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1. Barak: Iran Strike – Only with Government Vote
by Maayana Miskin
An Israeli strike on Iran would happen only with the authorization of the government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday, speaking to Reshet Bet.
“The media portrayal, as if two people are sitting and plotting an attack, is utterly absurd,” he said.
Barak noted that the United States and Israel are approaching a common assessment of the situation. A recent U.S. report shows that Iran has made significant progress in its nuclear program, bringing the U.S. view of the urgency of the situation closer to Israel’s, he said.
Barak denied having been told by U.S. officials that Saudi Arabia has threatened to shoot down Israeli planes heading for Iran. Saudi Arabia is among the countries considered at risk of an Iranian attack, and is reportedly getting U.S. assistance in protecting itself with a missile defense system.
Barak also spoke to Reshet Bet about the situation in the Sinai Peninsula, where terrorism has become an increasing threat. Egyptian troops are capable of dealing with the problem, he said, but it is not clear whether they will do so.
Barak’s statement could be taken as a hint that Israel will not approve additional Egyptian forces in Sinai. Egypt has previously argued that Sinai terrorism means peace accords limiting military buildup in the region must be violated in order to maintain order.
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by Maayana Miskin
An Israeli strike on Iran would happen only with the authorization of the government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday, speaking to Reshet Bet.
“The media portrayal, as if two people are sitting and plotting an attack, is utterly absurd,” he said.
Barak noted that the United States and Israel are approaching a common assessment of the situation. A recent U.S. report shows that Iran has made significant progress in its nuclear program, bringing the U.S. view of the urgency of the situation closer to Israel’s, he said.
Barak denied having been told by U.S. officials that Saudi Arabia has threatened to shoot down Israeli planes heading for Iran. Saudi Arabia is among the countries considered at risk of an Iranian attack, and is reportedly getting U.S. assistance in protecting itself with a missile defense system.
Barak also spoke to Reshet Bet about the situation in the Sinai Peninsula, where terrorism has become an increasing threat. Egyptian troops are capable of dealing with the problem, he said, but it is not clear whether they will do so.
Barak’s statement could be taken as a hint that Israel will not approve additional Egyptian forces in Sinai. Egypt has previously argued that Sinai terrorism means peace accords limiting military buildup in the region must be violated in order to maintain order.
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2. Officer Badly Hurt in Training Accident
by Maayana Miskin
A Border Police officer was badly hurt Thursday when a misfired bullet hit him in the chest. The incident took place at a training base in Michmash, north of Jerusalem.
The accident occurred as the officer checked his gun.
The wounded officer was taken by helicopter to the Hadassah Har Hatzofim hospital in Jerusalem.
The accidental self-shooting is the first of its kind in several months. Following the incident, commanders stopped exercises at the base pending an investigation.
The Michmash training base is used primarily to train new Border Police recruits. Trainees practice firing various weapons and using grenades.
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by Maayana Miskin
A Border Police officer was badly hurt Thursday when a misfired bullet hit him in the chest. The incident took place at a training base in Michmash, north of Jerusalem.
The accident occurred as the officer checked his gun.
The wounded officer was taken by helicopter to the Hadassah Har Hatzofim hospital in Jerusalem.
The accidental self-shooting is the first of its kind in several months. Following the incident, commanders stopped exercises at the base pending an investigation.
The Michmash training base is used primarily to train new Border Police recruits. Trainees practice firing various weapons and using grenades.
Tags: accidental shooting ,Border Police ,injury
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3. Woman Suing El Al for NIS 50k Over Seat Snafu
by David Lev
A passenger on an El Al flight is suing the airline for NIS 50,000 ($12,500), claiming she was forced to move to an inferior seat when a Hareidi individual took her seat – because he did not want to sit next to a woman on the flight.
