A I P A C
Iran on AIPAC's mind! I have compiled the AIPAC daily posting and they desperately want Iran to resemble Iraq. But they want the American poor to die for them. Search for 'Iran' and you will notice that the AIPAC people want Iran destroyed! When is the American public going to wake up?
Feb 12, 2009 4:12 PM
Obama Administration Clear on Iran Pursuit of Nukes
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Little more than a year after U.S. spy agencies suggested that Iran had halted work on a nuclear weapon, the Obama administration has made it clear that it believes there is no question Tehran is seeking the bomb, The Los Angeles Times reported. This week, President Obama described Iran's "development of a nuclear weapon," before referring to the country's "pursuit" of a nuclear capability, echoing the view of Leon Panetta, Obama's choice for CIA director. "From all the information I've seen," Panetta told Congress recently, "I think there is no question that they are seeking that capability."
Feb 12, 2009 4:12 PM
White House Praises Israel as 'Strong Democracy'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The White House praised Israeli elections as a sign of a strong democracy in the Middle East and said President Obama looked forward to working with the next Israeli government, the Associated Press reported.
Feb 12, 2009 4:12 PM
Hamas Rockets Continue to Pound Southern Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Israeli Air Force destroyed a Hamas command center in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after Hamas fired three mortar shells at Israeli civilians, The Jerusalem Post reported. Israeli military sources said more than 40 Hamas rockets and mortars, including several long-range Grad missiles, had been fired at southern Israeli communities since Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza in mid-January. In recent weeks, Palestinian terrorist groups have attempted to carry out a series of attacks on the Jewish state.
Feb 11, 2009 6:38 PM
Kadima, Likud Top Polls in Israeli Election
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel's Kadima Party led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and the Likud Party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu were locked in a tight battle on Wednesday, both vying for leadership of the next Israeli government, The New York Times reported. In the coming days, President Shimon Peres will choose which party has the first chance to form a government. During this peaceful transfer of power, Israel stands out as the only Western-style democracy in the Middle East. Throughout its history, regardless of party politics, the solid alliance between the United States and Israel has endured.
Feb 10, 2009 8:07 PM
Israeli Voters Go to the Polls to Elect New Government
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israelis cast their ballots Tuesday to choose a new government, with polls indicating a tight race between the Likud party, led by opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu and the Kadima party, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, The Washington Post reported. After the votes are counted, President Shimon Peres will choose a party to form the next government. During this peaceful transfer of power, Israel stands out as the only Western-style democracy in the Middle East. Throughout its history, regardless of party politics, the solid alliance between the United States and Israel has endured.
Feb 10, 2009 8:07 PM
Obama Reaches Out to Iran, Condemns its Aggressive Behavior
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Obama said Monday his administration is looking for opportunities to engage with Iran, but reiterated that Iran's support for terrorism and illicit pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability were dangerous and destabilizing, the Associated Press reported. "It's important that, even as we engage in this direct diplomacy, we are very clear about certain deep concerns that we have as a country," Obama said. He called Iran's funding of terrorist groups "unacceptable" and warned that "a nuclear Iran could set off a nuclear arms race in the region that would be profoundly destabilizing."
Feb 9, 2009 5:08 PM
Biden: Iran Must Abandon Illicit Nuclear Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Vice President Joe Biden warned Iranian leaders on Saturday that their continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability would be met with further international isolation, The New York Times reported. "We are willing to talk to Iran," Biden said during a speech in Munich, Germany. He offered Iran's leaders a choice: "Continue down your current course and there will be pressure and isolation; abandon the illicit nuclear program and your support for terrorism, and there will be meaningful incentives."
Feb 9, 2009 5:08 PM
Cyprus: Iran-Bound Ship Violates U.N. Sanctions
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
According to a senior Cypriot official, a United Nations committee has ruled that a Cypriot-flagged ship intercepted in the Red Sea two weeks ago was carrying weapons to Iran in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions, Agence France Presse reported. Meanwhile, the Greek military is holding another Iran-bound vessel due to suspicions that it was carrying steel and other components for ballistic missiles.
Feb 9, 2009 5:08 PM
IDF Thwarts Suicide Bombing Attack Near Gaza Border
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An Islamic Jihad terrorist armed with a bomb vest was killed by Israeli troops on Sunday as he attempted to sneak across Israel's border with Gaza, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The incident followed a series of Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians in Ashkelon—one of Israel's largest cities and home to critical national infrastructure—and other towns in southern Israel.
Feb 6, 2009 12:20 PM
U.N. Suspends Gaza Aid After Hamas Steals Supplies
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) halted its aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip on Friday after Hamas stole humanitarian supplies meant for Palestinian civilians, The Jerusalem Post reported. Hamas reportedly seized 200 tons of assistance, including flour, rice and other basic commodities, the second such instance this week that Hamas stole U.N. supplies transferred to Gaza for Palestinian residents. Despite these developments, Israel continues to work closely with international aid groups to coordinate efforts to transfer humanitarian supplies to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Feb 6, 2009 12:20 PM
Suspicious Iran-Bound Ship Detained in Greece
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Greek military has detained an Iran-bound ship since December 10 due to suspicions that it was carrying components for ballistic missiles, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. A search of the ship found 80 tons of CK22 steel, which can be used to make warheads or fuel pods for surface-to-surface missiles. Moreover, the cargo manifest indicated that the steel was destined for an Iranian firm that is under U.N. Security Council sanctions due to its involvement in Tehran's illicit nuclear and missile programs.
Feb 6, 2009 12:20 PM
Iran Denies Visas for U.S. Women's Badminton Team
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As world powers on Wednesday expressed their support for U.S. diplomatic overtures to Tehran, Iran announced its refusal to issue visas for a group of U.S. female badminton players it had previously invited to compete in the country, The Washington Post reported. The Obama administration said it was mystified by the visa refusal, especially because it has expressed a willingness to engage with Tehran. "We are very interested in trying to improve relations," a State Department spokesman said, "and this is not a good step forward in terms of trying to promote people-to-people exchanges."
Feb 4, 2009 10:08 AM
U.S. 'Gravely Concerned' Over Iranian Satellite Launch
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Marking the 30th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution, Iran launched its first satellite into orbit, the latest development in a pattern of Iranian activity to build a nuclear weapon and the means to deliver it, The New York Times reported. In Washington, the State Department called the event worrisome. "Iran's development of a space launch vehicle establishes the technical basis from which Iran could develop long-range ballistic missile systems," said spokesman Robert A. Wood. Click here to learn about Iran's quest for a nuclear weapons capability.
Feb 4, 2009 10:08 AM
U.N.: Hamas Stole Humanitarian Aid from Palestinians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A U.N. official on Wednesday accused Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip of seizing thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for Palestinian residents, The Jerusalem Post reported. Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the U.N.'s Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said Hamas fighters raided a U.N. warehouse in Gaza City late Tuesday, snatching 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels. "UNRWA condemns in the strongest terms the confiscation of its aid supplies and has demanded that it is returned immediately," Gunness said in a statement.
Feb 3, 2009 8:22 AM
Iran Vows to Press Ahead with Nuclear Pursuit
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran remained defiant over its illicit nuclear program on Monday as representatives of six major powers prepared to meet in Germany to look at ways of persuading the Islamic Republic to curb its nuclear ambitions, Agence France Presse reported. "If they (the United States and the international community) want Iran to give up the know-how it has regarding the nuclear program, they are talking nonsense," said parliament speaker Ali Larijani, Iran’s former nuclear negotiator.
Feb 2, 2009 5:33 PM
Hamas Rockets, Mortars Slam into Southern Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A long-range Hamas rocket slammed into the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Tuesday, just one day after three Israelis were wounded as a barrage of Hamas rockets and mortars pounded southern Israel, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The latest attacks were the heaviest in weeks and marked the first strike on Ashkelon—a major industrial center—since Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza. Israeli forces targeted the gunmen who fired the rockets, and struck a Hamas security compound in central Gaza and several weapons smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Feb 2, 2009 5:33 PM
Senior Congressman Snubbed by Iran in Dialogue Bid
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs tried to meet a top aide to Iran's supreme leader on a trip to Bahrain in mid-December but was rebuffed at the last minute, The Wall Street Journal reported. Rep. Howard Berman's (D-CA) attempted engagement with Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian parliament, would have marked one of the highest-level discussions between American and Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, yet Larijani pulled out of the meeting.
Jan 30, 2009 12:38 PM
White House: All Options on the Table with Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Obama administration said Thursday that the United States has reserved all options, from diplomacy to military action, to pressure Iran over its continued drive for a nuclear weapons capability, Reuters reported. "We must use all elements of our national power to protect our interests as it relates to Iran," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "We have many issues to work through—an illicit nuclear program, the sponsorship of terrorism and the threatening of peace in Israel are just a few of the issues that this president believes the Iranian leadership must address."
Jan 29, 2009 6:48 PM
Iran Refuses Direct U.S. Talks Without Preconditions
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In reponse to the Obama administration's suggestion of direct talks with Iran over its illicit nuclear program, a top aide to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday said Iran had its own preconditions before any negotiations could begin, Reuters reported. These preconditions include "ending America's military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan," as well as apologizing to Iran for a long list of grievances. The aide also said Iran did not intend to halt its nuclear work, as demanded by the Obama administration and the international community.
Jan 29, 2009 6:48 PM
Mitchell Calls for End to Hamas Weapons Smuggling
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Obama administration's envoy for Middle East peace called this week for an end to Hamas' weapons smuggling in order to implement a durable cease-fire in Gaza, The Washington Post reported. George Mitchell, speaking after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, said the United States is "committed to vigorously pursuing lasting peace and stability in the region," and called for an end to the hostilities and smuggling and to open border crossings on the basis of a 2005 agreement. That agreement requires international monitors to be present at Gaza crossings.
Jan 28, 2009 3:56 PM
U.N. Slams Hamas for 'Cynical' Use of Human Shields
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Chief John Holmes blasted Hamas on Tuesday for its use of civilian facilities and human shields in its fight against Israel, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "The reckless and cynical use of civilian installations by Hamas and indiscriminate firing of rockets against civilian populations are clear violations of international humanitarian law," Holmes told the U.N. Security Council.
Jan 28, 2009 3:56 PM
Abbas Blames Hamas for Gaza Violence
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the Hamas leadership on Tuesday for bringing destruction to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported. During a press conference, Abbas blamed Hamas for violating a six-month cease-fire with Israel, and said Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal could be taken to court in another country for "drawing his people to this destruction." He said he had warned Hamas against violating the truce, "but they didn't listen." Israel carried out its defensive operation in the Gaza Strip following years of unrelenting Hamas rocket and mortar attacks on its civilians.
Jan 28, 2009 9:08 AM
After IDF Soldier Killed, Israel Hits Smuggling Tunnels
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hours after an Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian roadside bomb, Israeli warplanes on Wednesday destroyed several weapons smuggling tunnels along Egypt's border with Gaza, The New York Times reported. Also on Wednesday, Palestinian terrorists fired a Qassam rocket into southern Israel, the first rocket attack since Israel concluded its defensive operation in Gaza. Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that further attacks could not be ignored: "We do not intend to gloss over incidents like these," he said. "We will not let Hamas and its outgrowths continue their hostile acts of terror."
Jan 28, 2009 9:08 AM
Report: Iran Likely to Have Enough Fuel for Nukes in 2009
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A prominent international security expert warned on Tuesday that Iran will most likely have produced enough enriched uranium to, with further purification, make an atomic bomb by the end of 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported. Despite these developments, Mark Fitzpatrick, a non-proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a new report that Iran's illicit nuclear program could still be "constrained and delayed by export controls, sanctions, financial pressure, interdiction and other means of exploiting Iran's vulnerabilities."
Jan 27, 2009 12:23 PM
Roadside Bomb Kills Israeli Soldier Near Gaza Border
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One Israel Defense Forces officer was killed and three others were wounded on Tuesday when a roadside bomb detonated under an army vehicle, The Jerusalem Post reported. While no one claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred along the Gaza-Israel border, a Hamas leader said his group had not agreed to a cease-fire with Israel, adding that "the Zionists are responsible for any aggression."
Jan 27, 2009 10:26 AM
Obama Stresses Hopes for Peace, Support for Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Obama reiterated on Monday U.S. support for Israel and expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, The Washington Post reported. "Israel is a strong ally of the United States," Obama told a correspondent from al-Arabiya in his first television interview. "They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount." Obama added, "we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them," and stressed the need for patience as the talks proceed.
Jan 27, 2009 10:26 AM
Rice: U.S. Must Be Firm With Iran Over Nuke Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Ambassador Susan Rice said Monday that the United States would continue to press Iran to halt its illicit nuclear program as called for by multiple binding U.N. Security Council resolutions, Reuters reported. "We remain deeply concerned about the threat that Iran's nuclear program poses to the region, indeed to the United States and to the entire international community," Rice, the newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said after a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Jan 26, 2009 10:17 AM
U.S., French Ships to Seek Iranian Arms Bound for Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An American naval taskforce in the Gulf of Aden has been ordered to hunt for suspicious Iranian arms ships seeking to rearm Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Britain's Times reported. The action follows a similar order by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who on Friday dispatched a frigate to the waters off Gaza to patrol for smuggled weapons. In addition, several top European Union officials have pressed Egypt to step up its own efforts to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas. Click here to learn about efforts to halt Iran's smuggling of weapons to Hamas.
Jan 26, 2009 10:17 AM
Top EU Official: Hamas Responsible for Gaza Conflict
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas bears full responsibility for the recent violence in Gaza, a top European Union official said Monday during a visit to the coastal strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. "At this time we have to also recall the overwhelming responsibility of Hamas," Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said at a press conference in Jabalya, a town in northern Gaza. "I intentionally say this here - Hamas is a terrorist movement and it has to be denounced as such."
Jan 23, 2009 12:47 PM
Obama's Treasury Pick Vows Action Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner vowed to step up U.S. financial pressure on Iran to halt its illicit nuclear program and curb the country's support for terrorism, Agence France Presse reported. "If confirmed as secretary of the Treasury, I would consider the full range of tools available to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including unilateral measures, to prevent Iran from misusing the financial system to engage in proliferation and terrorism," Geithner wrote in his response to senators' questions, which was released as part of his confirmation hearing on Jan. 22.
Jan 23, 2009 12:47 PM
Israel, Egypt to Boost Anti-Smuggling Forces in Sinai
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli officials approved on Thursday an Egyptian proposal meant to curb Hamas' ability to smuggle arms from Iran into Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported. The new strategy, announced amid reports that several smuggling tunnels along the Egypt-Gaza border had reopened following Israel's recent military operation, is said to include heightened Israeli-Egyptian intelligence cooperation, the construction of obstacles in the Sinai Peninsula and the deployment of new tunnel-detection technology along the border. The agreement comes on the heels of a U.S.-Israeli deal to prevent Hamas from rearming.
Jan 22, 2009 12:44 PM
Obama Determined to Halt Hamas Arms Smuggling
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Barack Obama stressed on Wednesday his commitment to halting weapons smuggling from Iran to Hamas, Britain's Times reported. During a series of calls with Mideast leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama "emphasized his determination to work to help consolidate the cease-fire by establishing an effective anti-smuggling regime to prevent Hamas from rearming, and facilitating in partnership with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza," according to a statement.
Jan 21, 2009 6:43 PM
Iran Seeks to Replenish Hamas’ Weapon Stocks in Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
According to Israeli intelligence assessments, Iran has renewed its efforts to supply advanced weaponry to the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. The IDF is concerned that Iran will provide Hamas with long-range Fajr missiles, which have a range of 43 miles and can easily reach Tel Aviv if fired from Gaza. The IDF believes that it destroyed about 1,200 Hamas rockets, but estimates that the terrorist group has about 1,000 left in its arsenal, including long range Grad-model Katyushas.
Jan 21, 2009 6:43 PM
Israel Congratulates President Barack Obama
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday congratulated President Barack Obama on his inauguration as the new U.S. commander-in-chief, saying he expects the United States and Israel to grow even closer in the coming years, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. "We are certain that we will be full partners in the advancement of peace and stability in the Middle East," Olmert said in a statement. "The values of democracy, fraternity and liberty, which constitute the building blocks of American society, are shared by Israeli society..."
Jan 21, 2009 6:43 PM
Hillary Clinton Confirmed as Secretary of State
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), the former first lady and Democratic candidate for president, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state, The New York Times reported. She is the third woman to serve as America’s top diplomat. During her time in the Senate, Clinton was a strong supporter of increasing U.S. security assistance to Israel. She was also a vocal advocate for enacting stringent sanctions against Iran as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Jan 19, 2009 9:25 AM
AIPAC Offices Closed for MLK, Jr. Day, Inauguration
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
AIPAC offices will be closed on January 19 and 20 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. Regular Web site updates will resume on Wednesday, January 21. In the meantime, check out the Issues page for concise analysis, feature coverage and links to special reports on key issues affecting the Middle East, Israel's security and the U.S.-Israel relationship. In addition, see below for recent news items.
Jan 16, 2009 11:55 PM
U.S., Israel Agree to Tackle Hamas Arms Smuggling
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States and Israel pledged on Friday to work together to prevent the supply of weapons and explosives to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Gaza with a new landmark agreement. The Memorandum of Understanding [full text], signed by Secretary of State Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, "is a first step towards an end to rocket attacks and threats directed against Israel from Gaza," said a State Dept. statement, calling for "an international consensus that Gaza will never again be used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens."
Jan 16, 2009 10:43 AM
Hamas Rejects Ceasefire Proposal, Vows More Attacks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas chief Khaled Meshal refused on Friday to accept a ceasefire with Israel, saying an Egyptian-mediated proposal did not meet the terrorist group's demands, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Meshal, who was set to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a summit in Qatar, pledged to carry out further terrorist attacks against the Jewish state. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was set to arrive in Washington on Friday to sign an agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the joint supervision and prevention of weapons smuggling from Iran to Gaza.
Jan 14, 2009 12:29 PM
Hamas Deploys Suicide Bombers, Continues Rocket Fire
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Would-be Hamas suicide bombers, disguised in Israel Defense Forces uniforms, have attempted to infiltrate groups of IDF soldiers operating in Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported. On Wednesday, IDF paratroopers killed one such suicide bomber who attempted to detonate his explosives belt near them. Also on Wednesday, eight Hamas rockets struck several cities across southern Israel. Though rocket strikes continue, the number of attacks has dropped significantly since the start of Israel's operation in Gaza, and defense officials believe Hamas is nearing the end of its supply of long-range rockets.
Jan 13, 2009 11:23 PM
Hamas Raids Humanitarian Aid Trucks, Steals Supplies
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas on Monday hijacked 100 humanitarian aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them, The Jerusalem Post reported. In addition, Israeli security officials thwarted an attempt to smuggle electrical goods, disguised as aid supplies, into Gaza. The goods included computers, infrared cameras and other electronic equipment. The incidents follow recent reports that Hamas terrorists had stolen medical supplies, originally destined for Palestinian civilians, in order to treat their fighters.
Jan 12, 2009 9:09 PM
Obama, Bush Reaffirm Israel's Right to Self-Defense
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In separate statements, President-elect Barack Obama and President George Bush reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense. Speaking about Israel's operation in Gaza on ABC's This Week, Obama said, "I think that's a basic principle of any country is that they've got to protect their citizens," reiterating comments he made in Israel last year. President Bush expressed his support for Israel's right to self-defense and called on Hamas to end its rocket attacks. "There will not be a sustainable ceasefire if they continue firing rockets. I happen to believe the choice is Hamas's to make," he said.
Jan 12, 2009 9:09 PM
Hamas Leaders Hiding in Bunker Beneath Gaza Hospital
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Gaza-based leadership of Hamas is in an underground bunker beneath the No. 2 building of Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, The New York Times reported. At a recent cabinet meeting, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin confirmed that senior Hamas officials were hiding in the hospital basement, assured that Israel would not target it due to the patients being treated in the upper floors. Israeli troops this week also uncovered a school in the Gaza Strip rigged by Hamas terrorists with a large amount of explosives and found massive stocks of Hamas rockets and other weapons hidden in a Gaza mosque.
Jan 12, 2009 9:09 PM
Report: Iran Warns Hamas Against Ceasefire
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran is exerting heavy pressure on Hamas not to accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, an Egyptian government official told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Jan 9, 2009 7:01 PM
IDF Reveals Extensive Hamas Tunnel Network
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli military operations in Gaza this week revealed a maze of weapons smuggling tunnels built by Hamas terrorists, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. The Israeli military referred to the discovery as an "underground city" and confirmed that the tunnels, built near a Gaza hospital, were used by the Iranian-backed terrorist group to store weapons, plan attacks against Israeli civilians [see video] and kidnap Israeli soldiers.
Jan 8, 2009 9:57 AM
Congress Declares Steadfast Support for Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In one of the first acts of the new Congress, both the House and Senate passed strong and unequivocal resolutions in support of Israel's quest for peace and right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza. AIPAC applauds both houses of Congress for passing the resolutions. The Senate measure, cosponsored by Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and Republican Leader McConnell (R-KY), passed by unanimous consent; the House measure, introduced by Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Leader Boehner (R-OH), passed by an overwhelming vote of 390-5. Click here to thank your members of Congress.
