran without consulting with the Obama administration may have led to the U.S. extending an invitation to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to meet with Obama in Washington on March 5.
Obama's National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said on Monday that the two leaders will discuss the "full range of security issues of mutual concern."
Donilon concluded three days of talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem amid escalating tensions over on Iran's nuclear program. He met with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and others.
The White House described the talks as a reflection of the Obama administration's "unshakeable commitment to Israel's security."
Earlier this week, Iran threatened a “crushing response to Israel’s slightest move”. The Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Lebanon, Qazanfar Roknabadi, said on Saturday that “Iran will not start a possible war with the Zionist regime but will deliver a decisive response to any aggression by the regime." As usual, he refrained from using the term “Israel.
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by Elad Benari
A top Iranian general warned Tuesday that the Islamic Republic will pre-emptively strike anyone who threatens it, The Associated Press reported.
The news agency quoted Gen. Mohammed Hejazi, who heads the military's logistical wing, as having told the Fars news agency, “We do not wait for enemies to take action against us. We will use all our means to protect our national interests.”
The remarks come following speculations in the media that Israel may launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Both the U.S. and Israel have not ruled out such an attack, but the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said earlier this week it is “premature” to decide to attack Iran at this point.
Last week it was reported that officials in key parts of President Barack Obama’s administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear program and believe that the U.S. will be left with no option but to launch an attack on Iran or watch Israel do so.
The report in the British Guardian said that there is a strong current of opinion within the administration – including in the Pentagon and the State Department – that believes sanctions are doomed to fail, and that their principal use now is in delaying Israeli military action.
The growing concern among U.S. officials that Israel may strike Iran without consulting with the Obama administration may have led to the U.S. extending an invitation to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to meet with Obama in Washington on March 5.
Obama's National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said on Monday that the two leaders will discuss the "full range of security issues of mutual concern."
Donilon concluded three days of talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem amid escalating tensions over on Iran's nuclear program. He met with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and others.
The White House described the talks as a reflection of the Obama administration's "unshakeable commitment to Israel's security."
Earlier this week, Iran threatened a “crushing response to Israel’s slightest move”. The Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Lebanon, Qazanfar Roknabadi, said on Saturday that “Iran will not start a possible war with the Zionist regime but will deliver a decisive response to any aggression by the regime." As usual, he refrained from using the term “Israel.
Tags: Iran Nuclear threat ,Iran ,Israel-Iran-US
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