According to the woman, the Hareidi man had been seated in a center seat, next to a female passenger. Before she got on the plane, the man apparently decided to take her seat, which was more amenable to his needs, as his seatmate was another Hareidi male. When she got on the plane, the woman's attorney told Army Radio. she asked that the man vacate the spot and allow her to sit, but he refused – and he also refused to move when asked to do so by the plane's staff. Instead, a member of the crew asked her to take the man's seat; otherwise they would be unable to take off.
The woman, having no choice, complied, her attorney said, but suffered. The attorney said that the woman had chosen the seat specifically, as it was an aisle seat, giving her easy access to restrooms so she could take medications. In addition, the attorney said, the seat mixup caused her to miss out on getting a vegetarian meal she had ordered. As a result of the “blatant discrimination and sexism, abetted by the plane's crew,” the woman was suing El Al for NIS 50,000.
In response, an El Al spokesperson said that the company was aware of the woman's complaint and was examining it. The spokesperson said that El Al staff have very specific instructions in how to deal with issues like this. “El Al personnel are on the front lines of providing superior service to passengers, and try as much as possible to help every passenger, as they did in this situation.”
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by David Lev
A passenger on an El Al flight is suing the airline for NIS 50,000 ($12,500), claiming she was forced to move to an inferior seat when a Hareidi individual took her seat – because he did not want to sit next to a woman on the flight.
According to the woman, the Hareidi man had been seated in a center seat, next to a female passenger. Before she got on the plane, the man apparently decided to take her seat, which was more amenable to his needs, as his seatmate was another Hareidi male. When she got on the plane, the woman's attorney told Army Radio. she asked that the man vacate the spot and allow her to sit, but he refused – and he also refused to move when asked to do so by the plane's staff. Instead, a member of the crew asked her to take the man's seat; otherwise they would be unable to take off.
The woman, having no choice, complied, her attorney said, but suffered. The attorney said that the woman had chosen the seat specifically, as it was an aisle seat, giving her easy access to restrooms so she could take medications. In addition, the attorney said, the seat mixup caused her to miss out on getting a vegetarian meal she had ordered. As a result of the “blatant discrimination and sexism, abetted by the plane's crew,” the woman was suing El Al for NIS 50,000.
In response, an El Al spokesperson said that the company was aware of the woman's complaint and was examining it. The spokesperson said that El Al staff have very specific instructions in how to deal with issues like this. “El Al personnel are on the front lines of providing superior service to passengers, and try as much as possible to help every passenger, as they did in this situation.”
Tags: El Al ,hareidi conflict ,lawsuit
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4. Proposal: Jews, Muslims to Split Temple Mount Prayer
by Maayana Miskin
MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) believes he has found a way for Israel to give Jews the freedom to pray at their holiest site, while avoiding Muslim violence. Jews should be granted certain times to ascend to the Temple Mount and pray, he said.
Eldad has submitted a bill that would set aside separate prayer hours for Jews and Muslims. His proposal coincided with a U.S. report criticizing Israel for failing to grant Jews freedom of worship on the Mount.
“The Temple Mount is the holiest place to the people of Israel, the place where the First and Second Temples stood,” Eldad said. “The Temple Mount is also a holy place to Muslims, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands, and the Temple Mount is special to Christianity as well.”
“In order to allow freedom of worship and the right to visit the Mount, special visiting days should be established for Jews and Muslims, and hours during which the Mount will be open only to Jews or only to Muslims,” he continued.
Eldad proposed a daily division that would allow each religious group to access the Temple Mount during its usual daily prayer times. Jews have three set prayer times on weekdays, while Muslims have five.
In addition, he proposed giving each group access on its holidays. Jews would have full access on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first and last days of Sukkot and Passover, Shavuot, and Tisha B’Av. He listed several Muslim holidays on which Muslims would have full access, among them Id al-Fitr, Id al-Adha, and Ashura.
When holidays overlap, he said, the day would be split between the two faiths.
Eldad’s proposal is reminiscent of the arrangement in the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Maarat Hamachpelah) in Hevron. There, the sacred hall over the burial place of the Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs is split between Jews and Muslims during the year, with members of each faith having access to half of the tombs. On select Jewish holidays, Jews have full access to the building while Muslim worshipers are barred, and on Muslim holidays, the opposite.