Jan 7, 2009 10:34 AM
Hamas Using Gaza Civilians as Human Shields
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The White House on Tuesday condemned Hamas for using Gaza civilians as human shields, following reports that the terrorist group had been hiding in hospitals and storing weapons in mosques, schools and homes.
Jan 6, 2009 9:48 PM
Facts and Figures: Israel Transfers Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel facilitated the transfer of significant amounts of humanitarian supplies—some of which has been stolen from civilians by Hamas terrorists for their own use—during the course of its ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip. Since January 7, the IDF has halted military operations for three hours each day to implement a "humanitarian recess," enabling the flow of food and medicine throughout Gaza.
Jan 6, 2009 9:48 PM
More than 100 Congressmen, Elected Officials Stand with Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
AIPAC applauds the more than 100 bipartisan congressional leaders and elected officials from across the country who continue to stand firmly in support of Israel's quest for peace and back the Jewish state's right to defend its citizens from the ongoing attacks of the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas.
Jan 5, 2009 9:18 PM
Israeli Operation Continues as Hamas Rockets Strike
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel expanded its ground operation into the Gaza Strip on Monday, working to destroy Hamas' ability to fire rockets at Israeli civilians, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Head of Military Intelligence, General Amos Yadlin, said Hamas had taken "a serious blow, we killed hundreds of terrorists and damaged their ability to build weaponry." A New York Times report said between 75 and 90 percent of those killed in Israel's operation were Hamas terrorists. Still, some 30 rockets and mortars pounded southern Israel on Monday, including one barrage on a kindergarten in Ashkelon.
Jan 2, 2009 1:23 PM
Hamas Rockets Rain Down on Citizens of Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Four Israelis were killed and dozens more wounded this week as Hamas relentlessly pounded cities in southern Israel with hundreds of rockets and mortars, The Jerusalem Post reported. Hamas rockets continued to slam into Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba on Friday, cities previously considered out of range, signaling a dangerous escalation in the Iranian-backed terror group's seven-year campaign of terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. More than 700,000 Israelis now find themselves within range of Hamas' rockets—critical Israeli infrastructure and the country's largest port are now under threat.
Jan 2, 2009 1:23 PM
Humanitarian Update: Israeli Hospitals Treating Palestinians, Gaza Food Stocks 'At Capacity'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, "Ninety three trucks, with approximately 2500 tons of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and medication" were transferred to Gaza.
Dec 31, 2008 9:55 AM
Israelis Terrorized by Seven Years of Life Under Fire
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas rockets slammed into a kindergarten in Beersheba Wednesday in the latest spate of indiscriminate rocket fire on Israeli civilians in southern Israel, Ha'aretz reported. For the past seven years, Israeli communities have seen more than 6,300 rocket and mortar attacks. Each rocket launch sets off a warning system—a woman's voice calling "Tzeva Adom" or "Red Alert"—allowing residents just 15 seconds to take cover. In the city of Sderot, three-quarters of children exhibit signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the town's bus stops have all been converted to reinforced bomb shelters.
Dec 30, 2008 7:50 PM
AIPAC Urges Support for Israel’s Right to Self-Defense
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a press statement, AIPAC urged members of Congress and the Administration to stand firmly with Israel as it strives to defend itself against a renewed assault by Hamas terrorists.
Dec 30, 2008 10:06 AM
Hamas Rockets Kill Four, Strike Beersheba
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Three Israelis were killed and dozens more wounded this week as Hamas relentlessly pounded southern Israel with rockets and mortars, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Two rockets landed in Beersheba Tuesday—one in a kindergarten—widening the range of Hamas' rockets and putting nearly a quarter-million Israelis at risk. The Iranian-backed terrorist group fired more than 100 rockets at southern Israel on Monday and Tuesday, striking homes, farms and factories in Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod—home to Israel's largest port. In addition, Israeli schools within a 30-kilometer range were closed.
Dec 29, 2008 5:20 PM
American Leaders Support Israel’s Defensive Actions
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
American leaders from the Bush administration, Congress, and President-elect Barack Obama’s staff have voiced strong support for Israel’s defensive actions in the Gaza Strip. Here is a sample of statements:
Dec 29, 2008 3:00 PM
Israel Responds to Seven Years of Hamas Rockets
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In response to hundreds of Hamas rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli civilians during the past week, Israel on Saturday launched air strikes against Hamas military sites, rocket launchers and other Hamas-run facilities in Gaza, The New York Times reported. "Life in the south under missile barrages had become unbearable," said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. As of Monday evening, Hamas rockets had killed three and wounded dozens more. "In such a situation we had no alternative but to respond." Olmert also assured that Israel would do its utmost to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Dec 29, 2008 3:00 PM
With Iran's Help, Hamas Upgraded its Arsenal
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
For two years, Hamas worked tirelessly, with Iranian assistance, to improve its ability to attack Israel, according to analysis in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz. Hamas now has rockets with a range of 24 miles—enough to reach the outskirts of Beersheba as well as Ashdod, home to Israel’s largest port. Hamas has successfully transitioned from a terrorist group to a more organized paramilitary organization.
Dec 29, 2008 3:00 PM
Israel Facilitates Aid Transfer to Gaza Despite Escalated Hamas Attacks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Israel targets Hamas terrorists in Gaza, the Jewish state is making every possible effort to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the coastal strip. An Israeli Foreign Ministry delegation met on Sunday with representatives of international aid organizations in order to ensure the entry into Gaza of critical items such as food and medical supplies. “We will see to the needs of the population in Gaza and will do our utmost to prevent a humanitarian crisis that will impinge upon residents’ lives,” said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Dec 24, 2008 8:51 AM
Rockets and Mortars Bombard Israeli Civilians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Nearly 40 Hamas rockets and mortars were fired at Israel by midday Wednesday, damaging a factory, a home and other Israeli structures, the Associated Press reported. "We heard the alarm and the whistling as it approached, and then we heard a big explosion," which destroyed a storage shed and shattered some of the house's windows, said one Israeli, after a rocket landed just outside his home. "We can't live this way." A number of Palestinian civilians were also injured as a result of rockets that failed to clear the Gaza-Israel border.
Dec 24, 2008 8:51 AM
Hamas Brings Sharia Law, Executions to Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Criminals in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip will now be punished with whipping, dismemberment and execution, following the passage of a radical Islamic bill revising Gaza’s penal code, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. As initially reported in the London-based Arabic daily al-Hayat, under the new law, Palestinians who resist Hamas' war against Israel could be sentenced to death. In addition, those caught stealing will have their hand cut off, and consumption of alcohol could bring about 40 lashes.
Dec 23, 2008 2:01 PM
Cities Across Southern Israel Prepare for Hamas Rockets
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Southern Israeli cities and towns began a series of drills on Tuesday simulating rocket attacks and other violent terrorist activity from the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Dec 23, 2008 10:15 AM
U.S. Warns Russia against Selling Missiles to Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.S. officials on Monday demanded answers from Russia on whether it is selling advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a move the U.S. insists could threaten American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported. "We have repeatedly made clear at senior levels of the Russian government that we would strongly oppose the sale of the S-300," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. "As the U.S. government has said before, this is not the time for business as usual with the Iranian government." The reported deal has also sparked criticism from the Israeli government.
Dec 22, 2008 3:00 PM
Rockets Strike as Hamas Threatens Suicide Attacks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip escalated their rocket attacks against Israeli civilians on Monday, Hamas leaders threatened to resume suicide bombings inside the Jewish state, Agence France Presse reported. "The world must understand that the situation in southern Israel is intolerable for hundreds of thousands of citizens exposed to rocket fire," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said. "We cannot remain with our arms crossed."
Dec 19, 2008 2:35 PM
Report: Hamas Used Calm to Double Rocket Stocks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The terrorist group Hamas doubled their rocket stocks and significantly built their military capabilities during what was meant to be a six-month respite from violent activity in Gaza Strip, according to a new analysis on the Israeli Web site Ynet. Hamas now possesses a rocket arsenal greater in both size and range than what it had in June, consisting of between 8,000 to 10,000 rockets with a range of up to roughly 12 miles. In addition, the terrorist group has overhauled its military systems to include some 16,000 fighters and anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons.
Dec 19, 2008 2:35 PM
Russia to Sell Advanced Missiles to Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite Israeli objections, Russia will soon deliver an advanced missile defense system to Iran, the Associated Press reported. Russian officials previously denied plans to provide Iran with the S-300 system when reports surfaced in October, but sources told Russian media that Russia and Iran were holding talks on sales of medium-range air defense systems. "The deliveries of dangerous armaments to our enemies won't serve the interests of peace and, for instance, can help Iran wipe Israel off the face of earth," Israeli Defense Ministry envoy Amos Gilad said.
Dec 18, 2008 11:37 AM
U.S. Links Iranian Bank to Fifth Avenue Building
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The U.S. Justice Department announced yesterday it was seeking to seize part of a large 36-story office tower along New York City’s trendy Fifth Avenue, charging that it is co-owned by a front company based offshore and representing Bank Melli – the Iranian national bank sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department as a major financier of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, The Washington Post reported.
Dec 17, 2008 10:29 AM
Forty Rockets Pound Negev as End of Calm Nears
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired more than 40 rockets and mortars at southern Israel on Wednesday and Thursday, less than one day before a six-month period of calm was due to expire, The Jerusalem Post reported. Three Israelis were injured when a rocket slammed into the parking lot of a Sderot shopping center, and another nine were sent to hospital due to shock."Our rockets will not stop and it will be like the rain over all the Zionist towns around the Gaza Strip," said Abu Hamza, a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad terrorist group.
Dec 17, 2008 10:29 AM
Israel Applauds U.N. Resolution on Bilateral Peace Talks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel welcomed the passage on Tuesday of a U.N. Security Council resolution expressing support for direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, The Christian Science Monitor reported. "The Security Council's clear support is a vote of confidence in the process Israel is advancing with the legitimate Palestinian leadership, that has no substitute, and that confirms that with sensible leadership it is possible to harness the international community to support Israel's interests and the interests of advancing genuine peace," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.
Dec 16, 2008 2:41 PM
Rice Says Sanctions Affecting Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday that international sanctions have led some Iranian leaders to second-guess their rejection of U.N. Security Council demands that Tehran halt its illicit nuclear activity, the Associated Press reported. "The Iranians are paying real costs for their behavior," Rice said. "It hasn't yet convinced them that they have to change their course, but there are plenty of voices being heard inside that government that are talking about the costs and about whether or not they've made a mistake in getting themselves so deeply isolated."
Dec 16, 2008 2:41 PM
Israeli Court Orders Modification to Barrier Route
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Israeli Supreme Court has ordered that the route of the security fence be redrawn in certain areas in order to lessen the impact on Palestinians living near its path, the Associated Press reported. The ruling specified that "security considerations that will shape the new route must only take into account houses that have already been built, and not plans for future construction." The ruling is not the first time the court has ordered that the fence be altered.
Dec 15, 2008 2:59 PM
Hamas Supporters Taunt Israel at Gaza Rally
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas terrorists brought together hundreds of thousands of supporters at an anniversary rally on Sunday that included a skit of a captive Israeli soldier begging for his freedom, the Associated Press reported. Before some 300,000 followers gathered in Gaza City, the group paraded a Hebrew-speaking actor dressed in an Israeli soldier's uniform—meant to portray Israeli Sgt. Gilad Schalit, who was kidnapped in June 2006. "I miss my Mom and Dad," said the man playing the Israeli soldier, kneeling as he spoke.
Dec 15, 2008 2:59 PM
Israel Frees 227 Jailed Palestinians as Gesture to Abbas
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel released 227 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails on Monday, a move that a government spokesman called a “confidence-building measure designed to strengthen the trust and the confidence in the [peace] negotiations,” the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. Despite the risks to its security, Israel has in recent months freed hundreds of prisoners, removed checkpoints and roadblocks and allowed the deployment of armed Palestinian Authority (PA) police in the West Bank, all in order to demonstrate its commitment to peace with the Palestinians.
Dec 12, 2008 10:20 AM
Gates: Hizballah Arsenal Larger than Many Nations'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Armed with increasingly sophisticated weapons and technology, non-state actors such as the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah pose a dire threat to the United States and its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs. "Hizballah's restocked arsenal of rockets and missiles now dwarfs the inventory of many nation-states," Gates wrote, referring to the terrorist army's massive weapons cache.
Dec 12, 2008 10:20 AM
Iran: 'We are Proud of Supporting Hizballah'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's parliamentary speaker deemed President-elect Barack Obama's comments on Tehran's illicit nuclear activities as "cowboy" talk and said his country took pride in its support for Hizballah, Agence France Presse reported. "The new U.S. president has said he wants to pressure Iran since it seeks to produce atomic weapons and because it supports the terrorists like Hamas and Hizballah," Ali Larijani said. "We are proud of supporting Hizballah since they are defending their homeland and you are wrong in calling them terrorists."
Dec 11, 2008 2:44 PM
Sarkozy Takes Aim at Ahmadinejad for Israel Threats
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday slammed Iran's threats against Israel and refused to ever shake hands with "somebody who has dared to say that Israel must be wiped off the map," BBC reported. During a speech on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Sarkozy stressed the need to halt Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. "We cannot resolve it without talking to Iranian leaders," he said, "but, after what was the Shoah, after what was the 20th century, I cannot sit at the same table as a man who dares to say: Israel must be wiped off the map."
Dec 11, 2008 2:44 PM
U.N. General Assembly Chief Tries to Block Israeli Speech
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The head of the U.N. General Assembly tried to prevent Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev from speaking at Wednesday’s special commemorative plenary session marking 60 years since the world body adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Though his efforts were rejected by European representatives, General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann announced that he would add a representative of the Arab bloc and a representative of unaffiliated nations, two blocs known to be hostile toward Israel, to the list of speakers.
Dec 10, 2008 8:15 AM
In Turnabout, Iranian V.P. Calls for Israel's Destruction
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian Vice President Esfandyar Rahim Mashaei told Sudan's president Tuesday that the destruction of Israel should become an international goal and a global demand, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. Mashei, who was recently rebuked for referring to Iran as a friend of the Israeli people, said "the corrupt and criminal Zionist regime is harming not only the Arab and Islamic world, but humanity in its entirety."
Dec 9, 2008 11:32 AM
Despite Arab Objections, E.U. Upgrades Ties with Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The European Union on Monday unanimously approved a plan to upgrade relations with Israel, despite strong efforts by the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to thwart the move, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The upgrade in relations will begin with a first-of-its kind meeting between Israel's prime minister and the leaders of all 27 E.U. member states in Brussels this April. Among other cooperative measures, Israel and the E.U. will conduct a strategic dialogue on the Iranian nuclear threat, counterterrorism and organized crime.
Dec 9, 2008 11:32 AM
Report: Iran Rocket Arsenal Tripled in 2008
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
During the past year, Iran has made significant strides in its development of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported. Iran reportedly possessed 30 Shihab-3 missiles at the beginning of 2008, and now claims to have stockpiled as many as 100 of the missiles. In recent months, Tehran has also unveiled plans for a number of long-range missiles based on Russian and North Korean designs, all with the capability of delivering a nuclear warhead.
Dec 8, 2008 12:12 PM
Obama: Iranian Nuclear Weapons Are Unacceptable
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and threats against Israel stand "contrary to everything" the United States believes in, President-elect Barack Obama told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. "We need to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran, making very clear to them that their development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable, that their funding of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizbullah, their threats against Israel, are contrary to everything that we believe in and what the international community should accept," Obama said.
Dec 8, 2008 12:12 PM
Bush: Israel is America's 'Closest Ally' in the Mideast
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Bush on Friday recalled his administration's work to bring peace to the Middle East and reiterated his personal commitment to the safety and security of Israel. "I was the first American president to call for a Palestinian state, and building support for the two-state solution has been a top priority of my administration." Bush told the Saban Forum. "To earn the trust of Israeli leaders, we made it clear that no Palestinian state would be born of terror."
Dec 5, 2008 1:13 PM
Government of Israel Evicts Hebron Squatters
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Following a decision by the Israeli government, Israeli troops removed some 250 fringe activists from a building in Hebron on Thursday, in line with a ruling by the country's Supreme Court, The New York Times reported. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak dispatched 600 soldiers to carry out the evacuation, adding that "what was tested today was the ability of the state to enforce its laws and its essence upon its citizens."
Dec 4, 2008 2:03 PM
Iranian Opposition Takes Aim at Ahmadinejad
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One of Iran's main opposition parties accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday of squandering record oil revenues and severely mismanaging his country's economy, Reuters reported. "His main campaign slogan was to share oil wealth fairly," said Mohsen Mirdamadi, secretary-general of the Islamic Iran Participation Front. "But instead, his economic policies have caused major problems for Iranians." Ahmadinejad’s policies, coupled with international sanctions, have significantly hindered Iran's economy and have been a frequent topic of domestic criticism.
Dec 4, 2008 2:03 PM
Egypt: We Won't Tolerate 'Islamic Emirate' in Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A top Egyptian official blamed the Hamas government in Gaza on Thursday for the closure of the Rafah border crossing and said his country would not tolerate an "Islamist emirate" in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. "The Hamas coup is what caused the Rafah crossing problem," said Mustafa al-Faki, chairman of the Egyptian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. Al-Faki also slammed Hamas for boycotting Palestinian reconciliation talks.
Dec 3, 2008 12:02 PM
Hamas Rockets Strike Gaza Energy Source
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas rockets slammed into southern Israel on Wednesday, damaging a power cable transferring electricity to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Wednesday's barrage was the latest in a string of more than 200 rocket and mortar attacks fired from Gaza. Israeli military sources also noted an upsurge in Hamas activity along the Gaza-Israel border, where terrorist cells have planted explosive devices. Despite a fragile calm along the Gaza border, Hamas terrorists have overseen a massive arms buildup and are again using Gaza as a base for launching attacks at the Jewish state.
Dec 3, 2008 12:02 PM
Iranian Commander Leads Hizballah Drill in Lebanon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A senior Iranian military commander recently led a major Hizballah military drill in southern Lebanon, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The exercise was led by Qassem Suleimani, commander the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Suleimani is designated on U.S. Treasury Department and U.N. Security Council watch lists for his involvement in global terrorism and proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies, and is subject to an international travel advisory. The United Nations has repeatedly called for Hizballah, a proxy of the Iranian regime, to be disbanded.
Dec 3, 2008 12:02 PM
Report: Palestinian Economy Improving
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
According to a new report by Israel’s Ministry of Defense, the Palestinian economy in the West Bank has improved dramatically over the past year, The Jerusalem Post reported. Ministry statistics show a three percent drop in Palestinian unemployment, a 24 percent increase in daily wages, olive harvest revenue jumping more than 150 percent, a 10 percent increase in Palestinians working in Israeli settlements and a 10 percent increase in work permits for Palestinians in Israel.
Dec 2, 2008 2:40 PM
Iran Prepares for War in Strategic Waterway
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran on Tuesday has commenced what it says will be six days of naval war games along the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway used to ship oil to the rest of the world, The Jerusalem Post reported. Iranian naval officials said the exercises would comprise more than 60 combat vessels including destroyers, missile-equipped battleships, submarines, special-ops teams, helicopters, and fighter planes.
Dec 2, 2008 2:40 PM
Palestinian Authority Considers West Bank State
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Top Palestinian negotiator Maen Areikat has indicated that the Palestinian Authority would be willing to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank alone until the terrorist group Hamas gives up control of the Gaza Strip, The Washington Times reported. “We would prefer to see a situation where there is national unity,” Areikat said. “But if we don’t agree, the PLO is mandated to continue negotiations.”
Dec 1, 2008 12:42 PM
U.S. Says Syria Copying Iran in Nuclear Cover Up
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States accused Syria on Friday of adopting Iranian tactics to stymie a U.N. probe into Damascus' suspected nuclear activity, Reuters reported. "So far Syria seems to be testing the tactics of hindrance and unhelpfulness that Iran has so finely honed," U.S. Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Gregory Schulte said. "The IAEA needs to understand what Syria was building in secret and then buried under meters of earth and a new building, and to demonstrate that illicit nuclear activities, whether in Syria or elsewhere, will be caught and investigated."
Dec 1, 2008 12:42 PM
Israel Mourns Victims of Mumbai Massacre, Offers Aid
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert thanked his Indian counterparts on Sunday for their cooperation and care for Jewish and Israeli hostages during last week's deadly Mumbai terrorist attacks and said Israel had provided intelligence assistance and offered aid to Indian authorities, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "Last week marked one of the worse acts of terror ever to take place in India," Olmert said.
Nov 26, 2008 11:07 AM
Iran Says It Now Runs More Than 5,000 Centrifuges
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's nuclear chief said Wednesday that his country now has more than 5,000 centrifuges operating at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, a significant increase over the 4,000 Tehran claimed to have installed less than six months ago, the Associated Press reported. The announcement comes just days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated that Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material, with additional processing needed, to make a single nuclear bomb. Click here to learn about the importance of further sanctions against Iran.
Nov 26, 2008 11:07 AM
Ban Ki-Moon: Hizballah is Growing Stronger
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a new U.N. report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701—which calls for Hizballah's disarmament—Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern that the Lebanon-based terrorist army is growing stronger. "Hizballah continues to maintain a substantial military capacity distinct from that of the Lebanese State, in direct contravention of resolutions 1559 and 1701," Ban wrote. "I am concerned that Hizballah may have sought to upgrade further those capabilities."
Nov 25, 2008 9:47 AM
Bush, Olmert Share Hopes for Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met at the White House Monday in what was likely the farewell meeting between the two leaders, during which both praised each other's vision for peace in the Middle East and stressed the importance of a two-state solution, Agence France Presse reported. "We strongly believe that Israel will benefit by having a Palestinian state, a democracy on her border that works for peace," Bush told Olmert. "And, Prime Minister, that vision is alive because of you. And I thank you for your steadfast support for peace."
Nov 25, 2008 9:47 AM
Hizballah Pays Palestinians to Attack Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Fearing a harsh military response if it attacks Israel directly, the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has paid Palestinian terrorist cells to attack the Jewish state, The Jerusalem Post reported. According to Israeli officials, Hizballah has paid tens of thousands of dollars to various Palestinian terrorist groups, asking them to carry out large-scale attacks against Israel, including the kidnapping of IDF soldiers. The report comes on the heels of a statement by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warning that Hizballah now has 42,000 rockets aimed directly at Israel.
Nov 24, 2008 3:12 PM
Israel Allows Aid to Gaza, Despite New Rocket Attacks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel on Monday allowed some 45 trucks to enter Gaza with medicine, fuel, and food for Palestinian civilians there, despite continued Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israeli cities, The Jerusalem Post reported. "The situation isn’t simple," an Israeli official said, referring to the nearly 200 rockets and mortars that have been fired at the Jewish state over the past two weeks. Still, he said, "we are permitting the transfer of food, medicine and humanitarian aid so as not to harm the civilian population in Gaza."
Nov 24, 2008 10:14 AM
Britain, France Step Up Pressure on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Britain and France are seeking to persuade financial and energy companies to stop doing business with Iran to increase pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program, the Financial Times reported. A European diplomat explained that London and Paris had adopted the American approach of advising companies involved in key sectors of Iran's economy—banking and insurance, oil refining and liquefied natural gas—to sever business ties with Tehran. "We won't get sanctions at the U.N. because the Russians and Chinese don't want them," he said. "So we have to work together with like-minded countries."
Nov 24, 2008 10:14 AM
Syria Rejects Nuclear Inspectors from Suspected Site
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Syria slammed a new U.N. report on its suspected work on a nuclear reactor and ruled out any future inspections of the site by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reuters reported. The report revealed that U.N. inspectors had found significant amounts of uranium at the site and that Syria had gone to great lengths to landscape the area before admitting the inspectors. "What they are now saying about uranium particles—collecting three particles from the desert is not enough to say there was a reactor there at all," Syrian nuclear energy chief Ibrahim Othman said.
Nov 21, 2008 9:02 AM
Hizballah Recruits Youth for War Against Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has developed an extensive training and recruitment network to enlist Lebanese youth the group's military campaign against Israel, The New York Times reported. "It's like a complete system, from primary school to university," said Talal Atrissi, a political analyst at Lebanese University. "The goal is to prepare a generation that has deep religious faith and is also close to Hizballah." During training sessions, recruits sport pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian revolution—a sign of Iran's influence across Israel's northern border.
Nov 21, 2008 9:02 AM
Qassam Rocket Slams into Ashkelon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas rockets continued to rain down on southern Israel on Friday, pounding the major population and industrial center of Ashkelon, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Palestinian terrorists have fired nearly 200 rockets and mortars at Israel over the past two weeks, despite pledges by Hamas to rein in attacks on the Jewish state. Though a fragile calm had taken hold along the Gaza border in recent months, Hamas terrorists in the coastal strip have overseen a massive arms buildup, and are again using the territory as a base for launching attacks at the Jewish state.
Nov 20, 2008 2:09 PM
Islamic Jihad: Hamas to Replace Abbas
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas intends to challenge the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in January of 2009, setting the stage for a renewed showdown between the terrorist group and the moderate leadership of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Though Abbas has indicated his desire to run for another term when parliamentary elections are held in 2010, Mohammed al-Hindi, a leading Islamic Jihad figure in Gaza, said Hamas will soon recognize Sheikh Aziz al-Dweik as president of the PA.
Nov 20, 2008 9:27 AM
Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material, with additional processing, to make a single nuclear bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), The New York Times reported. "They clearly have enough material for a bomb," said Richard L. Garwin, a top nuclear physicist who helped invent the hydrogen bomb. "They know how to do the enrichment. Whether they know how to design a bomb, well, that's another matter." The IAEA report also said Iran refuses to answer questions about its research into nuclear warhead designs.
Nov 20, 2008 9:27 AM
IAEA: Syrian Site Strongly Resembled Atom Plant
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said a secret Syrian complex destroyed by Israel last year strongly resembled a nuclear reactor and urged Damascus to cooperate more with U.N. inspectors, The Washington Post reported. The report also noted that Syria had gone to great lengths to alter the site before admitting outsiders, but failed to cover-up significant amounts of natural uranium—the fuel used by North Korea in its own reactor. American officials previously claimed that the Syrian site was designed with assistance from Pyongyang.
Nov 19, 2008 2:53 PM
Treasury Warns Dubai over Iranian Bank Activity
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.S. officials are concerned that Iranian banks are operating freely in the Gulf financial hub of Dubai, despite U.N. sanctions prohibiting such activity, Reuters reported. U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey has urged leaders from the United Arab Emirates to be more vigilant in cracking down on Iranian lenders operating in their country—Bank Saderat and Bank Melli, both tied to Iran's illicit nuclear program, are of particular concern.
Nov 19, 2008 9:34 AM
Palestinian Authority: Hamas Staging Gaza Blackouts
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian Authority officials accused Hamas on Tuesday of staging the latest blackouts in the Gaza Strip in a bid to win sympathy and incite the Palestinian public against Israel and the PA, The Jerusalem Post reported. "There's no shortage of fuel in the Gaza Strip and the Electricity Company is continuing to function normally," said a PA official. "Our people in the Gaza Strip have told us that the blackouts are all staged as part of the Hamas propaganda." Seventy percent of Gaza's electricity comes from Israel, and despite persistent rocket fire, Israel continues to supply that energy.
Nov 18, 2008 11:30 AM
IAEA Chief: Uranium Found at Syrian Site
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Monday his agency needs more transparency from Syria and others to determine whether traces of uranium found at a suspected nuclear site destroyed last year indicate Damascus was covertly building a reactor there, the Associated Press reported. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he was hopeful that Syria would allow inspectors back into the country to carry out further tests, though Damascus has denied any secret nuclear activity, and has said it would not allow further visits to the site by U.N. inspectors.
Nov 18, 2008 11:30 AM
Israel to Free 250 Palestinian Prisoners in Goodwill Gesture
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In an effort to bolster Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Monday that Israel would release 250 Palestinian prisoners at the beginning of December, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. Most of the prisoners – who will be forced to sign a commitment that they will not return to terrorism – belong to Abbas' Fatah faction. None belong to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
Nov 18, 2008 11:30 AM
Iran and Turkey Sign New Gas Accord
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Tehran and Ankara on Monday signed an accord reinforcing previous agreements to develop Iran's gas fields, Agence France Presse reported. Under the new accord, Turkey will invest in the development of three phases of Iran's South Pars offshore gas field. An initial gas deal between the two countries, ratified in 2007, was criticized by the United States as a step in the wrong direction as the international community sought to cut business ties with Iran over its illicit nuclear program.
Nov 17, 2008 8:32 AM
Israel Allows Aid to Gaza, Despite New Rocket Attacks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel announced plans on Monday to allow 30 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies for Palestinian civilians into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, despite renewed rocket fire by Palestinian terrorists in the coastal territory, the Associated Press reported. The rockets slammed into the Jewish state just hours before Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were set to hold another round of peace talks. Palestinian terrorists have launched nearly 100 rockets and mortars at Israel in the last two weeks.
Nov 17, 2008 8:32 AM
Report: Iranians Training Syrian, Hizballah Cells in Lebanon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has established and trained terror cells in Lebanon to fight armed Sunni groups, The Jerusalem Post reported. According to European intelligence reports, the cells are comprised of Syrian intelligence agents and Hizballah terrorists, and are provided for by pro-Syrian Lebanese parties and officials. The report comes as the Syrian army has amassed thousands of troops along its border with Lebanon—the same border across which Syria has smuggled sophisticated arms to the terrorist army Hizballah.
Nov 14, 2008 9:36 AM
Hamas Rockets Pound Ashkelon, Wound Sderot Woman
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas rockets continued to rain down on southern Israeli communities Friday, injuring an 80-year old Sderot woman, Reuters reported. Four others were treated for shock. Hamas also fired several longer-range Grad rockets at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, home to 120,000 Israelis and critical infrastructure. In nearly two weeks of renewed attacks, Palestinian terrorists have launched nearly 100 rockets and mortars aimed at Israeli civilians. Despite several months of calm along the Gaza border, Hamas terrorists in the coastal strip have overseen a massive arms buildup.
Nov 14, 2008 9:36 AM
Livni Thanks Bush for Commitment to Israel, Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
During an unscheduled encounter with President Bush at the United Nations on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni thanked the outgoing president for his steadfast commitment to the Jewish state and his strong support for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, The Jerusalem Post reported. "In the aftermath of the elections here, it is important that the world knows that you have left behind you a [peace] process that continues to move forward and that you have moved the talks with the Palestinians in the right direction after years of terror," Livni told Bush.
Nov 13, 2008 1:45 PM
U.S. Sanctions Islamic Group Helping Hamas
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned an Islamic charity suspected of helping to bankroll Hamas, the terrorist group that seeks Israel’s destruction and that is responsible for murdering hundreds of Israelis and Americans, the Associated Press reported. Treasury’s action against the Union of Good freezes any bank accounts or other financial assts belonging to the group in the United States.
Nov 13, 2008 9:15 AM
Peres Urges Arab States to Join in Quest for Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Speaking before a gathering of religious leaders and heads of state at the United Nations, Israeli President Shimon Peres called upon the Arab world to join Israel in working for peace in the Middle East, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Referring to the Arab peace initiative as "inspirational and promising—a serious opening for real progress," Peres assured his Arab counterparts, "We cannot change the past. However, we can shape our future… Peace is not just a goal. It is a promise made to us at the dawn of time and the pinnacle of the holiest mountain. Let's claim them together."
Nov 12, 2008 2:55 PM
Abbas: We Will Continue to Follow Martyrs' Path
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
During a memorial service for former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday praised the lives of Palestinian arch-terrorists and vowed to continue in their path, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. "The path of the shahids—Arafat, George Habash [founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine] and [assassinated Hamas spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmed Yassin—is the path that we cherish," Abbas said. Yassin, a founder of Hamas, gave religious sanction for some of the most gruesome terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.
Nov 12, 2008 2:55 PM
Diplomats: Uranium Found at Suspected Syrian Nuke Site
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Samples taken from a suspected Syrian nuclear site destroyed last year contained traces of uranium and other suspicious elements, raising concerns that Syria had been carrying out covert nuclear work, the Associated Press reported.
Nov 12, 2008 2:55 PM
Iran Tests New Long-Range Missiles
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Iranian government said Wednesday that it successfully test-fired a new generation of sophisticated long-range missiles capable of striking Israel and American interests in the Gulf region, The New York Times reported. The news of the launch came one day after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps test-fired another new missile.
Nov 10, 2008 5:12 PM
U.S. and E.U. Meet Arabs to Calm Fears over Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Arab foreign ministers are dismayed and increasingly fearful over Iran’s drive for regional hegemony, alongside its illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. During a meeting on Sunday with U.S. and European diplomats, Arab officials expressed their concern that the West's focus on halting Iran's nuclear ambitions could leave Iran's threatening ambitions and support for terrorist proxies unchecked. According to one official present at the meeting, several participants were shocked at the frankness and vehemence of Arab ministers in voicing concerns over Tehran's behavior.
Nov 10, 2008 5:12 PM
Obama Deems Nuclear Iran 'Unacceptable,' Iran Protests
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President-elect Barack Obama on Friday called for an international effort to halt Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and slammed Tehran's support for international terrorist organizations, Reuters reported. "Iran's development of a nuclear weapon, I believe is unacceptable," Obama said at a news conference in Chicago. "Iran's support of terrorist organizations, I think is something that has to cease." Iran's Foreign Ministry dismissed the comments on Monday and said it did not expect any major changes in U.S. policy towards the Islamic Republic.
Nov 7, 2008 8:43 AM
Treasury Tightens Banking Sanctions on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Treasury Department announced Thursday that it is revoking Iran's "U-turn" license, a move barring financial institutions from routing money transfers through the U.S. on behalf of Iranian banks, Reuters reported. "The Iranian regime's policies have ensured Iran's political, economic and financial isolation," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. "Iran is still faced with two clear paths: to continue as a financial pariah, isolated from the world, or to seize the benefit and opportunity that reintegration into the global community would bring."
Nov 6, 2008 8:35 AM
Rice Heads to Mideast to Preserve Peace Talks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice departed for the Middle East on Wednesday to set the stage for future Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Reuters reported. "I think we can sustain momentum," Rice said, in advance of her 19th visit to the region in two years. "I think that whatever happens by the end of the year, you've got a firm foundation for quickly moving forward to a conclusion." U.S. officials have said Rice does not intend to float her own proposals to advance a last-minute deal, but will work to prepare the ground for the incoming American and Israeli governments.
Nov 5, 2008 7:54 PM
Hamas Fires More Than 35 Rockets at Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired more than 35 rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday, the first time the group has taken responsibility for rocket fire since an Egyptian-mediated effort to bring calm to the region went into effect in June, Reuters reported. Hamas said the barrage came in response to an Israeli operation to destroy a tunnel the terrorist group planned to use to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The operation and a subsequent Israeli air strike left six Palestinian terrorists dead and four IDF soldiers wounded.
Nov 5, 2008 10:56 AM
Sen. Barack Obama Wins the 2008 Presidential Election
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was elected the nation’s 44th president on Tuesday, defeating Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). President-elect Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), see Israel as an American asset and a vital ally in the Middle East. President-elect Obama has a strong record on issues of concern to the U.S. pro-Israel community. He spoke at the AIPAC Policy Conference in June. (You can watch Obama's speech here and read a transcript here.)
Nov 4, 2008 4:21 PM
Top Hamas Commander Vows to Continue Attacks Against Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A Hamas leader on top of Israel's most wanted list released a rare statement on Tuesday, warning his group would "continue to strike at the Zionist enemy," The Jerusalem Post reported. "Our nation is that of martyrdom or victory," said Mohammed Deif, who heads Hamas' military wing and is responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israeli civilians. "We are Allah’s destiny in this holy piece of land meant to chase away the enemy… We will therefore, G-d willing, carry out operations."
Nov 4, 2008 10:18 AM
Next President, Congress to be Pro-Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As voters head to the polls today for the 2008 presidential election, one thing is clear in advance: Whichever ticket wins, Democratic or Republican, the next president and vice president will see Israel as an American asset and a vital ally in the Middle East. Senators Obama and McCain each have strong records on issues of concern to the U.S. pro-Israel community. Both of them spoke at AIPAC Policy Conference in June. (You can watch Obama’s speech here and read a transcript here. You can watch McCain’s speech here and read a transcript here.)
Nov 3, 2008 8:48 AM
Pentagon: Europe, U.S. Soon in Iranian Missile Range
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Friday that Iran was not far from attaining the means to use missiles against all of Europe and the United States in five to six years, Israel Radio reported. Lt.-Gen. Henry Obering III has said previously that Iran is already capable of launching attacks against much of the European continent. In recent months, Tehran has unveiled plans for a number of long-range missiles, based on Russian and North Korean designs, all with the capability of delivering a nuclear warhead.
Nov 3, 2008 8:48 AM
Iranians Celebrate U.S. Embassy Takeover, Chant 'Death to Israel'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Thousands of Iranians demonstrated on Monday to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students, the Associated Press reported. Crowds gathered in Tehran outside the former U.S. Embassy building, where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days. They chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while burning flags of the two countries. The demonstration followed a decree by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that his country's hatred for the United States runs deep.
Oct 31, 2008 10:07 AM
AP: Intel Says Iran Plans Secret Nuclear Experiments
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran has recently tested ways of recovering highly enriched uranium from waste reactor fuel in a covert bid to expand its illicit nuclear program, according to an intelligence assessment made available to the Associated Press. The alleged tests loosely replicate Saddam Hussein's attempts to build a nuclear bomb nearly two decades ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency recently criticized Tehran for withholding information needed to explain suspected military involvement in the country's nuclear program. Click here to learn about the dangers of a nuclear Iran.
Oct 30, 2008 3:24 PM
Speaker of Iran's Parliament Threatens U.S. With Suicide Bombings
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The speaker of Iran's parliament lashed out against the United States on Wednesday, threatening a rash of suicide bombings inside America, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Oct 30, 2008 8:11 AM
Khamenei: Iran's Hatred for U.S. Runs Deep
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Amid reports that the United States is considering opening a diplomatic post in Iran for the first time in three decades, Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday that his country's hatred for the United States runs deep and differences between the two nations go beyond a "few political issues," the Associated Press reported. "The hatred of the Iranian nation is deep-seated," Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told students on the 29th anniversary of the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students.
Oct 29, 2008 12:03 PM
Syrian Nuclear Site Should be Searched, Diplomats Say
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Freshly evaluated soil and air samples from a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor site provide enough evidence to push ahead with a U.N probe, diplomats told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) feels "there is enough evidence there to warrant a follow-up" said one of the diplomats, though Syria has already said it would not allow further visits to the site under any circumstances. The site was bombed last year, presumably by the Israelis, who believed that the reactor was close to becoming operational.
Oct 29, 2008 12:03 PM
U.S. Urges U.N. to Monitor Iran Sanctions Compliance
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United Nations should set up an Iran sanctions monitoring committee to help identify "cheaters and spoilers" who are not complying with Security Council sanctions, a top U.S. diplomat told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. "We think it would be a very useful addition to the work of the Security Council in evaluating the implementation of sanctions," said Brian Hook, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for international organizations. One of the frequent criticisms of U.N. sanctions has been not only that they are not strong enough, but also that they are not being fully implemented.
Oct 28, 2008 3:40 PM
United States Calls Raid a Warning to Syria
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In what it said was a warning to Damascus, U.S. troops in helicopters flew four miles into Syrian territory on Sunday in order to target the leader of a network that channels foreign fighters from Syria into Iraq, The Washington Post reported. “You have to clean up the global threat that is in your back yard, and if you won’t do that, we are left with no choice but to take these matters into our hands,” said a senior U.S. official. In writing about the attack, the Post editorial board mocked the outrage of Syrian government officials.
Oct 28, 2008 3:40 PM
IAEA Chief Says Iran Blocking Nuclear Inquiries
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday said that Iran is blocking his International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from verifying whether the Islamic Republic has any ambitions for nuclear weaponry, The Washington Post reported. “I regret that we are still not in a position to achieve full clarity regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran,” ElBaradei told the U.N. General Assembly.
Oct 28, 2008 3:40 PM
Hamas Smuggles Military Uniforms in Humanitarian Shipment
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Military uniforms that were intended to be used by Hamas for terror operations were discovered Monday by military personnel at the Kerem Shalom Crossing into the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. The fatigues were hidden inside a truck that was carrying humanitarian supplies and had received permission from the IDF to transfer its load to Gaza. In addition to the uniforms, personnel at the crossing also discovered coats, sweaters and hats hidden inside the truck.
Oct 27, 2008 10:13 AM
Iranian General Admits to Arming Terrorist Groups
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran is supplying weapons to “liberation armies” in the Middle East, a top Revolutionary Guards commander said, offering the first official confirmation that the Islamic Republic provides weapons to terrorist groups in the region, the Associated Press reported. “Not only are our armed forces self-sufficient, liberation armies of the region get part of their weapons from us,” said Gen. Hossein Hamedani, deputy commander of a volunteer militia that is part of the elite Revolutionary Guards.
Oct 27, 2008 10:13 AM
Israeli Military Intelligence: Syria is ‘Hizballah’s Arsenal’
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the cabinet on Sunday that Syria was continuing to arm the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. “Assad is continuing to throw open the doors of Syria’s warehouses for Hizballah, and has become Hizballah’s arsenal,” Yadlin said of the Syrian president. “Assad trusts Hizballah more than his own army, and Hizballah operatives behave in Syria as if it were their own [country].”
Oct 24, 2008 1:21 PM
United States Sanctions Chinese and Russian Firms for Iran Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States has imposed sanctions on firms in China, Russia and Venezuela for alleged sales of weapons or sensitive technology to Iran, North Korea and Syria, Reuters reported. “A determination has been made that thirteen foreign persons have engaged in activities that warrant the imposition of measures pursuant to Section 3 of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act,” a State Department document said. Companies sanctioned under the new measure include China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Corporation and Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport.
Oct 24, 2008 1:21 PM
Iran Holding American Student in Prison for Researching Women’s Rights
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An American university student in Iran to visit family and research women’s rights has been arrested and held in prison for more than a week, the Associated Press reported. Iranian officials said the student, Esha Momeni, was arrested for a traffic offense. But Amnesty International said in a statement that she was taken to her family’s home where her computer and other materials related to her research on the Iranian women’s movement were confiscated.