Muslim leaders are highly unlikely to support the initiative. The Temple Mount is currently under the control of the Muslim Waqf, and Jewish prayer is forbidden at the site year-round. Muslim leaders have often accused Israel of plotting against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Arab League recently warned that any perceived threat to the mosque could destabilize the entire region.
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by Maayana Miskin
MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) believes he has found a way for Israel to give Jews the freedom to pray at their holiest site, while avoiding Muslim violence. Jews should be granted certain times to ascend to the Temple Mount and pray, he said.
Eldad has submitted a bill that would set aside separate prayer hours for Jews and Muslims. His proposal coincided with a U.S. report criticizing Israel for failing to grant Jews freedom of worship on the Mount.
“The Temple Mount is the holiest place to the people of Israel, the place where the First and Second Temples stood,” Eldad said. “The Temple Mount is also a holy place to Muslims, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands, and the Temple Mount is special to Christianity as well.”
“In order to allow freedom of worship and the right to visit the Mount, special visiting days should be established for Jews and Muslims, and hours during which the Mount will be open only to Jews or only to Muslims,” he continued.
Eldad proposed a daily division that would allow each religious group to access the Temple Mount during its usual daily prayer times. Jews have three set prayer times on weekdays, while Muslims have five.
In addition, he proposed giving each group access on its holidays. Jews would have full access on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first and last days of Sukkot and Passover, Shavuot, and Tisha B’Av. He listed several Muslim holidays on which Muslims would have full access, among them Id al-Fitr, Id al-Adha, and Ashura.
When holidays overlap, he said, the day would be split between the two faiths.
Eldad’s proposal is reminiscent of the arrangement in the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Maarat Hamachpelah) in Hevron. There, the sacred hall over the burial place of the Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs is split between Jews and Muslims during the year, with members of each faith having access to half of the tombs. On select Jewish holidays, Jews have full access to the building while Muslim worshipers are barred, and on Muslim holidays, the opposite.
Muslim leaders are highly unlikely to support the initiative. The Temple Mount is currently under the control of the Muslim Waqf, and Jewish prayer is forbidden at the site year-round. Muslim leaders have often accused Israel of plotting against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Arab League recently warned that any perceived threat to the mosque could destabilize the entire region.
Tags: Temple Mount ,freedom of religion ,Aryeh Eldad ,Waqf
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5. Report: US Helping Gulf States Build Defense Against Iran Attack
by David Lev
Fearing an Iranian attack on strategic and essential oil and military facilities in the Middle East, the United States is helping Gulf countries build a missile defense system, which will include advanced radar missile detection systems, and Patriot missiles to shoot down incoming Iranian rockets.
Among the countries to be included in the plan, a report Thursday said, are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. All of these countries are seen as extremely vulnerable in case Iran decides to advance on them militarily. The missile defense system is designed to discourage Iran from contemplating such attacks.
The Gulf missile shield thus joins other programs initiated by the U.S. in other parts of the world, most notably in Europe, where radar and defensive systems have been installed to deter attacks by Iran or other countries, such as China. According to reports, some $20 billion in weapons and defensive systems has so far been acquired by Gulf countries participating in the program, and further expenditures are scheduled.
According to the report, working with the Gulf countries on the defensive system has been more difficult for U.S. officials than working with European countries, because, unlike the latter, the Gulf countries are far less amenable to working together on joint security initiatives, despite their common concern over Iran.
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by David Lev
Fearing an Iranian attack on strategic and essential oil and military facilities in the Middle East, the United States is helping Gulf countries build a missile defense system, which will include advanced radar missile detection systems, and Patriot missiles to shoot down incoming Iranian rockets.
Among the countries to be included in the plan, a report Thursday said, are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. All of these countries are seen as extremely vulnerable in case Iran decides to advance on them militarily. The missile defense system is designed to discourage Iran from contemplating such attacks.