Oct 23, 2008 11:11 AM
Freed Murderer Kuntar Vows to Fight for End of Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Three months after his release from an Israeli jail in a prisoner swap, an unrepentant Samir Kuntar said he is still committed to destroying Israel, Agence France Presse reported. "As long as there is something called Israel in this region, the resistance must continue... and I am totally committed to the resistance," Kuntar said. "The resistance will end only when the Zionist entity disappears." He added that even if Israel withdrew from the Shebaa Farms territory, Hizballah and other terrorists would continue their war against the Jewish state until it no longer exists.
Oct 23, 2008 11:11 AM
Treasury Department Sanctions Iranian Bank
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Bush administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on an Iranian state-owned financial institution for its role in supporting the Iranian military, the Associated Press reported.
Oct 22, 2008 10:33 AM
Colombian Cocaine Ring Linked to Hizballah
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.S. and Colombian investigators have dismantled an international cocaine smuggling and money laundering ring that allegedly used part of its profits to finance the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah, the Los Angeles Times reported. Though Iran is the prime state sponsor of Hizballah's terrorist activity, a number of international investigations have shown that the terrorist group also funds itself through drug dealing, arms trafficking, contraband smuggling and other rackets in the Americas, Africa and elsewhere.
Oct 22, 2008 10:33 AM
Syrian Ambassador: Hizballah 'A Close Ally'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Syria's ambassador to the United States on Tuesday called Western attempts to sever Damascus' ties with Iran "absurd and counterproductive," as he lauded his country's ties with the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported.
Oct 21, 2008 1:52 PM
Saudis Wary of Western Diplomatic Overtures to Syria
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Saudi Arabia has expressed its fear that recent Western engagement with Syria rewards bad behavior and does nothing to break Damascus' links with Iran, Reuters reported. A U.S. official said this month that Washington is assessing its policy of trying to isolate Syria. The review in U.S. policy follows a recent rapprochement between France and Syria, with President Nicolas Sarkozy visiting Damascus last month. However, Saudi-Syrian relations have been at a low point since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, who was also a Saudi citizen.
Oct 21, 2008 1:52 PM
Abbas Hints At Reelection Bid in 2010
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Oct 20, 2008 12:54 PM
Report: Germany to Impose National Sanctions on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In an effort to tighten sanctions against Iran, the German government is trying to convince banking, insurance and energy companies to break ties with Iran over its refusal to halt its illicit nuclear activity, according to a report in the German magazine Der Spiegel. Germany has maintained economic ties with Iran and is one of its largest European trading partners—its trade with Tehran has reportedly increased by 16.2 percent in the first half of 2008, upsetting Berlin’s European and American allies who have been pressing for heightened pressure against the Islamic Republic.
Oct 20, 2008 12:54 PM
Hizballah Rejects U.N. Call to Disarm
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Just days after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Hizballah to disarm in Lebanon, the terrorist army’s Deputy-Secretary announced it would do no such thing and considered those calls “incitement,” the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. “Those who believe they can suppress our resistance by pressuring us are mistaken,” Hizballah’s Sheikh Naim Qassem said. “Those trying to come between Lebanon and the resistance will lose.”
Oct 20, 2008 12:54 PM
Israel to Give Palestinian Security Forces Control of More Cities
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has drawn up a plan under which Palestinian security forces would take control of several key West Bank cities during the coming year, The Jerusalem Post reported. Following the possible deployment of 700 Palestinian policemen in Hebron later this week, the Defense Ministry is also said to be considering gradually transferring security control to the Palestinian Authority in Nablus, Tulkarm and Kalkilya.
Oct 17, 2008 11:09 AM
U.N. Chief: Hizballah Must Be Disbanded
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that Lebanon will not be a fully sovereign state until Hizballah and other terrorist groups are disbanded, the Associated Press reported. "Hizballah's maintenance of separate military assets and infrastructure is a fundamental challenge to the government's attempts to consolidate the sovereignty and authority of the Lebanese state," Ban wrote in a report to the U.N. Security Council. Hizballah has tripled the size and scope of its rocket arsenal since its war against Israel, in contravention of repeated U.N. demands that the terrorist army be disarmed.
Oct 17, 2008 11:09 AM
U.S. Officials Say China Stonewalling Iran Sanctions
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
China is blocking high-level talks about imposing new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, apparently in retaliation for American arms sales to Taiwan, the Associated Press reported.
Oct 16, 2008 1:44 PM
Russia: U.S., E.U. Sanctions Efforts 'Counterproductive'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said that unilateral sanctions against Iran would hinder efforts to force Tehran to suspend its illicit nuclear activities, Agence France Presse reported. The "politics of adopting unilateral and anti-Iranian sanctions espoused by some countries is counterproductive," Lavrov said in a statement. Lavrov's comments come on the heels of reports that the United States and its European allies are considering further sanctions on Iran outside of the U.N. Security Council due, in part, to Russian stonewalling.
Oct 16, 2008 1:44 PM
Report: Female Suicide Bombers Poised to Attack Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Islamic Jihad terrorists are recruiting and training young female Palestinians as suicide bombers in the Gaza Strip, according to a new BBC report. "We were created to become martyrs for God," said one 18-year old female, who said she was waiting for the Egyptian-brokered calm between Israel and Hamas to come to an end before attacking the Jewish state. "If we just throw stones at the Jews they get scared. Imagine what happens when body parts fly at them."
Oct 14, 2008 1:14 PM
U.S., Allies Exploring Iran Sanctions Outside U.N.
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States and a number of its allies are discussing the formation of a "coalition of the willing" that would impose sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors without U.N. backing, as concerns increase about Tehran's accelerating nuclear program, the Financial Times reported. A European diplomat said European countries and the U.S. were discussing directly targeting Iran's refined petroleum sector. Another diplomat explained, "The idea would be to get together a coalition of the willing... given the difficulties we would have getting this past Russia and China [in the UN]."
Oct 14, 2008 1:14 PM
Israel to Allow 700 Additional PA Troops into Hebron
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is expected to deploy a battalion of security forces to the West Bank city of Hebron in the coming days, in an effort to combat Hamas' efforts to seize the city, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The armed battalion is the second unit of the Palestinian National Security Forces to undergo American training in Jordan.
Oct 14, 2008 1:14 PM
IDF, PA Thwart Terror Plots in West Bank
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Defense Forces prevented a terrorist attack Monday after a Palestinian was found smuggling three improvised explosive devices during a search at the Harawa checkpoint near the West Bank town of Nablus, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Oct 10, 2008 12:25 PM
IAEA Suspects Russian of Helping Iran Build Nukes
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
International nuclear inspectors are investigating whether a Russian scientist helped Iran conduct complex experiments on how to detonate a nuclear weapon, The New York Times reported. It is the first time that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has suggested Iran may have received help from a foreign weapons scientist in developing nuclear arms. According to European and American officials, inspectors at the agency are seeking information from the scientist, who they believe acted on his own as an adviser on experiments described in a lengthy document obtained by the agency.
Oct 8, 2008 5:59 PM
AIPAC Offices Closed for Yom Kippur Holiday
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In observance of Yom Kippur, AIPAC offices will be closed on Thursday. Regular website updates will resume on Friday, October 9. In the meantime, check out the Issues page for concise analysis, feature coverage and links to special reports on key issues affecting the Middle East, Israel's security and the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Oct 8, 2008 12:54 PM
Obama, McCain Vow to Toughen Sanctions on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.S. presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain both said on Tuesday that if elected, they would work to toughen sanctions on Iran in order to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. "We cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon," Obama said. "Not only would it threaten Israel... but it would also create the possibility of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists." McCain warned, "If Iran acquires nuclear weapons all the other countries will acquire them too," before adding, "We can never allow a second Holocaust to take place."
Oct 8, 2008 12:54 PM
Iranian Boy to be Treated for Cancer in Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A 12-year-old Iranian boy suffering from brain cancer has been sent to Israel for emergency surgery after treatments in both Turkey and Iran were unsuccessful, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Despite Iran's nearly 30-year refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist, the Jewish state's Interior Minister, Meir Sheetrit, gave the child special permission to enter the country. "We are the light upon the nations, and when a child's life is at stake, religion and origin play no part," Sheetrit said. "If we can help, we are more than willing to do so."
Oct 8, 2008 12:54 PM
Miliband: Iran Could Spark Mideast Nuclear Arms Race
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned Tuesday of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran was allowed to press ahead unchecked with a uranium enrichment program, Agence France Presse reported. "We must be insistent that a uranium enrichment program, in defiance not just of the UN Security Council but also of Iran's obligations under the non-proliferation treaty, is a serious danger not just to stability in the Middle East but in the world," Miliband said.
Oct 7, 2008 12:39 PM
Report: Israel to Allow PA Troops into Hebron
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel is backing a bid by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to deploy security forces in Hebron to combat Hamas' efforts to seize the city, a senior Palestinian defense official told the Israeli Web site Ynet on Monday. The Palestinian force will reportedly be comprised of more than 1,000 armed men. Israel has so far authorized the deployment of 250 members of the Presidential Guard and an identical number of police officers. The PA is hoping to add another 500 troops from the national force, though Israel has yet to confirm the report.
Oct 7, 2008 12:39 PM
U.S. Warns Syria against Interfering in Lebanon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States voiced concern over Syria's military build-up at its northern border and said the recent massive bomb attack in Damascus must not be used as an excuse to send its forces back into Lebanon, the Associated Press reported. "Any intervention by Syrian troops into Lebanon would be unacceptable," State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood told reporters.
Oct 7, 2008 12:39 PM
Hamas TV Broadcasts Terrorist Training in Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas is
Oct 6, 2008 12:58 PM
Iran Says It Will Not Stop Uranium Enrichment
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic will not stop enriching uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons – even if it is guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel from abroad, Reuters reported. Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog was quoted as saying on Thursday that Tehran would consider renouncing enrichment if it was assured of fuel supplies from abroad. However, Mottaki, asked whether Tehran would shelve enrichment with such a guarantee, said: "No ... Iran's uranium enrichment policy remains unchanged."
Oct 6, 2008 12:58 PM
Palestinian Terror Attacks Foiled by IDF, PA forces
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Two pipe bombs were found on Sunday morning in a parcel carried by a Palestinian man upon his arrival at the Hawara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, the Israeli Web site Ynet reported. The explosive devices were detonated in a controlled manner, without causing any injuries. The incident was followed by reports that Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces recently arrested two senior wanted members of Hamas, who were found in possession of weapons and an explosives belt.
Oct 3, 2008 9:39 AM
Syria Bars U.N. Inspectors from Alleged Nuclear Sites
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Syria refused on Friday to open up military sites to U.N. weapons inspectors probing the country's alleged nuclear activities, Reuters reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been questioning Syria since May over intelligence reports that Damascus was building a secret, plutonium-producing reactor before it was destroyed in an air strike a year ago. Diplomats close to the IAEA have said Syria has ignored the agency's requests to check three military installations believed linked to the alleged reactor site.
Oct 2, 2008 11:30 AM
Israel to Receive $2.55 Billion in U.S. Aid
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Bush on Tuesday signed into law a Continuing Resolution providing Israel with $2.38 billion in security assistance. In combination with the additional $170 million in aid to Israel approved earlier this year, the Jewish state will receive $2.55 billion in security assistance for fiscal year 2009—in line with the first year of the new 10-year, $30 billion security assistance agreement reached between the United States and Israel last year. Increased U.S. security assistance is vital to ensuring that Israel is able to combat the myriad threats it faces from Iran, Hamas and Hizballah.
Oct 2, 2008 11:30 AM
Senate: U.S. Must Assure Israel’s Military Edge
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Senate passed legislation that requires the president to evaluate on an ongoing basis the extent to which Israel has a qualitative military edge over all possible military threats, and to assess all future U.S. military sales in that context. The bill, passed by unanimous consent on Wednesday night, also authorizes $2.5 billion in security assistance to Israel for fiscal year 2009, which the president this week approved in a separate measure providing the funding.
Sep 29, 2008 10:02 AM
AIPAC Offices Closed for Rosh Hashanah Holiday
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In observance of Rosh Hashanah, AIPAC offices will be closed until Wednesday. Regular website updates will resume on Thursday, October 2. In the meantime, check out the Issues page for concise analysis, feature coverage and links to special reports on key issues affecting the Middle East, Israel's security and the U.S.-Israel relationship. In addition, see below for recent news items.
Sep 26, 2008 11:56 AM
Iranians Chant: “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hundreds of thousands of people in Tehran chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” on Friday during a “Jerusalem Day” rally, the Associated Press reported. Some protesters burned American and Israeli flags. Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has observed the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as Jerusalem Day as a way of expressing support to Palestinians who are fighting Israel’s right to exist.
Sep 26, 2008 11:56 AM
West Bank Tourism Doubles as Security Conditions Improve
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a sign of improved security and economic conditions in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said on Thursday that tourism in the Palestinian territories has climbed more than 120 percent in the first half of this year, Agence France Presse reported. With Bethlehem and Jericho as the top traveler destinations, the Palestinian Authority (PA) predicts that more than one million visitors will have visited the West Bank by the end of 2008 – a figure not seen since the outbreak of the Palestinian campaign of violence in 2000.
Sep 25, 2008 7:49 AM
West Turns Up Heat on Iran Over Illicit Nuclear Work
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Western countries condemned Iran on Wednesday for its refusal to disprove allegations of past nuclear weapons work, and called for harsher sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Agence France Presse reported. "Iran continues to defy the requests of the international community," German ambassador Ruediger Luedeking said, speaking on behalf of the EU-3—France, Germany and Britain. "Far from inspiring confidence, Iran's violations of obligations undermines confidence and deepens suspicions." French FM Bernard Kouchner also slammed Iran's continued defiance and demanded further sanctions.
Sep 24, 2008 10:44 AM
Ahmadinejad Lashes Out at U.S., Israel in U.N. Speech
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday declared before the U.N. General Assembly that both "the American empire" and the state of Israel would soon fall, the Associated Press reported. "The Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters," Ahmadinejad said, also accusing "a small but deceitful number of people called Zionists ... (of) dominating an important portion of the financial and monetary centers as well as the political decision-making centers of some European countries and the U.S."
Sep 24, 2008 10:44 AM
Palestinian Negotiator: Violence Against Israel an Option
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator Ahmed Qureia said Thursday that he would not rule out resorting to violence against Israel in the future, should current negotiations falter, Reuters reported.
Sep 23, 2008 1:11 PM
Palestinian Terrorist Rams Car into Israeli Pedestrians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A Palestinian terrorist ran a car into a crowd of soldiers and civilians at a busy intersection in Jerusalem on Monday, wounding at least 19 people, The New York Times reported. Palestinian media reported that the attacker, who was killed at the scene by an off-duty IDF officer, was a member of Hamas. The terrorist was identified as Qassem Mughrabi, 19, from Jebl Mukaber in east Jerusalem, the same town that was home to Ala Abu Dhaim, who murdered eight Israeli students in an attack on the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in March.
Sep 23, 2008 1:11 PM
As Arab Aid Falters, West Pledges $300 Million to PA
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Due to significant shortcomings in financial and political support for the Palestinian Authority (PA), several Western nations, led by the United States, pledged on Monday an additional $300 million in new aid to the PA, Reuters reported. At a Paris conference last December, donors pledged $7.7 billion in aid over the next three years, but the Palestinians say only a fraction of that money has been paid. Arab states, in particular, have fallen short in fulfilling the more than $700 million they pledged to the PA.
Sep 22, 2008 5:32 PM
Olmert Resigns, Livni Works to Form Coalition
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Ehud Olmert officially resigned as prime minister of Israel on Sunday, following the election of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as head of the Kadima party last week, The New York Times reported. Under Israeli law, Olmert will oversee an interim government until a new prime minister is sworn in. Livni, who has emphasized her intention to continue negotiations with the Palestinians, has begun the task of forming a new governing coalition. During this peaceful transfer of power, Israel stands out as the only Western-style democracy in the Middle East.
Sep 22, 2008 5:32 PM
Hundreds of Casualties in Pakistan Suicide Bombing
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A massive suicide truck bomb ripped through a luxury hotel in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday night, killing at least 60 people, including several Americans, and wounding more than 250, The Washington Post reported. The bombing, one of the deadliest attacks ever in Pakistan, occurred just hours after the new president, Asif Ali Zardari, delivered his first speech to Parliament and vowed to free Pakistan from the "shackles of terrorism." Pakistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been a hotbed of Al Qaeda and radical Islamic terrorist activity.
Sep 22, 2008 5:32 PM
Iran's Khamenei Lashes Out at Israelis
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's top political and military figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Friday that his country's hostility to Israel extended beyond the government to the Israeli people as well, brushing aside recent overtures by top Iranian officials to the Israeli public, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Sep 19, 2008 2:33 PM
Livni Wins Kadima Party Primaries
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the Kadima party primary elections on Wednesday, defeating Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz by a margin of 431 votes, the Associated Press reported. Livni, who has emphasized her commitment to continuing negotiations with the Palestinians, will be given a maximum of 6 weeks to form a new government, once Prime Minister Ehud Olmert submits his resignation. If Livni is unable to form a governing coalition, new elections could take place sometime early next year.
Sep 19, 2008 8:10 AM
Peres: Sanctions Can Stop Iran Nuclear Drive
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The world should hit Iran's economy much harder than it has thus far over the country's continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, and encourage the development of alternative sources of energy to weaken the oil-rich nation, Israeli President Shimon Peres told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "War should never be an option, or even the first option," Peres said, in anticipation of next week's U.N. General Assembly. "We must first try every other option… We have to go to the most sensitive area," which is Tehran's economy.
Sep 18, 2008 9:46 AM
Bombings at U.S. Embassy in Yemen Kill 16
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Terrorists disguised as soldiers detonated two car bombs outside the United States Embassy compound in Sana, Yemen, on Wednesday morning, killing 16 people, including 6 of the attackers, The New York Times reported. It was the deadliest and most ambitious attack in years in Yemen, a poor south Arabian country of 23 million people where terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda have carried out a number of recent bombings. Since the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda has carried out suicide bombings worldwide, and the group continues to pose a threat to the United States and Israel.
Sep 17, 2008 8:23 AM
IAEA Shows Photos Alleging Iran Nuclear Missile Work
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The U.N. nuclear watchdog on Tuesday showed documents and photographs suggesting Iran secretly tried to modify a missile cone to fit a nuclear bomb, Reuters reported. The revelation comes one day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report that Iranian stonewalling had brought an agency inquiry into Tehran's illicit nuclear work to a standstill. British leaders accused Iran of showing contempt for the U.N. watchdog and, with the United States and France, vowed to seek harsher sanctions on Tehran. Click here to learn about the IAEA report and Iran's nuclear work.
Sep 16, 2008 1:38 PM
Iran: International Sanctions Hurt Our Economy
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
International sanctions against Iran have significantly increased trade costs, the head of Iran's chamber of commerce said Tuesday, and the heightened pressure has hurt the country's overall economy, Agence France Presse reported. "These costs do not only affect Iran's economy," Mohammad Nahavandian said. "It also means losing opportunities for the country's trade and economic partners... a lose-lose game." International financial institutions have cut business dealings with Iran as a way of pressuring the Islamic Republic to halt its illicit nuclear activity.
Sep 16, 2008 1:38 PM
Olmert: Peace with Palestinians Essential
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that every day that Israel and the Palestinians fail to reach a peace agreement is one more day that will weigh negatively upon future generations, The Jerusalem Post reported. "There is no magic charm which will produce an agreement - the price is very heavy," Olmert told a Knesset Committee meeting. "We need to emphasize this with honesty and courage. I think that the price is less than what would need to be paid if we didn't have an agreement."
Sep 16, 2008 1:38 PM
Israel: UNIFIL Turns Blind Eye to Hizballah Violations
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel on Wednesday urged U.N. observers in Lebanon to stop ignoring Hizballah's stockpiling of weapons and rebuilding of military infrastructure south of the Litani River – direct violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, The Jerusalem Post reported. Israeli Foreign Ministry General Secretary Aharon Abramowitz urged Claudio Graziano, commander of the U.N. monitoring group, to submit more extensive reports on the terrorist army's belligerent activity, including efforts to repair infrastructure in villages near Israel's northern border.
Sep 16, 2008 1:38 PM
Hamas Reaffirms 'No Recognition of Israel'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Members of the terrorist group Hamas "reelected" the Islamist organization's most prominent leaders and promoted members of the group's armed wing during a secret ballot last month, Reuters reported. A Hamas spokesman, referring to the secret vote as a demonstration of the "wonderful face of democracy," said the results reaffirmed Hamas' refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the state of Israel. "Our goals are clear and we have a policy that does not change, and that is there can be no recognition of Israel," the official said.
Sep 15, 2008 11:35 AM
Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Support Hamas Until Israel's Collapse
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Friday to keep supporting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas until the "collapse of Israel," Germany's Deutsche Press Agentur reported. The Iranian news agency Khabar quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that Iran views the support of the Palestinian people as part of its religious and national duty and that the Islamic Republic will stand behind the Palestinian nation "until the big victory feast, which is the collapse of the Zionist regime."
Sep 15, 2008 11:35 AM
Israelis Warned of Sinai Abduction Threat
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel's Counter Terrorism Bureau warned Monday of an imminent plot by Hizballah and other terrorist groups to kidnap Israeli citizens traveling in Egypt's Sinai Peninsulsa and smuggle them into the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. A number of terrorist groups reportedly infiltrated Sinai last week when Egypt temporarily opened the Rafah border crossing for the Ramadan holiday.
Sep 12, 2008 4:36 PM
Bombs Target Israeli Troops Near Gaza Border
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian terrorists on Thursday detonated two bombs, targeting Israeli troops who were patrolling the Jewish state's border with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. The attack did not cause any casualties. While violence from Gaza has significantly declined since an Egyptian-brokered calm took effect in June, dozens of rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel by various groups in Gaza. Hamas continues to take advantage of the lull to build up its military capabilities.
Sep 12, 2008 9:35 AM
IAEA Probe Stalls As Iran Boosts Atom Enrichment
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A U.N. inquiry into Iran's secret atom bomb research has reached a standstill because of Tehran's lack of cooperation, Reuters reported. "We have arrived at a gridlock," said a senior U.N. official familiar with the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, which also said Iran raised the number of centrifuges enriching uranium to 3,820, with thousands more being installed. In May, the IAEA criticized Iran for withholding information needed to explain allegations that it had fused projects to process uranium, test high explosives and modify a missile cone for a nuclear warhead.
Sep 11, 2008 10:53 AM
Nation Remembers September 11, 2001
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Americans around the country marked the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and remembered the nearly 3,000 people who died that day. "On a day buildings fell, heroes rose," President Bush told mourners at the Pentagon. "We pray that you'll find strength in knowing that our nation will always grieve with you." President Bush spoke at this morning's unveiling of the nation's first major memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Sep 11, 2008 10:53 AM
Nasrallah: 'No Peace in Mideast if Israel Exists'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday that Mideast peace would not be possible so long as Israel exists, The Jerusalem Post reported. "As long as Israel exists and its eyes are honing in on the territories of other states, the world will not know peace in the Middle East," Nasrallah said during an interview. "Our situation is stronger than it has ever been - from the logistical point of view, militarily, and in numbers. Lebanon as a whole is united against one enemy: Israel."
Sep 11, 2008 10:53 AM
Treasury Slaps Sanctions on Iranian Shipping Company
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States imposed new sanctions against Iran’s national maritime carrier, IRISL, and 18 affiliates on Wednesday, targeting much of the country’s shipping sector and increasing the pressure on the Islamic Republic over its illicit nuclear program, Reuters reported. "Not only does IRISL facilitate the transfer of cargo for U.N.-designated proliferators, it also falsifies documents and uses deceptive schemes to shroud its involvement in illicit commerce," Stuart Levey, Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.
Sep 10, 2008 8:54 AM
U.S. Approves $330 Million in Arms Deals for Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The U.S. government on Tuesday announced $330 million in separate arms deals for Israel, Reuters reported. In addition, sources tracking a much bigger deal for two-dozen F-35 fighter jets said that agreement could be finalized later this month. The three deals include upgrades for Israel's Patriot missile defense system, anti-armor weapons and thousands of training rockets, bombs and other equipment. The U.S.-Israel alliance remains more critical than ever as the two nations face an unprecedented array of shared threats.
Sep 10, 2008 8:54 AM
Iran Ex-Nuke Negotiator Slams Ahmadinejad
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's former nuclear negotiator harshly rebuked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a recent speech, saying the president's policies have done more harm than good in his three years in office, the Associated Press reported. "Why are people's pockets empty and their dignity on sale?" Rowhani asked. "Careless, uncalculated and unstudied remarks and slogans have posed many costs on the nation and the country." Rowhani's rebuke comes amid increasing economic pressure on the Islamic Republic for its continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.
Sep 9, 2008 12:29 PM
Report: West Bank Economy is Improving
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A series of Israeli gestures to the Palestinians in the West Bank has helped to significantly strengthen the Palestinian economy since the beginning of the year, The Jerusalem Post reported. Israel's Civil Administration said Monday that it noted a sharp increase in the passage of commercial goods in the West Bank as a direct result of the increase in employment licenses and trade permits issued by the IDF to Palestinian merchants and business owners since the year began. In the last few months, the IDF has also removed more than 100 roadblocks throughout the West Bank.
Sep 8, 2008 9:22 AM
Cheney: Russia Supplies Arms to Mideast Terrorists
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday that Russia is selling arms to Syria and Iran with the clear knowledge that they are being channeled to Hizballah in Lebanon and other terrorist groups in Iraq, the International Herald Tribune reported. Moscow "has sold advanced weapons to regimes in Syria and Iran," Cheney said. "Some of the Russian weapons sold to Damascus have been channeled to terrorist fighters in Lebanon and Iraq… Russian arms dealing in the Middle East has endangered the prospects for peace and freedom in the region." Russia has also aided Iran's nuclear program.
Sep 8, 2008 9:22 AM
PA Security Forces Take Tentative Steps Against Hamas
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Palestinian Authority's security forces have shown some improvement in their action against terrorists in the West Bank recently, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. According to Israeli security officials, the PA has begun to take control of a number of major charity organizations associated with Hamas. Meanwhile, the Palestinian security forces are continuing to apprehend wanted men affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestinian sources, however, conceded that most of those arrested were jailed for a short while only.
Sep 5, 2008 11:00 AM
Assad: Syria Won’t Cut Ties with Hizballah
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Bashar Assad on Thursday said his country would not sever its ties with the terrorist army Hizballah, despite earlier statements by the Syrian president signaling progress in negotiations with Israel, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "I don't see any way to give up on Hizballah," Assad said in an interview with Hizballah's Al-Manar TV. "Our position is stable and has not changed, and it doesn't appear that it will change until the facts of occupation themselves change." The State Department consistently lists Syria as one of the world's leading state sponsors of terrorism.
Sep 5, 2008 11:00 AM
Israel Allows Weapons Transfer to Bolster PA
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel allowed the shipment of about 1,000 rifles and thousands of bullets to Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, a senior Israeli official said Friday, in a move aimed at bolstering the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Associated Press reported. Despite the risks involved, Israel has demonstrated its commitment to peace with the Palestinians in recent weeks by releasing nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners and removing several checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank.
Sep 5, 2008 11:00 AM
Nasrallah: Hizballah Will Not Disarm if Israel Leaves Shebaa Farms
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Regardless of an Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa Farms, Hizballah would not relinquish its arms, the group's leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday, The Jerusalem Post reported. "We are a threatened country and Israel aspires to control us and threatens Lebanon," Nasrallah said. "My hostility towards Israel is the greatest possible hostility." Hizballah has long used Israeli control of Shebaa Farms as a pretext for maintaining a state of war with Israel, despite U.N. certification that Israel withdrew from "all Lebanese territory" in 2000.
Sep 4, 2008 9:18 AM
Sarkozy Warns Iran to Halt Nuclear Activity
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Iran on Thursday it was taking a dangerous gamble by continuing its uranium enrichment activity – the key component of a nuclear weapons program, Reuters reported. "If Iran continues enrichment, that is a problem," Sarkozy said during a meeting in Damascus with the leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar. "Iran is taking a major risk in continuing the process to obtain a military nuclear capacity." Iran has rebuffed multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that it abandon enrichment efforts and faces more stringent sanctions as a result.
Sep 3, 2008 10:28 AM
Parties Affirm Support for U.S.-Israel Relationship
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The 2008 Democratic and Republican national platforms emphasize the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance and reaffirm America's commitment to ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge in the Middle East. The Democratic platform was ratified in Denver last week; the Republican platform was ratified on Monday in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The platforms underscore the danger of Iran's nuclear program, noting that stronger diplomatic and financial sanctions against the Islamic Republic are needed. Both parties also declare that Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel.
Sep 3, 2008 10:28 AM
Pro-al Qaeda Fighters Train in Hamas-Run Gaza Strip
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Jaysh al-Ummah, a Palestinian terrorist group active in the Gaza Strip and modeled on the ideology of al Qaeda, is training for battle with Israel, Reuters reported. "We are coming, Jews," read graffiti daubed on a wall inside its private training base in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The group's leader, Abu Hafss, said Muslims worldwide were obliged to fight the Israelis and the "infidels" until only Islam rules the earth. "The sons of Zion are occupiers and they must be uprooted completely," Abu Haffs said, in reference to the entire state of Israel.
Sep 2, 2008 1:45 PM
Israel Thwarts Hizballah Kidnapping Attempts
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday confirmed that Israeli security forces had recently foiled two attempts by the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah to kidnap Israeli businessmen abroad, the Associated Press reported. The revelation follows an unusual warning last month by Israeli counterterrorism officials that the group was planning attacks against Israelis and abductions of Israelis overseas. In addition, Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared an “open war” against Jews and Israelis worldwide.
Aug 29, 2008 10:24 AM
Iran Says 4,000 Atomic Centrifuges Working
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A top Iranian official said Friday that Iran has 4,000 working nuclear centrifuges, in line with a number verified by the U.N. atomic watchdog, The Washington Post reported. "There are currently close to 4,000 centrifuges active at Natanz enrichment facility... Another 3,000 centrifuges are being installed," Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh Attar told state television. Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that will ultimately involve 54,000 centrifuges that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons.
Aug 29, 2008 10:24 AM
Report: Hizballah's New Missiles Have Range 'Israel Can't Fathom'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah is now armed with Iranian-supplied advanced missiles capable of reaching targets deep into Israel, according to a report on Friday in the London-based pan-Arab daily Al-Quds al-Arabi. The report quotes senior Arab sources who claim that the new missiles have a range that Israel "cannot even fathom," and that the new arms are the "surprise" that Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah spoke of in recent statements to the public. Iranian defense experts are also reportedly working in Lebanon to assist Hizballah in developing anti-aircraft capabilities.
Aug 28, 2008 10:50 AM
Experts Worry over Growing Iran-Venezuela Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez bolsters his country's ties with Iran, Western anti-terrorism officials are increasingly concerned that the Iranian-backed terrorist army Hizballah is using Venezuela as a base for operations, The Los Angeles Times reported. Iran "has a history of terror in this hemisphere, and its linkages to the bombings in Buenos Aires are pretty well established," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas A. Shannon said in June. "One of our broader concerns is what Iran is doing elsewhere in this hemisphere."
Aug 28, 2008 10:50 AM
Israel to Open Gaza Crossings for Access to Medical Care
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel will open border several crossings with the Gaza Strip on Thursday and permit Palestinians requiring medical treatment to enter Israel via the Erez crossing, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Fuel, merchandise and humanitarian aid will also be brought to Gaza via the Karni, Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings. The crossings were temporarily closed on Monday following a Palestinian rocket attack on southern Israel, a violation of Hamas’ commitment to halt all violent activity in and around the coastal strip.
Aug 26, 2008 3:34 PM
U.N.: Lebanon-Syria Border Open for Arms Transfers
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
According to a report submitted to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, Lebanon's border with Syria is wide open to weapons smugglers, enabling the terrorist army Hizballah to replenish its arsenal, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The U.N. report harshly criticized both Lebanon and Syria for failing to seal their shared border despite promises by both countries to address the issue and an arms embargo imposed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War. In the two years since that war, Hizballah has tripled the size of its rocket arsenal.
Aug 25, 2008 1:01 PM
Khamenei Praises Ahmadinejad's Nuclear Defiance
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday affirmed that he and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were in ideological accord, especially in regards to Tehran's nuclear drive, The International Herald Tribune reported. "Some bullying and demanding countries wanted to impose their will on our country," Khamenei said, referring to international insistence that Iran halt its uranium enrichment activities. "But our people, and the president and his ministers, stood up to such demands." Iran has rebuffed multiple U.N. Security Council demands that it abandon efforts to enrich uranium.
Aug 22, 2008 1:19 PM
Report: Hamas Can Launch 100 Qassams a Day
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli defense officials monitoring Hamas' arms buildup in Gaza have detected major advances in both the quality and quantity of the terrorist group's rocket arsenal, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Despite recent pledges by the terrorist group to halt its stockpiling of weapons, Hamas has managed to smuggle some 8,000 iron pipes, which serve as the base of the rocket, as well as toxic chemicals used to produce explosives with an extended "shelf life" and significantly longer range. Experts say Hamas' operation resembles the massive buildup undertaken by Hizballah in Lebanon.
Aug 21, 2008 11:42 AM
Israel Warns of Hizballah Attacks Worldwide
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel's counterterrorist unit warned Wednesday that the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah intends to attack and abduct Israelis abroad, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Officials say Hizballah is seeking revenge for the assassination of its military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, killed earlier this year by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria. Security experts said Hizballah is likely to attempt a terrorist attack in Third World countries, but reports suggest the group has carried out surveillance of Jewish and Israeli institutions in North America and Europe as well.
Aug 20, 2008 9:26 AM
Syria to Purchase Advanced Russian Weaponry
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday he will use this week's visit to Russia to significantly expand military ties with Moscow, Reuters reported. "Of course military and technical cooperation is the main issue," Assad told the Russian Kommersant newspaper. "Weapons purchases are very important." A diplomatic source in Moscow said that Damascus was interested in Russian missiledefense systems and military aircraft, and the two countries are preparing deals involving anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems, of the sort Hizballah has used with great success against Israel.
Aug 19, 2008 8:28 AM
Iran Seeks to Build More Nuclear Plants
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Iran presses ahead with its illicit atomic work, the Islamic Republic has signed new contracts on projects that identify appropriate locations for building new nuclear power plants, the Iranian Students’ News Agency reported. Six companies have been elected out of 62 applicants in a bid among foreign companies from Russia, Canada, Switzerland and domestic companies, said Ahmad Fayazbakhsh, the director of production of atomic energy at Iran's nuclear agency.
Aug 18, 2008 12:02 PM
U.S., Israel Collaborate on Missile Defense System
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States and Israel have agreed on the deployment of high-powered, early-warning missile radars in the Negev desert, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. Known as X-Band, the radars will be linked to a U.S. satellite-based alert network, enhancing Israel’s ability to deflect Iranian missiles aimed at the Jewish state and other threats. The radar is scheduled to be deployed in the fall or early 2009 and will be operated by staff from the U.S. European Command.
Aug 18, 2008 12:02 PM
Iran Test-Fires Rocket Able to Carry Satellite
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran on Sunday test-fired a new rocket capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, The New York Times reported. The White House condemned the act, noting that it marks a pattern of Iranian activity to build a nuclear weapon and the means to deliver it. “The Iranian development and testing of rockets is troubling and raises further questions about their intentions,” said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe. According to rocket scientists, the same technology that puts satellites into orbits can deliver warheads.
Aug 18, 2008 12:02 PM
Monitoring Group Condemns UNIFIL, Hizballah
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An independent monitoring group in Lebanon has strongly criticized the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), calling its members “hostages of Hezbollah,” The Jerusalem Post reported. Toni Nissi, head of the Lebanese Committee for UN Security Council Resolution 1559, said Resolution "1701….calls for the implementation of [Security Council Resolution] 1559, especially the disarmament of the militias, and calls for sealing the border between Lebanon and Syria and forbidding the entering of arms and weapons via the border, especially to Hezbollah."
Aug 15, 2008 11:09 AM
IMF: Sanctions Hurting Iranian Economy
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday that stepped-up international pressure and sanctions over Iran's refusal to halt its illicit nuclear activities are hurting the country's economy, making trade financing and payments difficult and discouraging foreign investment, Reuters reported. U.S. and U.N. economic sanctions have had a major impact on state-owned banks, and many of the world's top financial institutions have severed ties with the Islamic Republic, limiting the regime's access to foreign capital and restricting trade, the IMF report stated.
Aug 14, 2008 11:03 AM
Palestinian Terrorists Build Rockets Despite Gaza Calm
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees terrorist group recently showed off what it said was a new rocket, capable of striking the major Israeli population centers of Ashkelon and Ashdod, CNN reported. The building, and sporadic firing, of rockets at Israeli civilians violates a nearly two-month-old Egyptian-brokered calm along Israel's southern border. "If the cease-fire is just a front for extremists in Gaza to rearm and regroup, of course we have the right to act," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said. "Any arms buildup is a direct violation of the calm that was achieved."
Aug 14, 2008 11:03 AM
State Department Warns Turkey Over Iran Energy Deal
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
On the eve of a visit to Ankara by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the United States on Wednesday warned Turkey not to strike an energy deal with Iran that would undermine diplomatic efforts to halt Tehran's illicit nuclear program, Reuters reported. "Such a deal by Turkey with Iran would send the wrong message at a time when the Iranian regime has repeatedly failed to comply with its U.N. Security Council and IAEA obligations," the State Department said.
Aug 14, 2008 11:03 AM
Spread of Hizballah TV Worries United States
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Following a recent deal with Indonesia, the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah will now broadcast its Al-Manar TV station throughout the Asia-Pacific region – a move that has raised concerns among American diplomats, the Associated Press reported. "Al-Manar and its partners and affiliates form a recognized arm of Hizballah," said Tristram Perry, a public diplomacy officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Perry said the station incites violence and hatred.
Aug 12, 2008 12:00 PM
Lebanese Parliament Affirms Hizballah's Right to Arms
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Lebanon's new national unity government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday, allowing the 30-member cabinet – in which the terrorist army Hizballah wields veto power – to start work, Agence France Presse reported. "Raising the question of the resistance's arms is no longer justified," Hizballah MP Mohammed Raad said. "Our national duty dictates the continuation of the resistance and the prevention of any attempt to weaken it." The vote follows the government's drafting of a policy statement permitting Hizballah to keep its weapons and continue its violent campaign against Israel.
Aug 12, 2008 12:00 PM
Treasury Sanctions Five Entities With Iranian Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Treasury Department on August 12 designated five entities for their ties to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, a move that freezes their assets and inhibits their participation in the international banking system. "Responsible financial institutions and businesses worldwide are taking steps to avoid doing business with Iranian nuclear and missile entities, as well as with the front companies and cut-outs the Iranian regime uses to disguise its activities," said Stuart Levey, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Aug 11, 2008 2:15 PM
Qassam Rockets Continue to Violate Calm
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In another violation of the Egyptian-mediated calm along Israel’s southern border, a Qassam rocket fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip struck the Israeli town of Sderot on Monday, Reuters reported. While rocket fire has significantly declined since the calm took effect in June, more than two dozen rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel by various groups in Gaza, and Hamas continues to take advantage of the lull to build up its military capabilities.
Aug 11, 2008 10:32 AM
Syria to Bar Inspectors from Suspected Nuclear Site
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Syria said Saturday it would bar U.N. weapons inspectors from revisiting a suspected nuclear site destroyed by Israeli warplanes last year, dealing a major blow to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) efforts to verify whether Syria was hiding a nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported. American officials have urged the IAEA to inspect the North Korean-built site at Al Kibar, as well as three other locations across the country suspected of housing clandestine nuclear work. Syria has said those locations were off limits as well.
Aug 8, 2008 8:50 AM
EU Toughens Sanctions Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The European Union on Friday introduced fresh sanctions against Iran over its illicit nuclear program, including tougher cargo inspections and banking restrictions, Agence France Presse reported. The EU will "carry out inspections at their airports and maritime ports on cargo going to and from Iran," and exercise restraint "in entering into new commitments for public provided financial support for trade with Iran, notably the granting of export credits, guarantees or insurance," according to a statement by the French EU presidency.
Aug 8, 2008 8:50 AM
Gaza Terrorists Threaten to Resume Attacks on Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) terrorist group threatened on Thursday to resume attacks against Israel, in violation of a nearly two-month Egyptian-brokered period of calm along the Gaza-Israel border, Reuters reported. During a live ammunition training exercise, Abu Attaya, a spokesman for the group, said Gaza's terrorist groups agreed to halt attacks for a 10-week period, set to end in early September.
Aug 6, 2008 11:20 AM
White House: Punitive Steps Needed Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The White House said on Wednesday that Western powers had to take further "punitive" measures against Iran because Tehran gave no concrete reply to their demand that it freeze its nuclear activities, Reuters reported. "In the absence of a positive response to the generous offer that we provided for in our extended package, we think that the allies will have no choice but to take further measures that would be punitive," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. The statement came hours before senior officials from the P5+1 countries were to discuss next steps on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Aug 6, 2008 11:20 AM
Lebanese Cabinet Affirms Hizballah Right to Arms
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Lebanon's government this week unanimously approved a new policy statement, allowing Hizballah to retain its weapons arsenal and to continue its violent campaign against Israel, Agence France Presse reported. The statement, to be voted on by the full parliament on Friday, says it is "the right of Lebanon's people, the army and the resistance" – referring to Hizballah – "to liberate all its territories."
Aug 5, 2008 11:04 AM
Iranian Letter Ignores Demand for Nuclear Halt
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a letter to world powers about its ongoing nuclear program, Iranian diplomats ignored the key international demand that it suspend efforts to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. The omission increases the likelihood of further U.N. sanctions against Iran. The letter was expected to address an international offer of incentives and negotiations in exchange for a halt to Iran's atomic work. Secretary Rice warned last week that Tehran could face further sanctions if it used these overtures as stalling tactics in the dispute over its nuclear program.