The Gulf missile shield thus joins other programs initiated by the U.S. in other parts of the world, most notably in Europe, where radar and defensive systems have been installed to deter attacks by Iran or other countries, such as China. According to reports, some $20 billion in weapons and defensive systems has so far been acquired by Gulf countries participating in the program, and further expenditures are scheduled.
According to the report, working with the Gulf countries on the defensive system has been more difficult for U.S. officials than working with European countries, because, unlike the latter, the Gulf countries are far less amenable to working together on joint security initiatives, despite their common concern over Iran.
Tags: Iran ,Nuclear Iran ,Gulf States
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Report: Phone Calls Link Burgas Attack to Iran ‘Shadow War’
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6. Report: Phone Calls Link Burgas Attack to Iran ‘Shadow War’
by Maayana Miskin
Israeli intelligence has found that there were many phone calls between Lebanon and Burgas, Bulgaria in the weeks leading up to a fatal bus bombing targeting Israeli tourists, the New York Times reports. The volume of calls increased in the three days before the attack.
The calls serve as an additional reason to link the attack to Iran and Hizbullah.
The report included the Burgas attack with attacks in India and elsewhere as part of an Iranian “shadow war.” Iran allegedly uses cold war-style tactics to target Israel and Israelis while continuing to deny its involvement in terror.
Iran and Hizbullah “thrive on reasonable deniability,” counterterror expert Matthew Levitt explained.
Another expert, Andrew Exum, agreed. “They want just enough ambiguity that you can’t nail down that they did it, the seed of doubt that makes it difficult for Israel or the United States to respond,” he said.
Iran has denied involvement in the Burgas attack, claiming that Israel attacked its own tourists.
The report noted that an investigation into the Burgas bombing has failed to identify the bomber or to apprehend a suspected accomplice. Without further evidence, Bulgaria is unlikely to implicate Hizbullah, which the European Union does not consider a terrorist group.
Iran’s covert attacks have not targeted Israel alone. The United States has accused Iran of backing a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
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by Maayana Miskin
Israeli intelligence has found that there were many phone calls between Lebanon and Burgas, Bulgaria in the weeks leading up to a fatal bus bombing targeting Israeli tourists, the New York Times reports. The volume of calls increased in the three days before the attack.
The calls serve as an additional reason to link the attack to Iran and Hizbullah.
The report included the Burgas attack with attacks in India and elsewhere as part of an Iranian “shadow war.” Iran allegedly uses cold war-style tactics to target Israel and Israelis while continuing to deny its involvement in terror.
Iran and Hizbullah “thrive on reasonable deniability,” counterterror expert Matthew Levitt explained.
Another expert, Andrew Exum, agreed. “They want just enough ambiguity that you can’t nail down that they did it, the seed of doubt that makes it difficult for Israel or the United States to respond,” he said.
Iran has denied involvement in the Burgas attack, claiming that Israel attacked its own tourists.
The report noted that an investigation into the Burgas bombing has failed to identify the bomber or to apprehend a suspected accomplice. Without further evidence, Bulgaria is unlikely to implicate Hizbullah, which the European Union does not consider a terrorist group.
Iran’s covert attacks have not targeted Israel alone. The United States has accused Iran of backing a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
Tags: Burgas attack ,Hizbullah ,Iran
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7. US Report: Iran Nuke Program More Advanced Than Thought
by David Lev
A report in Ha'aretz Thursday, citing American officials, said that a new U.S. report says Iran has made a great deal of progress in its nuclear program in recent months. According to the report, U.S. President Barack H. Obama has seen the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by U.S. government intelligence groups.
According to Ha'aretz, the report was submitted to Obama several weeks later than scheduled – in order to update it with new information relating to the vast improvements in Iran's nuclear research in recent months. The report is said to have come to conclusions similar to those held by Israel's intelligence community – that Iran is almost at the “point of no return” in development of a nuclear weapon.