Aug 5, 2008 11:04 AM
State Dept. Criticizes Egypt for Sentencing Human Rights Activist
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States on Monday decried the recent sentencing in absentia of exiled Egyptian human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim to two years in prison for defaming his country, Agence France Presse reported. "We are disappointed by the recent conviction in Egypt of democracy activist Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said in a statement. "Lawsuits should not be used to undermine the principles of freedom of expression. We strongly advocate – in all countries – the protection of civil and political rights, including freedom of speech and due process."
Aug 4, 2008 8:11 AM
Iran Ignores Deadline for Talks on Nuclear Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran failed to respond to a two-week deadline to agree to negotiations over the country's illicit nuclear program, prompting calls for new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, The Los Angeles Times reported. "It is clear that the government of Iran has not complied with the international community's demand to stop enriching uranium and isn't even interested in trying," said Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission at the United Nations. "They leave the Security Council no choice but to increase the sanctions, as called for in the last resolution passed."
Aug 4, 2008 8:11 AM
Hizballah: We're Keeping War Option Alive
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a rare interview, a senior commander for the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah said his group was far stronger now than before its war against Israel two years ago, and was prepared future combat against the Jewish state, The Telegraph reported. "The resistance is now stronger than before and this keeps the option of war awake," said Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, who leads Hizballah's forces on Lebanon's border with Israel. Kaouk also touted Hizballah's close ties to Iran and Syria, who have helped the terrorist army triple the size of its rocket arsenal.
Aug 1, 2008 11:29 AM
Norwegian Oil Group Ends Iran Investments
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Dealing a significant blow to Iranian hopes for Western investment in its energy sector, StatoilHydro, the Norwegian national oil company, will announce Friday its decision not to invest in Iran, the Financial Times reported. In light of international pressure over Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, Statoil decided not to develop a major oil field in Iran’s Anran block, Statoil CEO Helge Lund said, adding that his company would also be reducing its involvement in the South Pars gas project. Statoil’s decision follows similar steps by Total of France and Royal Dutch Shell.
Jul 31, 2008 1:54 PM
Prime Minister Olmert to Resign after Kadima Primary
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Wednesday he would not run in Kadima party primary elections and will resign once a new party leader is chosen, The New York Times reported. Kadima party primaries will be held on September 17, during which the candidate receiving at least 40 percent of the vote will be declared party leader. If no candidate receives 40 percent, a run-off will be held between the top two candidates one week later, on September 24. Throughout its history, regardless of party politics, the solid alliance between the United States and Israel has endured.
Jul 31, 2008 11:51 AM
European Union to Expand Sanctions Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The European Union intends to impose enhanced sanctions against Iran, beyond those called for by the United Nations, if the Islamic Republic shuns an international offer of incentives and negotiations over the country's illicit nuclear program, Reuters reported. The new measures, spearheaded by Britain, France, Germany and Italy, would allow naval authorities to inspect all cargo ships bound for the Islamic Republic and instruct EU financial institutions to exercise "restraint" concerning export credits to Iran.
Jul 31, 2008 11:51 AM
Gaza Summer Camps Teach Kids to Fire Rockets
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a further sign of radicalization in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Palestinian terrorist groups are using summer camps to train children to fire rockets and preach an anti-Israel and anti-Jewish worldview, the Israeli newspaper Ynet reported. Hamas is conducting some 300 summer camps for tens of thousands of children, featuring sports and military-type trainings, such as crawling under barbed-wire and focused on instilling religious fervor in the campers. Islamic Jihad has also launched its own summer camps where religious studies are coupled with lessons on how to hold a Qassam rocket-
Jul 30, 2008 11:14 AM
Barak: Israel Gains Access to Advanced U.S. Radar
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday that the United States would soon link Israel to two advanced missile detection systems as a precaution against any future attack by a nuclear-armed Iran, Reuters reported. "In a few months, Israel will be stronger and more prepared in the realm of protection against long-distance threats," he said, after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. According to Barak, the forward-based X-band radar system will be posted in Israel and the U.S. will increase Israel's access to Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, which spot missile launches.
Jul 30, 2008 9:26 AM
Khamenei: Iran Will Continue on Nuclear Path
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite recent overtures by the United States, the European Union, Russia and China, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that his country would not yield in its drive for a nuclear weapons capability, Reuters reported. "The Iranian nation, by depending on its useful experience and advantages of 30 years of resistance, does not pay any attention to such talk and will continue with its path," Khamenei said, just days before the deadline for Iran to respond to an offer of incentives and negotiations in return for a halt to uranium enrichment.
Jul 28, 2008 8:38 AM
Iran Claims It Has 6,000 Centrifuges for Enrichment
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday his country now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, double the 3,000 uranium-enriching machines Iran had previously said it was operating, the Associated Press reported. "Announcements like this, whatever the true number is, are not productive and will only serve to further isolate Iran from the international community," said White House spokesman Carlton Carroll. Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that will involve 54,000 centrifuges that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons.
Jul 28, 2008 8:38 AM
Arab States' Pledges to PA Remain Largely Unfulfilled
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite record oil revenues, most Arab nations have yet to fulfill their promises of critical budget assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA), with more than $700 million in pledges outstanding, The Washington Post reported. A senior U.S. official said that Arab nations could be doing much more to support the negotiations launched at the Annapolis last year and that "their effort falls short in every category."
Jul 25, 2008 10:13 AM
United States: Election Won't Ease Pressure on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Gregory Schulte, the U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Thursday that Iran would be wrong to believe it will be "off the hook" over its illicit nuclear program during the transition to a new U.S. administration, Reuters reported. "Six more months of Security Council violations is not going to put them in any greater favor with any future U.S. president," Schulte said. "Part of the strategy is to keep them on the hook, but also to make sure that... whoever is president, is in the strongest diplomatic position possible to continue work on this."
Jul 25, 2008 10:13 AM
Israeli Ambassador: Hizballah Bolstered By UNIFIL Flaws
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the United Nations said this week that the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has not fulfilled its mandate to disarm the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah, The Jerusalem Post reported. “They [UNIFIL] were sent there to carry out a mandate which was very clearly defined, and they are not doing so,” Ambassador Dan Gillerman said in an interview. “They may be laying the groundwork for the next flare-up.
Jul 24, 2008 3:03 PM
Iran Intends to Shun IAEA Weapons Inspectors
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran signaled Thursday that it would no longer cooperate with U.N. nuclear inspectors probing for clandestine nuclear weapons work in the country, the Associated Press reported. The announcement from Iranian Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh comes just days after Tehran stonewalled demands from six world powers that it halt uranium enrichment activities, as called for by the U.N. Security Council. Iran had previously barred IAEA inspectors from entering key nuclear sites, and IAEA officials expressed "serious concern" over clandestine military activity related to Iran's nuclear program.
Jul 24, 2008 1:34 PM
Shin Bet Chief: Egypt Not Stopping Hamas Weapons Smuggling
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin on Tuesday said Egypt is doing little to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "Egypt accepts the fact that there is smuggling from its territory...[which] is part of the Middle Eastern theater of the absurd," Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "We have asked the Egyptians to deal with the families of smugglers operating in Sinai." Diskin's comments coincide with reports that Hamas is using the Egyptian-brokered "period of calm" to militarize Gaza.
Jul 23, 2008 12:40 PM
Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Never Halt Its Nuclear Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Responding to recent overtures by the United States and the international community, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday vowed that his country would not yield in its drive for a nuclear weapons capability, Agence France Presse reported. "The Iranian people are steadfast and will not step back an inch against the oppressive powers," he said. "You are mistaken if you think you can force this nation to back down with sanctions, threats and pressure." Ahmadinejad’s comments come days after talks between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and senior American and European diplomats.
Jul 22, 2008 8:15 PM
Bulldozer Driver Goes on Rampage in Jerusalem
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In the second attack of its kind this month, a Palestinian terrorist on Tuesday wounded at least 16 Israeli civilians when he deliberately plowed a bulldozer into a passenger bus and at least five cars in downtown Jerusalem, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. "This was another attempt to murder innocent people in a senseless act of terrorism," said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev. "All people who believe in peace and reconciliation must unequivocally condemn this attack. Unfortunately, it is clear that we as a society will have to remain vigilant against terrorism."
Jul 22, 2008 8:15 PM
Iran Ignores Calls for Halt to Enrichment Activity
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday accused Iran of not being serious about its disputed nuclear program despite the presence of a senior U.S. diplomat at weekend talks in Geneva, the Associated Press reported. Iran distributed a paper at the nuclear talks outlining their position, but ignoring the key international demand that the country suspend its uranium enrichment activity, as repeatedly called for by the U.N. Security Council.
Jul 22, 2008 8:15 PM
Shin Bet Chief: Hamas Using Calm to Rearm
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In testimony before the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin warned that the terrorist group Hamas has been using the Egyptian-brokered period of "calm" to rearm and further weaponize the Gaza Strip, the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv reported. Hamas is stockpiling longer-range rockets, capable of striking Kiryat Gat and Ashdod, major Israeli population centers, Diskin said, and the group has "not abandoned their long-term plans." In addition, Hamas has planted large swaths of landmines throughout the Gaza Strip.
Jul 21, 2008 11:35 AM
Brown to Knesset: Israel Has Right to Freedom, Security
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday extolled his nation's support for the Jewish state in an historic speech before Israel's Knesset, Sky News reported. "To those who question Israel's very right to exist, and threaten the lives of its citizens through terror, we say: the people of Israel have a right to live here, to live freely and to live in security," Brown said. "And to those who believe that threatening statements fall upon indifferent ears, we say in one voice: that it is totally abhorrent for the president of Iran to call for Israel to be wiped from the map of the world."
Jul 21, 2008 11:35 AM
U.S., Britain Vow Further Pressure on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Iran on Monday that it faced more sanctions if it defied a two-week deadline to agree to curb its illicit nuclear program, Reuters reported. "We are in the strongest possible position to demonstrate that if Iran does not act then it is time to go back to that (sanctions) track," Rice said while traveling to meet with Arab officials to discuss Iran.
Jul 18, 2008 9:14 AM
Report: Hizballah Infiltrating Villages in South Lebanon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hizballah is bolstering its presence in non-Shia southern Lebanon villages by buying land and using it to build military positions and store missiles and launchers, The Jerusalem Post reported. The decision to build infrastructure in non-Shia villages is an attempt to evade detection by U.N. peacekeepers, who cannot enter villages or cities without being accompanied by soldiers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). The LAF regularly tips off Hizballah ahead of the raids.
Jul 18, 2008 9:14 AM
Six Israeli-Arabs Arrested for Plotting Attack on Bush
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli police said they arrested six Israeli Arabs on suspicion that they formed a cell tied to al-Qaeda and may have plotted to attack President Bush's helicopter during his visit to the Jewish state last January, Bloomberg News reported. Four of the suspects are residents of East Jerusalem, and two are students at Hebrew University. One lived in a dormitory overlooking the school's helicopter landing pad. According to Israel's Shin Bet security service, the student filmed helicopters taking off and landing at the site and made contact with al-Qaeda over the Internet "and asked about the
Jul 17, 2008 11:12 AM
Israelis Mourn Fallen Soldiers, Stress Desire for Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Thousands of Israeli mourners on Thursday gathered at separate sites for the funerals of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the two Israeli soldiers who were killed by Hizballah two years ago but whose fate was unknown until the terrorist army returned their bodies on Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported. "We lived in a world where we believed our enemy was exactly like us," said Ofer Regev. "We thought we could speak to people who also wanted to raise a child, grow a flower, love a girl, exactly like us. But the enemy proved it is not like us. And still, we will not stop trying."
Jul 17, 2008 11:12 AM
Pentagon: Iranian Missiles Can Reach Europe
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Pentagon said that Iran now has the ability to launch a ballistic missile capable of hitting sections of eastern and southern Europe, Reuters reported. “The Iranians themselves are describing… a 2,000-km range missile launch,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Trey Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, on Tuesday. “I believe, based on what I have seen, that they have the ability to do that and to continue to advance in the future.”
Jul 16, 2008 10:44 AM
Mahmoud Abbas Congratulates Lebanese Murderer's Family
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday congratulated the family of released Lebanese murderer Samir Kuntar, who brutally killed an Israeli father and smashed his four-year old daughter's skull with rocks, Agence France Presse reported. A spokesman for PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's office called Kuntar a "hero" and praised Hizballah for its role in securing his release from prison, where he was serving four life sentences. Although Israel desires peace with its neighbors, it faces enormous difficulty in negotiating an agreement with a PA that glorifies terrorism.
Jul 15, 2008 4:10 PM
Iran, Syria Provide Hizballah with Advanced Radar
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran and Syria have stationed advanced radar systems atop a strategic mountain range in Lebanon, allowing the terrorist army Hizballah to detect Israeli aircraft in the region and solidify its military hold on central Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post reported. "Hizballah continues to get stronger with the ongoing and intimate assistance of the Syrians," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said. "The delicate balance that exists on the northern border should not be violated."
Jul 15, 2008 9:46 AM
Iran: We Will Not Stop Enrichment Activity
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a classified reply to an incentives package offered by the United States and five other nations, Iran ignored demands that it halt uranium enrichment and refused even a temporary freeze on its illicit nuclear activities, Reuters reported. "We have no intention of changing this path," said the July 4 letter by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. "The time for negotiating from the condescending position of inequality has come to an end." In recent months, Iran has accelerated its efforts to enrich uranium, violating U.N. Security Council demands that it suspend its atomic work.
Jul 15, 2008 9:46 AM
Sanctions Hammering Iran's Gas Industry
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran's vast gas reserves will remain largely untapped so long as political tensions deter Western companies from investing in the country and U.S. sanctions prevent Tehran from getting the technology it needs to develop its oil fields without outside help, Reuters reported. European companies, discouraged by heightened tension over Iran's nuclear program, have shelved plans for multi-billion-dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects.
Jul 14, 2008 12:23 PM
New Lebanese Cabinet Precludes Hizballah Disarmament
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
After weeks of wrangling and violent confrontation, the Lebanese government on Friday formed a new unity government giving the Hizballah-led opposition the power to block major government decisions, The Wall Street Journal reported. The veto power for Hizballah presents a significant challenge to any efforts to disarm the Iranian- and Syrian-backed terrorist army, as called for by the U.N. Security Council. "The opposition got what it wanted," said Walid Jumblatt, the Druze party leader and an ally of the U.S. "We can't disarm Hizballah by force. It will happen only if they want to do it."
Jul 14, 2008 12:23 PM
Rockets and Mortars Pound Southern Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a further violation of Hamas' commitment to Egypt to halt all terror activity from Gaza, Palestinian terrorists on Sunday fired several mortars at southern Israel, the Associated Press reported. The day before, a Qassam rocket struck a community in the western Negev. Since the Egyptian-mediated calm began, Palestinian terrorists have fired 20 rockets and mortars at Israel. Hamas leaders have stated in the past that any lull in attacks against Israel is merely a "tactic" in the group's long-term war against the Jewish state.
Jul 11, 2008 9:18 AM
Rice: United States Will Defend Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Asked how the United States would respond to an Iranian threat to “set fire” to Israel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday said America would not hesitate to defend Israel and other allies in the Middle East, Agence France Presse reported. “We will defend American interests and the interests of our allies,” Rice said. “We take very strongly our obligation to defend our allies and we intend to do that.”
Jul 11, 2008 9:18 AM
United States Imposes New Sanctions Against Syria
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States on Thursday announced it was imposing sanctions on a Syrian mobile phone company and a duty-free shop franchise connected with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s family, The Jerusalem Post reported. Under the sanctions, the U.S. assets of Syriatel and Ramak duty-free shops, controlled by Assad’s cousin Rami Makhluf, will be frozen and U.S. citizens will be barred from doing business with the outfits. Adam Szubin, a Treasury Department official, said that Makhluf has used government contacts “to enrich himself at the expense of the Syrian people.”
Jul 11, 2008 9:18 AM
Arab States Worry About Iranian Influence in Middle East
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Official representatives of an Arab country have told their Israeli counterparts that they are becoming increasingly worried about nuclear-minded Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. According to the sources, the Arab officials revealed that a significant number of other Mideast states have quietly joined the international effort to pressure Iran to suspend its efforts to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons.
Jul 10, 2008 2:14 PM
French Energy Giant Backs Out of Iran Deal
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Dealing a significant blow to Iranian hopes for Western investment in its energy sector, the French energy group Total said Wednesday it would not develop a major natural gas project at the country’s South Pars gas field, The Financial Times reported. In announcing the decision, which one energy analyst referred to as "a death blow" for Iran's natural gas sector, Total CEO Christophe de Margerie cited the growing international isolation of the Iranian regime over its illicit nuclear program. Click here to learn about international efforts to isolate Iran.
Jul 10, 2008 2:14 PM
Hizballah Triples Rocket Stocks in Lebanon
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli intelligence officials said Wednesday that the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has some 2,500 fighters entrenched throughout Southern Lebanon and has stockpiled over 40,000 deadly rockets - tripling the size of their arsenal since their war with Israel during the Summer of 2006, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Jul 9, 2008 11:32 AM
Iran Carries Out Second Long-Range Missile Test
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
European leaders joined the United States on Thursday in condemning Iran's provocative tests of long-range missiles, including a new, highly-advanced Shahab-3 missile capable of striking Israel and American interests in the region, The Washington Post reported. After the second missile test, Secretary of State Rice warned that the United States "will defend our interests and defend our allies… We take very, very strongly our obligations to defend our allies and no one should be confused of that."
Jul 9, 2008 11:32 AM
Hamas Bomb Makers Arrested in West Bank
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli security officials announced Tuesday the arrest of a West Bank Hamas cell that was planning suicide attacks with chemical explosives inside Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported. The arrest, which took place in May, followed the discovery last fall of a bomb belt in a Tel Aviv apartment. Following the arrests, the four cell members confessed to having built a laboratory in a Nablus apartment building where they experimented with different explosives, such as sulfur and nitric acid.
Jul 8, 2008 3:22 PM
Lebanon Set to Announce Hizballah Cabinet Posts
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah and its allies are poised to gain control of eleven of Lebanon’s cabinet posts in the country’s newly-formed government, Reuters reported. The terrorist group already holds a blocking third in parliament, allowing them veto power over any major government decisions. The announcement, expected Tuesday, comes just weeks after deadly clashes erupted across the country between pro-Western factions and supporters of Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hizballah.
Jul 8, 2008 9:41 AM
Arab States Fall Short on Pledges to Palestinians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The chairs of the International Donors' Conference for the Palestinian State insisted on Monday that Arab states honor their financial and political pledges to help the Palestinian Authority (PA), Agence France Presse reported. While nearly one billion dollars has been transferred directly to the PA in the past six months, Arab states have fallen significantly short in fulfilling the more than $700 million promised to the PA. Arab governments must match Israel's readiness for peace by isolating Hamas and taking concrete steps that demonstrate a true commitment to ending the conflict.
Jul 7, 2008 9:23 AM
Iran Refuses to Halt Enrichment, Presses Ahead with Clandestine Work
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An Iranian official on Saturday confirmed that the Islamic Republic has no intention of complying with U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that it stop enriching uranium – the key step toward developing nuclear weapons, The New York Times reported. The announcement comes as Western diplomats have cited new intelligence reports stating that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has personally ordered Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to oversee the secret manufacture of highly sophisticated equipment used for building atomic weapons.
Jul 3, 2008 4:01 PM
AIPAC Offices Closed for Independence Day
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
AIPAC offices will be closed on July 4 in observance of America’s 232nd Independence Day. Regular Web site updates will resume on Monday, July 7. In the meantime, check out the Issues page for concise analysis, feature coverage and links to special reports on key issues affecting the Middle East, Israel’s security and the U.S.-Israel relationship. In addition, see below for recent news items.
Jul 3, 2008 11:09 AM
Bush: Diplomacy on Iran Remains Top U.S. Priority
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Bush on Wednesday said that although all options remain on the table, multilateral diplomacy and sanctions remained the top option for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. "And the best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work with other nations to send a focused message," Bush told reporters, "and that is that you will be isolated and you will have economic hardship if you continue trying to enrich." In recent months, Iran has accelerated its efforts to enrich uranium - a key step toward developing nuclear weapons.
Jul 3, 2008 11:09 AM
Hamas Radicalizing Gaza's Children
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a further sign of radicalization in Gaza, Hamas leaders announced Tuesday the launching of some 800 summer camps that will inculcate the Islamic terrorist group's anti-Israel and anti-Jewish worldview among Palestinian youth, The Jerusalem Post reported. The camps, which will require all 150,000 children to wear special Hamas uniforms, have allegedly been used to train children in the use of weapons training grounds and instill in them Hamas' radical Islamist ideology.
Jul 2, 2008 8:58 AM
Palestinian Terrorist Kills Three in Jerusalem Attack
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A Palestinian terrorist on Wednesday killed at least three Israeli civilians and wounded more than 50 others when he deliberately plowed a bulldozer into a passenger bus in Jerusalem, The New York Times reported. The bus that had been rammed lay on its side and several cars and vans were wrecked, overturned and flattened by the bulldozer. Inside the overturned bus, a reporter saw a child's diaper and a toddler's pink jacket. "I saw the bulldozer smash the car with its shovel. He smashed the guy sitting in the driver's seat," said Yaakov Ashkenazi, an 18-year-old seminary student.
Jul 1, 2008 9:41 AM
U.N. Report Ignores Hizballah Arms Buildup
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A new U.N. report, to be released by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday, ignores Hizballah's arms buildup and continued operations in southern Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post reported. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has warned of Hizballah's violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, despite the presence of UNIFIL observers. "Rockets continue to be moved into Lebanon, Hizballah is becoming more powerful, and I think it is the Security Council's duty to convene and decide how to ensure that this resolution is indeed being enforced and carried out," Barak said.
Jun 30, 2008 3:06 PM
State Dept.: Iran Could Have Nukes Next Year
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Warning that Iran could acquire nuclear weapons as early as next year, the State Department on Monday said the United States would press for more aggressive sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported. "Unfortunately, these things [sanctions] tend to take time and I'm not sure that time is on our side, so we've got to think about how to increase that pressure," said Patricia McNerney, principal deputy assistant secretary of State. Iran recently rejected a package of incentives offered by the United States and five other countries.
Jun 25, 2008 8:54 AM
Hamas Refuses to Confront Terrorists in Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Qassam rockets pounded southern Israel on Tuesday, in direct violation of Hamas' commitment to Egypt to halt all terror activity from Gaza, the terrorist group's leaders said they would not confront other Islamist groups carrying out attacks against the Jewish state, the Associated Press reported. "Hamas is not going to be a police securing the border of the occupation," Hamas official Khalil al-Haya said. "No one will enjoy a happy moment seeing Hamas holding a rifle in the face of a resistance fighter." Israel called the rocket attack a "gross violation" of Hamas' commitments to Egypt.
Jun 24, 2008 11:11 AM
More Qassam Rockets Slam into Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In yet another direct violation of Hamas' commitment to Egypt to halt all terror activity from Gaza, Palestinian terrorists on Thursday continued to fire Qassam rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot, The Jerusalem Post reported. The rocket barrage marked the third time since Hamas' pledge for calm along the Gaza-Israel border that Palestinian terrorists fired on Israeli civilians. Hamas leaders have stated in the past that any lull in attacks against Israel is merely a "tactic" in the group's long-term war against the Jewish state.
Jun 24, 2008 11:11 AM
IAEA Chief: Iran Could Build Nuclear Bomb in Six Months
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei recently said that with Iran's current nuclear capabilities, the country would need "six months to one year" in order to produce one atomic bomb. "It would need this period to produce a weapon, and to obtain highly-enriched uranium in sufficient quantities for a single nuclear weapon," ElBaradei said.
Jun 23, 2008 8:59 AM
Israel Sends Truckloads of Goods into Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel on Sunday boosted supplies of food and medicines into the Gaza Strip by about 50 percent and said it would consider further transfers of non-humanitarian goods to the coastal strip in the coming days, The Christian Science Monitor reported. Gil Karie, a spokesman for the Israeli army's civil liaison office, said 90 truckloads of humanitarian supplies, including food, diapers and clothing, were allowed in to Gaza on Sunday, up from about 65 days earlier. The Erez border crossing was also opened, allowing persons requiring medical care to be treated in Israel.
Jun 20, 2008 12:03 PM
Hamas Refuses to Halt Smuggling into Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas' leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, refused on Friday to bring an end to smuggling into the coastal strip, Reuters reported. "Wecannot talk about stopping smuggling because it is something beyond our ability as a government and we did not give a commitment in this regard," Haniyeh said. His statement comes just hours after Hamas agreed to an Egyptian-mediated effort to reduce hostilities and halt all rocket fire from Gaza. In addition, Haniyeh said that Hamas would not attempt to curb attacks against Israel by other Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza.
Jun 20, 2008 8:57 AM
Intelligence Officials Warn of Hizballah Attacks Worldwide
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
American and Canadian intelligence agencies are warning that the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has activated sleeper cells to carry out a terror attack against Jewish targets outside of the Middle East, ABC News reported. Officials say Hizballah is seeking revenge for the assassination of its military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, killed earlier in Damascus. "They want to kill as many people as they can, they want it to be a big splash," said former CIA intelligence officer Bob Baer. "They cannot have an operation fail... and I don't think they will. They're the A-team of terrorism."
Jun 19, 2008 4:24 PM
Hamas TV Glorifies Attacks Against Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Just one day after Hamas agreed to halt all attacks against Israel, the terrorist group on Thursday broadcast a video glorifying combat against Israel and demonstrating ways to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The video, broadcast on the Hamas-operated Al-Aqsa station, regularly features children's programming that praises suicide bombers and encourages young Palestinians to hate Jews.
Jun 19, 2008 10:38 AM
Lawmakers Urge Halt to World Bank Loans to Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Senior House leaders pressed the Bush administration to confirm that America would not supply future funding to the World Bank if the development agency provides loans to Iran, Reuters reported. In a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) received assurances from Treasury Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Clay Lowery that the World Bank had not authorized loans to Tehran in three years. Lowery said, however, that payments under already approved loans, which the U.S. opposed, were still being made.
Jun 18, 2008 10:03 AM
UNIFIL Fails to Halt Hizballah Rearmament
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel’s Military Intelligence chief said Tuesday that the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has constructed a massive underground military infrastructure under the noses of U.N. observers, The Jerusalem Post reported. "The only thing that is different from the situation before the war is that Hizballah flags aren't being flown," said Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of Military Intelligence's Research Division. In the nearly two years since Hizballah's war with Israel the terroist army has also doubled the size and scope of its rocket arsenal with weapons smuggled from Iran and Syria.
Jun 17, 2008 4:34 PM
EU Upgrades Economic, Diplomatic Ties with Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite intense lobbying by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, the European Union on Monday announced it would significantly upgrade its diplomatic and economic relations with Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported. Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who currently holds the EU presidency, announced the decision during a visit to Luxembourg by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The upgrade is expected to enable Israel to better compete in the EU market, particularly in the high-tech arena, and will increase high-level diplomatic cooperation and dialogue between the parties.
Jun 17, 2008 8:31 AM
Hamas Pounds Ashkelon With Katyusha Rockets
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite ongoing Egyptian-mediated efforts to end Hamas rocket fire and reduce hostilities around the Gaza Strip, the terrorist group on Monday fired Katyusha rockets at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. One man was wounded, and several others were treated for shock. "It appears today's attack is a deliberate attempt to undermine the Egypt initiative to achieve calm," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said. The reportedly successful Egyptian effort is set to begin on Thursday, according to press accounts.
Jun 16, 2008 9:08 AM
Iran Rejects Incentives Offer, Refuses Nuclear Halt
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran said Saturday that accepting a package of incentives offered by the United States and five other countries was "out of the question" because it demands a stop to uranium enrichment – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons, The Washington Post reported. In response, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and vowed heightened European pressure if Tehran refuses to halt its illicit nuclear work. "If Iran continues to ignore [U.N. Security Council] resolutions... we have no choice but to intensify sanctions," Brown said.
Jun 13, 2008 11:07 AM
Hamas Rocket Attacks Threaten Ceasefire Talks
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite the ongoing Hamas rocket bombardment of southern Israel, the Israeli security cabinet has voted to support Egyptian efforts to mediate a ceasefire with the terrorist group, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. In parallel to this diplomatic effort, the Israel Defense Forces will continue to prepare for more serious action in the event that the Egyptian track should prove to be unsuccessful. On Thursday, an Israeli woman was injured in a barrage of some 50 Qassam rockets and mortar shells, and Grad rockets struck the city of Ashkelon.
Jun 10, 2008 11:09 AM
Bush Presses Europeans for Tough Steps on Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
At an E.U.-U.S. summit in Slovenia, President Bush on Tuesday called the prospect of Iranian nuclear weapons "incredibly dangerous for world peace," and urged European allies to join the United States in enforcing strong diplomatic and financial sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported. "They can either face isolation, or they can have better relations with all of us," Bush said of Iranian leaders. "Now's the time for all of us to work together to stop them... Now's the time for there to be strong diplomacy."
Jun 9, 2008 12:58 PM
Terror Attack Thwarted as Rockets Rain Down on Negev
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A Palestinian teenager was arrested on Sunday when he attempted to cross a Nablus-area checkpoint with a bag full of pipe bombs and rifle ammunition, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "It's routine to find bombs at this checkpoint... every day, we find knives and other weapons," an Israeli military police official said. Earlier Sunday, Israel announced that it had removed 10 roadblocks in the West Bank. The thwarted attack follows a week of near-constant Hamas rocket fire on southern Israeli communities, which left a father of three dead and injured several others.
Jun 4, 2008 2:22 PM
Candidates, Congressional Leaders Tout U.S.-Israel Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Democratic presidential candidates Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, and the top leaders of Congress, all pledged their support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship during the closing session of AIPAC’s 2008 Policy Conference. "We know that we cannot relent, we cannot yield, and as President I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security," Senator Obama said, echoed shortly after by Senator Clinton, who vowed that "speaking up for a strong American-Israeli relationship is essential to our interests." Click here for video and transcripts from Policy Conference 2008.
Jun 4, 2008 4:42 AM
Olmert Thanks AIPAC, Highlights Israel’s Search for Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday delivered the keynote address to more than 7,000 pro-Israel activists, diplomats and lawmakers at the AIPAC Policy Conference 2008 Gala Banquet. The prime minister expressed the Jewish state’s deep appreciation for AIPAC’s work. “Israel is grateful for AIPAC’s tireless efforts and unending dedication to promoting joint American-Israeli relations, values and interests,” Olmert said. To view highlights of the speech, click here.
Jun 3, 2008 1:12 PM
Rice, McConnell Praise U.S.-Israel Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed more than 6,500 pro-Israel activists at AIPAC's 2008 Policy Conference. America's top diplomat praised AIPAC for the work it does to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship: "It’s always a pleasure to be among friends here at AIPAC, to have a chance to thank you – all of the members of this organization – for strengthening one of the most vital relationships that our nation has – our alliance with the state of Israel." Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)also spoke to AIPAC delegates on Tuesday morning. Click here for video highlights.
Jun 2, 2008 10:53 AM
McCain Emphasizes Importance of U.S.-Israel Alliance
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Senator John McCain (R-AZ), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, opened AIPAC Policy Conference 2008 in Washington, D.C. in front of more than 6,500 pro-Israel activists from all 50 states. Click here to watch a video of Senator McCain's speech and read the transcript of his remarks. Sen. McCain said that Iran must be stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons and reaffirmed his support of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. “My friends, as the people of Israel know better than most, the safety of free people can never be taken for granted,” McCain said.
May 30, 2008 9:52 AM
AIPAC Hosts Largest-Ever Policy Conference
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
More than 7,000 activists, students and scholars from all 50 states will head to the nation’s capital on June 2-4 for the pro-Israel community’s premier annual event: the AIPAC Policy Conference. “At a time of unprecedented challenge and opportunity in the Middle East, this is our opportunity to come to Washington and join with other Americans who share our passion for the U.S.-Israel relationship to ensure that our voices are heard in Congress,” said AIPAC President Howard Friedman. Headlining this year’s conference – the largest ever – will be...
May 29, 2008 1:20 PM
U.S. Urges Search for Additional Syrian Nuclear Sites
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Bush administration is pressing U.N. inspectors to broaden their search for secret nuclear sites in Syria, hinting that Damascus' nuclear program might be more expansive than the reactor destroyed by Israel last year, The Washington Post reported. At least three sites have been identified by U.S. officials and passed along to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is negotiating with Syria for permission to conduct inspections in the country. "Do not assume that Al Kibar exhausted our knowledge of Syrian efforts with regard to nuclear weapons," CIA Director Michael Hayden said.
May 27, 2008 10:17 AM
IAEA: Iran Owes "Substantial Explanations" on Nuclear Work
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday accused Iran of a willful lack of cooperation in answering questions about military activities related to its illicit nuclear program, The New York Times reported. In a nine-page report, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog expressed "serious concern" over indications that the Iranian military has played a key role in the country's nuclear program and that research had ventured into explosives, uranium processing and a missile warhead design — activities associated with nuclear weapons.
May 23, 2008 10:37 AM
EU to Blacklist Major Iranian Bank for Nuclear Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a move that could drastically curtail Iranian business with European countries, the European Union (EU) is poised to sanction Bank Melli, Iran's largest bank, for its role in supporting the Islamic Republic's illicit nuclear program, Reuters reported. Bank Melli, which has already been sanctioned by the United States, is one of the major vehicles through which money is channeled between Iran and the EU. As Tehran presses ahead with its efforts to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons – the United States and its allies are looking for additional ways to isolate Iran.
May 22, 2008 8:14 AM
Suicide Bomber Blows Up Truck at Gaza Crossing
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A Palestinian suicide bomber on Thursday blew up an explosives-laden truck at a border crossing used to transfer medical patients to and from Gaza, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "The attempted attack this morning at Erez Crossing Point should demonstrate to the international community that, while it demands that Israel take care of the situation in Gaza and open the crossing points, Hamas, which controls Gaza, is not interested in improving the lives of the population and doesn't take even minimal responsibility for Gazan residents," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.
May 21, 2008 12:44 PM
Israel: UNIFIL Not Preventing Hizballah Rearmament
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
When French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner visits Jerusalem later this week, Israel is expected to air complaints on UNIFIL's failure to prevent the terrorist army Hizballah's rearmament, The Jerusalem Post reported. France has the third largest UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) contingent, after Italy and Germany. "Everyone knows that the national army is too weak to take Hizballah on, and UNIFIL forces pretend not to see anything," said Ali al-Amin, an anti-Hizballah mufti in Lebanon.
May 21, 2008 8:58 AM
Diplomats Call U.N. Probe of Iran Nukes a Failure
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Diplomats associated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday that the U.N. nuclear watchdog has failed in its latest attempts to investigate Iran's illicit nuclear program, the Associated Press reported. In a report due to be released in the coming days, the IAEA will admit that Iran has stymied its efforts to probe intelligence revealing Iranian research into high-explosives and sophisticated warheads meant to carry a nuclear device, according to the diplomats.
May 20, 2008 12:57 PM
Report: Iran Could Spark Regional Nuclear Arms Race
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A prominent think tank on Tuesday said that Iran’s illicit nuclear program has generated interest in atomic energy across the Middle East, warning that such a trend could spark a regional nuclear arms race, the Associated Press reported. "If Tehran's nuclear program is unchecked, there is reason for concern that it could in time prompt a regional cascade of proliferation among Iran's neighbors," said a report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
May 20, 2008 9:06 AM
Hamas: Truce Doesn't Mean End to Attacks on Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Despite signs of a truce between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza, a senior Hamas official said on Monday that Israel is mistaken if it thinks a cease-fire agreement would mean an end to "resistance operations," The Jerusalem Post reported. "The confrontation with the [Israeli] occupation will continue despite the talk about a tahdiyah [calm]," Osama Hamdan said. "As far as Hamas is concerned, all options remain open." Hamdan's statement echoes an earlier threat by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who referred to a truce as a temporary "tactic" in Hamas' war against the Jewish state.
May 19, 2008 1:51 PM
Pelosi: More ‘Proactive’ Steps Needed Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the United States must exercise more “proactive” measures to stop Iran’s nuclear program and should make clear that America’s relations with other countries would be conditioned on their policies with respect to Iran, The Jerusalem Post reported. “People have to know you are deadly serious that if you want to be our friend, if you want the benefit of our friendship, a central pillar of our foreign policy is to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” Pelosi said on Sunday during her trip to Israel in honor of its 60th anniversary.
May 19, 2008 10:11 AM
Bush: Iran, Syria Spoiling Hopes for Mideast Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
During an address in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, President Bush on Sunday slammed Iran and Syria for supporting terrorism, and pressed Arab states to isolate Tehran as it continues its drive for nuclear weapons, The Washington Post reported. "Every peaceful nation in the region has an interest in stopping these nations from supporting terrorism," Bush said. "And every peaceful nation in the region has an interest in opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. To allow the world's leading sponsor of terror to gain the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations."
May 16, 2008 12:00 AM
Bush to Knesset: "Masada Shall Never Fall Again"
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In Israel to celebrate the Jewish state’s 60th anniversary, President Bush on Thursday addressed the Knesset, telling Israeli leaders that the United States is “proud to be Israel’s closest ally and best friend in the world,” The Jerusalem Post reported. “I have been fortunate to see the character of Israel up close,” he said. "And earlier today, I visited Masada, an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: ‘Masada shall never fall again.’ Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will be at your side.”
May 15, 2008 11:37 AM
As Bush, Olmert Talk Peace, Rockets Pound Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Just hours after President Bush arrived in Israel on Wednesday, an Iranian-made Katyusha rocket slammed into a shopping mall in the city of Ashkelon, wounding dozens of people, including a two-year-old girl, The New York Times reported. Israeli police commander Maj. Gen. Uriel Bar-Lev said bomb experts had determined that the rocket "has Iranian fingerprints on it." The attack on Ashkelon came less than a week after Hamas rocket and mortar attacks killed two Israelis in towns within firing range of the Gaza Strip.
May 14, 2008 1:15 PM
In Israel, Bush Praises Strong U.S.-Israel Bond
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Arriving in Israel to celebrate the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, President Bush on Wednesday paid tribute to the strong ties between the United States and Israel, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "We're proud to reaffirm the friendship of our peoples, and we're delighted to join you in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel," the president said. "Our two nations both faced great challenges when they were founded, and our two nations have both relied on the same principles to help us succeed...and we've built an enduring alliance to confront terrorists and tyrants."
May 13, 2008 9:53 AM
Bush Calls Iran 'Single Biggest Threat' to Mideast Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President George W. Bush on Monday called Iran the "biggest long-term threat to peace in the Middle East," Agence France Presse reported. In an interview with Israeli journalists, the president called Tehran an "incredibly negative influence" for its continued defiance of U.N. Security Council demands that it halt its drive for nuclear weapons, and its support for the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizballah. Iran has stepped up efforts to smuggle weapons to Hamas terrorists in Gaza and has supplied the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah with missiles capable of striking deep within Israel.
May 12, 2008 10:48 AM
Hamas Rockets Kill Two Israelis, Target Schoolchildren
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An Israeli father of three was killed in a Hamas mortar attack on Friday, as dozens of Palestinian rockets pounded the Jewish state, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. This weekend, two Hamas rocket attacks also targeted Israeli schoolchildren – one rocket exploded near a school bus in Sderot, shattering its windows and sending three children to the hospital; another barrage struck Ashkelon in an area where several schools and kindergartens are located. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas has turned the coastal area into a base for launching attacks at the Jewish state.
May 9, 2008 10:28 AM
Hizballah Terrorists Seize Control in Beirut
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah took control of the Muslim part of Beirut on Friday, following days of sectarian gun battles that killed 11 people and wounded 30 others, Reuters reported. Hizballah chief Hassan Nasrallah accused Lebanon's democratically elected government of declaring war by threatening to dismantle a secret telecommunications network used to illegally intercept phone conversations. Hizballah installed the system, with Iranian assistance, following its recent war with Israel.
May 8, 2008 8:13 AM
Ahmadinejad: Israel "On its Way to Annihilation"
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary on Thursday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad branded the Jewish state a "stinking corpse," doomed to disappear, Agence France Presse reported. "Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken," Ahmadinejad said. "Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation." Iran has consistently refused to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state in the Middle East.
May 7, 2008 9:35 AM
Israel Remembers Fallen Soldiers, Renews Hope for Peace
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Israelis marked a solemn Memorial Day, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday said the Jewish state's "hope for real peace with all our neighbors was and will remain the most central aspect of our lives in this blood-soaked land," the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. Israel mourned the 22,437 people who have died defending the land of Israel since 1860—when the first Jews moved outside of Jerusalem's walls—including 65 citizens who were killed in the past year.
May 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Hizballah Rearms with Iranian, Syrian Weapons
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Nearly two years since its war with Israel, the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has more than doubled the size and scope of its rocket arsenal with weapons smuggled from Iran and Syria, and can now strike Tel Aviv with ease, The Los Angeles Times reported. Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has boasted of his group's ability to strike anywhere in the Jewish state, and other Hizballah officials have touted their close strategic ties with Tehran.
May 5, 2008 12:24 PM
Despite Incentives Offer, Iran Rejects Nuclear Halt
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran on Monday said it would not accept any incentives package from world powers if the offer required Tehran to stop enriching uranium—a key step toward developing nuclear weapons. Reuters reported. "Those incentives that violate the Iranian nation's right [to nuclear technology] in any form will not be reviewed by the Islamic state," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini. In 2006, Tehran rejected an incentives proposal offered by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – and Germany.
May 5, 2008 12:24 PM
Aid Deliveries Halted as Terrorists Attack Convoy
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Israel attempted to transfer food and fuel to civilians in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian terrorists fired mortar shells at the aid convoy, forcing a halt to deliveries through the Karni border crossing and the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, The Jerusalem Post reported. Police said that approximately 50 trucks carrying essential supplies were forced to turn back as a result of the attack. The European Union, the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority have blamed the terrorist group Hamas for "aggravating the humanitarian situation" in Gaza by stealing fuel and attacking border crossings.
May 2, 2008 11:25 AM
Rice: Iran’s Claim to Seek Civilian Nuclear Power 'Suspect'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday said she doubted Iran's claim that its nuclear program serves strictly civilian purposes, noting that Tehran's insistence on enriching uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons – contradicts that goal, the Associated Press reported. "I continue to suspect this is not at all about a civil nuclear program," Rice said. "One has to wonder what is going on here."