The new NIE report was sharply different than one issued in 2007, which claimed that Iran had suspended its nuclear program altogether. That report significantly damaged Israel's case against Iran among Western countries, deferring not only the idea of using force to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capability, but even softening the demand for sanctions against Tehran. The new report said that Iran had significantly improved its research methodology, access to development tools, and testing procedures, and had seen a concomitant improvement in results.
A report in Yediot Achronot said that Israel had recently received messages from Saudi Arabia, saying that the Saudis would shoot down Israeli planes bound for Iran if they flew over Saudi airspace. However, Israeli officials said they saw that message as part of Washington's efforts to discourage Israel from taking unilateral action against Iran.
Earlier this week, former Mossad head Danny Yatom called on the government to ensure that Israel coordinated with the U.S. on all matters relating to Iran. “Despite the fact that Israel is an independent country, and in the end attacking Iran would be a decision Israel would have to make on its own, it would be very important to secure U.S. support for an action like this,” Yatom said.
Comment on this story
by David Lev
A report in Ha'aretz Thursday, citing American officials, said that a new U.S. report says Iran has made a great deal of progress in its nuclear program in recent months. According to the report, U.S. President Barack H. Obama has seen the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by U.S. government intelligence groups.
According to Ha'aretz, the report was submitted to Obama several weeks later than scheduled – in order to update it with new information relating to the vast improvements in Iran's nuclear research in recent months. The report is said to have come to conclusions similar to those held by Israel's intelligence community – that Iran is almost at the “point of no return” in development of a nuclear weapon.
The new NIE report was sharply different than one issued in 2007, which claimed that Iran had suspended its nuclear program altogether. That report significantly damaged Israel's case against Iran among Western countries, deferring not only the idea of using force to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capability, but even softening the demand for sanctions against Tehran. The new report said that Iran had significantly improved its research methodology, access to development tools, and testing procedures, and had seen a concomitant improvement in results.
A report in Yediot Achronot said that Israel had recently received messages from Saudi Arabia, saying that the Saudis would shoot down Israeli planes bound for Iran if they flew over Saudi airspace. However, Israeli officials said they saw that message as part of Washington's efforts to discourage Israel from taking unilateral action against Iran.
Earlier this week, former Mossad head Danny Yatom called on the government to ensure that Israel coordinated with the U.S. on all matters relating to Iran. “Despite the fact that Israel is an independent country, and in the end attacking Iran would be a decision Israel would have to make on its own, it would be very important to secure U.S. support for an action like this,” Yatom said.
Tags: Iran ,nuclear program ,Obama-Israel
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8. Adelson Files $60 Million Libel Lawsuit Against NJDC
by Rachel Hirshfeld
Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire casino owner who has emerged as one of the largest Republican donors, filed a $60 million libel lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday against the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), saying the group had falsely accused him of condoning prostitution in his Macau casino properties.
The NJDC published an article on its Web site in July urging Mitt Romney and other Republicans not to accept Adelson’s contributions because he “reportedly approved of prostitution.”
The accusation, which Adelson and officials at his company, Las Vegas Sands, have denied, stems from a continuing lawsuit against Adelson by a former Sands executive, Steven C. Jacobs, who alleged in court papers filed in June that company officials had sanctioned prostitution at its Macau casino.
Adelson’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, names the Jewish council as well as two of its officials, David A. Harris and Marc R. Stanley. It seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages, The New York Times reported.
In the court document, Adelson's attorneys wrote the mogul has been the subject of "public hatred, contempt, scorn and ridicule."
“Defendants’ goal was to advance their perceived political interests by assassinating Mr. Adelson’s character, punishing him for exercising his right to make monetary contributions to political causes and candidates of his choice, and demeaning him within the Jewish community,” the lawsuit alleges.
In a statement, the NJDC said it would fight the lawsuit.
“We will not be bullied into submission, and we will not be silenced by power,” the statement read. “This is not Putin’s Russia, and in America, political speech regarding one of the most well-known public figures in our country is a fundamental right. One would think the person making greatest use of the Citizens United ruling would understand this.”