May 2, 2008 8:39 AM
Quartet to Arab States: Honor Pledges to Palestinians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The members of the Middle East Quartet – the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia – insisted on Friday that Arab states honor their financial and political pledges to help the Palestinian Authority (PA), Reuters reported. Of $717.1 million promised to the PA by Arab League members, only $153.2 million has been delivered. One senior U.S. official criticized the lack of action, calling the contributions from the oil-rich Arab states “woefully short.”
May 1, 2008 8:35 AM
As Israel Mourns, Hamas Blames Jews for Holocaust
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
As Israel on Thursday marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, a new report revealed that Hamas' Al Aqsa television station recently aired a documentary blaming Jewish leaders for orchestrating the death of six million of their own people, The Jerusalem Post reported. "The Satanic Jews thought up an evil plot to be rid of the burden of disabled and handicapped in twisted criminal ways," Hamas' documentary explains. "They were sent [by the Jews to die] so there would be a Holocaust, so Israel could 'play' it for world sympathy."
Apr 30, 2008 8:17 AM
Rice: Hamas Serving as Iran's 'Proxy Warriors'
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Describing an Iranian and Syrian-supported "belt of extremism" stretching across the Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that Hamas terrorists are serving as the "proxy warriors" for an Iran bent on destroying Israel, Agence France Presse reported. "Perhaps of deepest concern, the leaders of Hamas are increasingly serving as the proxy warriors of an Iranian regime that is destabilizing the region, seeking a nuclear capability and proclaiming its desire to destroy Israel," Rice said.
Apr 29, 2008 1:25 PM
Hamas Terrorists Steal Fuel Meant for Gaza Residents
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The head of the Palestinian Authority's gas agency confirmed Tuesday that the terrorist group Hamas stole at least 15,000 gallons of fuel destined for Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. "They took control of the fuel and fired toward the terminal in order to torpedo the flow of fuel to the Strip," gas agency head Mojahed Salam said. The European Union recently blamed Hamas for "aggravating the humanitarian situation" in Gaza, and condemned the terrorist group for a string of deadly attacks on humanitarian corridors.
Apr 29, 2008 1:25 PM
CIA: Syrian Nuclear Site Could Have Produced Fuel for Two Nukes
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
CIA Director Michael Hayden said on Monday that the secret Syrian nuclear reactor damaged beyond repair in September would have produced enough plutonium for making one or two bombs within a year of becoming operational, Reuters reported. Hayden's remarks come days after U.S. officials publicly disclosed detailed photographs of the Syrian reactor, built with the help of North Korea.
Apr 29, 2008 1:25 PM
EU Set to Blacklist Top Iranian Bank for Nuclear Role
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a move that could drastically curtail Iranian business with European countries, the European Union (EU) is poised to sanction Bank Melli, Iran's largest bank, for its role in supporting the Islamic Republic's illicit nuclear program, The Jerusalem Post reported. The addition of Bank Melli, which has already been sanctioned by the United States, is significant because the bank is one of the major vehicles through which business between Iran and the EU is channeled.
Apr 28, 2008 12:14 PM
Hamas: Cease-Fire a 'Tactic' in War Against Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Saturday that his terrorist group would accept a cease-fire with Israel, but only as a temporary "tactic" in its long-term war against the Jewish state, the Associated Press reported. "It is a tactic in conducting the struggle," Mashaal told Al-Jazeera. "It is normal for any resistance... to sometimes escalate, other times retreat a bit... Hamas is known for that. In 2003, there was a cease-fire and then the operations were resumed." The Damascus-based terror chief warned of more violence if Israel rejected his truce offer.
Apr 25, 2008 12:55 PM
United States Reveals Covert Syrian Nuclear Activity
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The White House on Thursday released detailed photographs of a secret Syrian nuclear reactor, built with the help of North Korea, that was weeks away from operation, The New York Times reported. "We are convinced, based on a variety of information, that North Korea assisted Syria's covert nuclear activities," the White House statement said. "We have good reason to believe that reactor, which was damaged beyond repair on Sept. 6 of last year, was not intended for peaceful purposes."
Apr 25, 2008 10:07 AM
Palestinian Terrorists Kill Two Israelis at Industrial Park
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One week after the Israel Defense Forces removed a security checkpoint at the entrance to an industrial park, two Israeli civiliansecurity guards were killed there in a shooting attack claimed by the terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. The gunmen had initially intended to infiltrate Israel but returned to the industrial complex after they were unable to penetrate the security barrier. The industrial zone, near the West Bank city of Tul Karm, provides jobs to hundreds of Palestinians in the area.
Apr 24, 2008 12:30 PM
Congress Reaffirms Strength of U.S.-Israel Alliance
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In a landmark display of U.S. friendship to Israel, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed resolutions recognizing the 60th anniversary of Israel's birth and reaffirming the close ties between the United States and Israel. In the Senate, the resolution (S. Res 522) was cosponsored by the entire chamber and passed by unanimous consent. The House approved its version (H. Res. 322) by a resounding vote of 417-0. The Speaker of the House, who traditionally does not cosponsor legislation, joined Democratic and Republican House leaders as a lead sponsor of the bill.
Apr 24, 2008 12:30 PM
U.N. Chief Calls for Hizballah Disarmament
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday warned that Lebanon will not be a fully sovereign, democratic state until the terrorist army Hizballah is disbanded, the Associated Press reported. "In this context, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which maintain close ties with the party, bear a significant responsibility in supporting such a process, for the sake of both Lebanon's and the wider region's security, stability and welfare," Ban said.
Apr 23, 2008 11:13 AM
Iran: Nuclear Pursuit Will Not be Stopped
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Amid international calls for heightened sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday said Tehran would "slap on the mouth" any countries demanding it suspend its nuclear program, Reuters reported. The Iranian president's comments come one day after U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Tehran is "hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons" and is "a destabilizing force throughout the Middle East and Southwest Asia." Iran has rebuffed multiple binding U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend its atomic work.
Apr 22, 2008 11:23 AM
Hamas Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Aid Crossing
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In an effort to create a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Hamas suicide bombers on Saturday drove three explosives-laden vehicles into the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is used primarily to transfer aid to Palestinians, The New York Times reported. Three bombers were killed in the blasts and 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded. The attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing follows a string of recent attacks on other humanitarian corridors and energy supply lines serving Palestinian civilians.
Apr 22, 2008 11:23 AM
Hamas Chief: We Will Not Recognize Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Contradicting former President Jimmy Carter’s claim that Hamas is prepared to accept Israel’s right to “live as a neighbor next door in peace,” Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stressed that his group would never recognize the Jewish state, the Associated Press reported. “We agree to a [Palestinian Arab] state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements but without recognizing Israel,” Mashaal said. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said it is clear that “there is certainly no change in Hamas’ position.”
Apr 18, 2008 10:14 AM
Iran Smuggling Advanced Weapons into Gaza by Sea
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran has stepped up its efforts to smuggle arms to Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip by using floatable devices that it drops near the waters off the Gaza coast to be picked up by fisherman, The Jerusalem Post reported. The report comes as 10 rockets, including one long-range Katyusha rocket, pounded southern Israel on Friday. In recent months, the IDF has noticed an increase in smuggling of Iranian-made weaponry to the Gaza Strip, including advanced Katyusha-style rockets and longer-range mortars, both by sea and through underground tunnels across the Egyptian border.
Apr 17, 2008 10:50 AM
IDF Foils Terror Attack at Gaza Aid Crossing
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Elite Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers on Thursday foiled an attempted Palestinian terror attack at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. The attack on the crossing, which is normally used to transport humanitarian supplies to Gaza residents, follows a string of recent attacks on other humanitarian corridors and energy supply lines serving Palestinian civilians. The U.N. last week criticized the terrorist group Hamas for deliberately depriving Gaza’s population of fuel.
Apr 16, 2008 1:17 PM
U.N. Security Council Calls for Disarming Hizballah
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday called for the disarmament of the terrorist army Hizballah in Lebanon and reaffirmed the ban on arms transfers to Lebanon-based terrorist groups, the Associated Press reported. The Council also noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s concerns over weapons smuggling and Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah's "threats of open war against Israel." With Iranian backing, the terrorist army has dramatically increased the size and range of its rocket arsenal and can now strike most of Israel with ease.
Apr 15, 2008 9:59 AM
Israel to Connect to U.S. Missile Early Warning System
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States will connect Israel to its ballistic missile early warning system in order to defend the Jewish state from an attack by Iran, Agence France Presse reported. A senior Israeli defense official said on Monday that the U.S. had agreed to Israel’s request to connect to the early warning system, which first benefited the Jewish state in 1991 when Iraq fired dozens of Scud missiles at it. Iranian missiles can already strike anywhere in Israel, and U.N. nuclear experts have obtained documents detailing clandestine efforts by Iran to develop nuclear warheads for those missiles.
Apr 14, 2008 12:49 PM
U.N. Says Hamas Seizes Gaza Fuel Supplies
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A U.N. official on Monday said that the terrorist group Hamas is holding back the distribution of several hundred thousand gallons of fuel in the Gaza Strip, Agence France Presse reported. Hamas' theatrics come less than a week after Palestinian terrorists attacked the only Israeli fuel terminal serving the Gaza Strip and killed two Israelis working for Palestinian welfare. "Hamas is trying to create a false fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip," an Israeli official said. "They want to create long lines for gas and a feeling that Israel is tightening the siege on Gaza, although this is not the case."
Apr 14, 2008 12:49 PM
Hizballah Vows to Take Battle to Israel’s ‘Backyard’
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
In recent weeks, the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has devised new battle plans to launch cross-border raids into Israel and has mounted a massive recruitment and training drive, The Christian Science Monitor reported. “The holy fighters are completely focused on the next war, even ignoring families and friends,” said one Hizballah member. “They are just waiting for the next war.” With Iranian backing, Hizballah has dramatically increased the size and range of its rocket arsenal and can now strike most of Israel with ease.
Apr 11, 2008 10:14 AM
Report: Photos Reveal Secret Iranian Missile Site
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
New satellite photographs have uncovered the secret site where Iran is suspected of developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets as far away as Europe, Britain’s Times reported. The photographs show that Iran is disguising its missile development as a space program, much like North Korea did over the last decade. The revelation comes weeks after U.N. nuclear experts obtained documents detailing a years-long, clandestine effort by Iran to use civilian experts as cover for nuclear warhead research.
Apr 10, 2008 11:38 AM
Hamas in Massive Arms Buildup, Study Says
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A new study says Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip are engaged in the broadest and most significant military buildup in their history with help from Syria and Iran, The New York Times reported. The study, carried out by the Israel-based Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, says that Hamas has about 20,000 terrorists it can mobilize under arms, including a special suicide bomb unit. Hamas has smuggled 80 tons of explosives since last summer, as well as long-range rockets and advanced anti-tank weapons similar to those used by the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah.
Apr 10, 2008 11:38 AM
Terrorists Attack Gaza Fuel Source, Kill Two Israelis
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One day after Hamas threatened an "explosion" for Israel, Palestinian terrorists on Tuesday launched a mortar attack on a fuel depot supplying energy to the Gaza Strip, killing two Israeli civilians and injuring several others, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. The attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, the only source of fuel for the civilian Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, resembled previous attempts to destroy the Ashkelon power facility, another key source of energy for residents of the coastal territory.
Apr 9, 2008 12:11 PM
Terrorists Attack Fuel Depot, Kill Two Israeli Civilians
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One day after Hamas threatened an "explosion" for Israel, Palestinian terrorists on Tuesday launched a mortar attack on a fuel depot supplying energy to the Gaza Strip, killing two Israeli civilians and injuring several others, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "Terrorists entered Nahal Oz and the fuel depot," an IDF spokeswoman said. "They shot at civilians inside. There are two Israelis dead and two wounded." Diplomats said the shooting took place when terrorists raided a border crossing after Israel facilitated the delivery of EU-funded fuel to Gaza’s main power plant.
Apr 9, 2008 12:11 PM
Iran Announces Fivefold Increase in Nuclear Abilities
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday announced that the Islamic Republic had dramatically increased its capacity to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons, Iran's Fars News Agency reported. "Today we have started the installation of 6,000 new centrifuges," Ahmadinejad said during a visit to the Natanz nuclear facility. "The capacity of these new machines...is five times greater than the current machines." Responding to Ahmadinejad's claims, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe warned that Iran risks "further international financial and diplomatic sanctions."
Apr 8, 2008 12:39 PM
Iran Dramatically Accelerating Nuclear Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had dramatically increased its capacity to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons – by installing 6,000 centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, The New York Times reported. The United States immediately criticized the declaration. "Today’s announcement reflects the Iranian leadership’s continuing violation of international obligations and refusal to address international concerns," said Gregory L. Schulte, the United States ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Apr 8, 2008 12:39 PM
ADL: Swiss Financing Terrorism with Iran Gas Deal
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Monday sharply criticized the Swiss government for financing terrorism after Swiss energy giant EGL signed a $30 billion natural gas deal with Iran, Reuters reported. The State Department launched a legal investigation last week to examine whether the deal violates the Iran Sanctions Act, which sanctions foreign companies that invest more than $20 million in Iran’s energy sector.
Apr 7, 2008 12:54 PM
U.S., Israel Concerned over North Korea-Iran Ties
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Following reports that North Korea has transferred nuclear materials and technology to Iran, the United States on Tuesday will pressure Pyongyang to disclose its nuclear cooperation with countries in the Middle East, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. North Korea has reportedly helped build a nuclear facility in Syria, and furnished the site with technology and engineers. U.S. and Israeli officials are worried that North Korea could be doing even more to boost Iran's illicit nuclear program.
Apr 4, 2008 11:33 AM
Iran Rapidly Accelerating Its Nuclear Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Iran has secretly assembled hundreds of advanced centrifuges that dramatically improve its ability to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons, the Associated Press reported. According to diplomats affiliated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has installed more than 300 of the superior machines at underground facilities, able to cut in half the time Iran needs to produce fuel for a nuclear weapon. Iran refuses to answer questions relating to clandestine research, and has rebuffed multiple binding U.N. resolutions demanding a halt to its nuclear work.
Apr 4, 2008 11:33 AM
U.S.: "No Reason" to Attend U.N. Racism Conference
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The United States on Thursday said it sees "no reason at this point" to attend the 2009 U.N. conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, as it is likely to become a platform for anti-Semitism, Agence France Presse reported. "Unfortunately, some bad ideas don't ever seem to die," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters. The United States, Canada and Israel condemned the U.N.'s first World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban in 2001, after it degenerated into an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. forum.
Apr 4, 2008 11:33 AM
U.S. Diplomats: Iran Could Spark Mideast Arms Race
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
American diplomats in Saudi Arabia have told an important Senate committee that a nuclear-armed Iran would likely drive Saudi Arabia and other Muslim states in the region to develop their own nuclear weapons, the Associated Press reported. According to the diplomats' report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the next two or three years will be critical in determining the course of arms proliferation in the region.
Apr 3, 2008 8:51 AM
Al-Qaeda No. 2: We’ll Do Our Best to Harm Jews
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Al-Qaeda Deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri on Wednesday called for terrorist attacks against Jews worldwide, The Jerusalem Post reported. "We promise our Muslim brothers that we will do the best we can to harm Jews in Israel and the world over, with Allah's help and according to his command," Zawahiri said in a conversation released on Islamist Web sites. Since the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda has carried out suicide bombings worldwide, and the group continues to pose a threat to the United States and Israel.
Apr 2, 2008 10:12 AM
Treasury Says International Sanctions Isolating Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Treasury's Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey said on Tuesday that the world's top banks have largely cut ties with Iran in response to U.S. and U.N. sanctions, Reuters reported. "In reaction to U.S. and multilateral actions, the world's leading financial institutions have largely stopped dealing with Iran, and especially Iranian banks, in any currency," Levey said in testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.
Apr 1, 2008 10:44 AM
Child Puppet 'Kills' President Bush on Hamas TV
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Sunday aired a children’s program on its television network featuring a child puppet stabbing President Bush to death, the Associated Press reported. The child calls the president a criminal, saying, "I have to take my revenge with this sword of Islam." After telling the president that the White House has been turned into a mosque, the child stabs the president to death. Children's programs on Hamas TV often preach incitement against the United States, Israel and Jews.
Mar 31, 2008 12:15 PM
CIA Chief Says Iran Pursuing Nuclear Weapons
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Saying he believes Iran wants nuclear weapons, CIA chief Michael Hayden said on Sunday that Tehran’s continued defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions shows it has something to hide, Agence France Presse reported. The Iranians would not pay that price "if they did not have at a minimum... the desire to keep the option open to develop a nuclear weapon," and to produce "fissile material not under international control," Hayden said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. Iran has rebuffed multiple binding U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend its nuclear activities.
Mar 31, 2008 12:15 PM
Israel Takes Steps to Ease Palestinian Movement
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israel announced on Sunday its intention to remove about 50 roadblocks in the West Bank in order to ease Palestinian movement and bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, The New York Times reported. During a meeting with Secretary of State Rice, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also approved the delivery of non-lethal equipment, armored cars and logistical gear and the deployment of 700 Palestinian Authority (PA) police personnel in Jenin, in an effort to strengthen PA security forces.
Mar 27, 2008 9:22 AM
Palestinian Rockets Pound Southern Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian terrorists on Wednesday fired more than 15 Qassam rockets at southern Israel, injuring two Israeli civilians, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. Palestinian sniper fire also wounded an Israeli working on a kibbutz near the border with the Gaza Strip. The rocket attacks coincide with reports that the terrorist group Islamic Jihad has begun manufacturing longer-range, high-explosive rockets similar to the Grad-Katyusha rockets that have already struck as far away as the industrial city of Ashkelon, home to 120,000 civilians and critical infrastructure.
Mar 27, 2008 9:22 AM
Hizballah Rockets Now Threaten Most of Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
With Iranian backing, the Lebanon-based terrorist army Hizballah has dramatically increased the range of its rocket arsenal and can now strike most of Israel with ease, the Associated Press reported. Senior Israeli defense officials said on Wednesday that Hizballah has acquired new Iranian rockets with a range of about 185 miles, a distance that extends beyond Israel's heavily populated center and reaches as far south as the desert city of Dimona.
Mar 26, 2008 3:38 PM
Israel Nabs Mastermind of Passover Massacre
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Israeli security forces on Wednesday arrested a senior Hamas commander responsible for the March 2002 “Passover Massacre,” a horrific suicide bombing in the coastal city of Netanya that killed 30 civilians and wounded 143, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. Omar Jabar was arrested in the Tulkarem area of the West Bank, where he was a regional leader of the terrorist organization, according to a Hamas statement. The Passover Massacre was the deadliest terrorist attack during the Palestinian campaign of violence that began in 2000.
Mar 26, 2008 11:08 AM
U.S. Monitors: PA Not Fighting Terrorism
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The U.S. officials responsible for monitoring Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the Road Map peace plan criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) for failing to effectively fight terrorism, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. The PA has merely attempted to contain rather than eradicate terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank, refusing to directly confront Hamas and other terrorist groups, the officials said. Israel faces enormous difficulty in negotiating peace with a PA that is not committed to reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Mar 25, 2008 10:00 AM
Nasrallah: "Israel Can Be Eliminated"
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Echoing Iran's threat to wipe Israel off the map, the leader of the terrorist army Hizballah said on Monday that his organization's targeting of civilian centers has made it possible for the Jewish state to be "eliminated," The New York Sun reported. "Can Israel be eliminated?" terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah asked Hizballah supporters in Beirut. "Yes and a thousand yeses, Israel can be eliminated." During the summer of 2006, Hizballah fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians in fighting ended by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for the terrorist army’s disarmament.
Mar 24, 2008 10:17 AM
Cheney Affirms 'Unshakeable' Commitment to Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday demanded a halt to Palestinian rocket fire and reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support for Israel as it pursues peace with the Palestinians, Agence France Presse reported. "A difficult but immutable truth must continue to be told: Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said during a visit to Ramallah.
Mar 21, 2008 3:50 PM
Palestinian Textbooks Rife with Anti-Semitism
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian textbooks are still rife with anti-Semitic passages and anti-Israel themes, according to a report released this week, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. The study, commissioned by the American Jewish Committee and the Center for Monitoring Peace in the Middle East, examined 42 textbooks used in grades 11 and 12 and found that most maps do not include Israel and that the historic Jewish connection to certain holy places is not mentioned.
Mar 21, 2008 10:44 AM
U.S. Takes Major Coordinated Action Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
The Treasury Department on Thursday issued a warning to U.S. banks that Iran is using "an array of deceptive practices" to hide its involvement in nuclear proliferation and terrorist activities, the Associated Press reported. The statement, released by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, said Iran is employing the secretive measures in order to evade financial sanctions. The announcement coincides with a notice from the State Department that vessels arriving at U.S. ports after recent visits to Iran will be closely scrutinized as Iran does not maintain effective anti-terrorism measures.
Mar 20, 2008 10:12 AM
Explosion Kills Hamas Terrorists Planning Attack
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
While handling explosives meant to be used against Israeli civilians, Hamas terrorists on Thursday accidentally set off a large blast at a training camp in the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported. The explosion left two Hamas members dead and another wounded. Hamas admitted the accident, saying the men died while performing a "holy mission." Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Hamas terrorists there have overseen a massive arms buildup, turning the coastal area into a base for launching attacks at the Jewish state.