“To be sure, referencing mainstream press accounts examining the conduct of a public figure and his business ventures—as we did—is wholly appropriate. Indeed, it is both an American and a Jewish obligation to ask hard questions of powerful individuals like Mr. Adelson, just as it is incumbent upon us to praise his wonderful philanthropic endeavors,” the statement continued.
Jonathan Tobin of Commentary Magazine argues that, “there is a not so fine line between criticizing a public figure and spreading allegations that he is involved in prostitution. There was plenty of room for them to take shots at Adelson without using a palpably false smear.”
The “NJDC shouldn’t be dragging Judaism into this sordid fight they’ve started. Far from it being a specifically Jewish obligation to raise such issues, there is actually a specific religious prohibition against this sort of libel,” Tobin continues. “Indeed, if there is anything that defines the concept of lashon hara or ‘evil tongue’ — the provision in Jewish religious law against defamatory speech — it is calling a political opponent a pimp. For them to claim there was any such duty to smear him in this manner makes a mockery of Judaism.”
A similar accusation against Adelson was leveled in recent weeks by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. However, the group published a formal apology and retraction on Friday after Adelson threatened to take legal action.
Comment on this story
by Rachel Hirshfeld
Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire casino owner who has emerged as one of the largest Republican donors, filed a $60 million libel lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday against the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), saying the group had falsely accused him of condoning prostitution in his Macau casino properties.
The NJDC published an article on its Web site in July urging Mitt Romney and other Republicans not to accept Adelson’s contributions because he “reportedly approved of prostitution.”
The accusation, which Adelson and officials at his company, Las Vegas Sands, have denied, stems from a continuing lawsuit against Adelson by a former Sands executive, Steven C. Jacobs, who alleged in court papers filed in June that company officials had sanctioned prostitution at its Macau casino.
Adelson’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, names the Jewish council as well as two of its officials, David A. Harris and Marc R. Stanley. It seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages, The New York Times reported.
In the court document, Adelson's attorneys wrote the mogul has been the subject of "public hatred, contempt, scorn and ridicule."
“Defendants’ goal was to advance their perceived political interests by assassinating Mr. Adelson’s character, punishing him for exercising his right to make monetary contributions to political causes and candidates of his choice, and demeaning him within the Jewish community,” the lawsuit alleges.
In a statement, the NJDC said it would fight the lawsuit.
“We will not be bullied into submission, and we will not be silenced by power,” the statement read. “This is not Putin’s Russia, and in America, political speech regarding one of the most well-known public figures in our country is a fundamental right. One would think the person making greatest use of the Citizens United ruling would understand this.”
“To be sure, referencing mainstream press accounts examining the conduct of a public figure and his business ventures—as we did—is wholly appropriate. Indeed, it is both an American and a Jewish obligation to ask hard questions of powerful individuals like Mr. Adelson, just as it is incumbent upon us to praise his wonderful philanthropic endeavors,” the statement continued.
Jonathan Tobin of Commentary Magazine argues that, “there is a not so fine line between criticizing a public figure and spreading allegations that he is involved in prostitution. There was plenty of room for them to take shots at Adelson without using a palpably false smear.”
The “NJDC shouldn’t be dragging Judaism into this sordid fight they’ve started. Far from it being a specifically Jewish obligation to raise such issues, there is actually a specific religious prohibition against this sort of libel,” Tobin continues. “Indeed, if there is anything that defines the concept of lashon hara or ‘evil tongue’ — the provision in Jewish religious law against defamatory speech — it is calling a political opponent a pimp. For them to claim there was any such duty to smear him in this manner makes a mockery of Judaism.”
A similar accusation against Adelson was leveled in recent weeks by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. However, the group published a formal apology and retraction on Friday after Adelson threatened to take legal action.
Tags: Sheldon Adelson ,Jewish ,Republican ,Democrat ,NJDC
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