What is happening in the world June 1 - 7 2010!!

[Shammu]

Trade flourishes as Syria befriends old foe Turkey

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis Khaled Yacoub Oweis   – Fri Jun 4, 11:20 am ET

ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) – Turkish delicacies are unashamedly on display in Syria's culinary capital. Aleppo merchants are switching to imports from Turkey, and buses ferry shoppers to an upscale mall across the border.

A warming of once-chilly Turkish-Syrian ties has unleashed a one-way trade boom. A trade deal activated two years ago has cut tariffs and reduced smuggling. Visa requirements were abolished.

Turkey's popularity in Syria soared after an Israeli raid on Gaza-bound aid ships in which nine Turks were killed on May 31.

"Turkey now has a stake in the Palestinian cause, and Syria stands to gain," a diplomat said. "It will be more difficult for Israel to launch any military action against Syria."

The furor over the flotilla interception has also deflected attention from Israeli and U.S. pressure on Damascus over its alleged arms supplies to the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group.

Syrians have traditionally looked askance at their powerful northern neighbor, which ruled them during the Ottoman Empire, but many are now seeing secular Muslim Turkey, a NATO member with an Islamist-leaning government, in a new light.

"It's time to shed the stigma we have had about Turkey. They're no longer Ottoman, but a development model for the Arab East," said Abdelqader al-Deiri, a Syrian businessman who now buys restaurant equipment from Turkey instead of Europe.

"Transport costs are lower, but Turkish goods do not compete on price alone. They make high quality," added Deiri, who often vacations in Turkey. His eight-year-old son is learning Turkish.

"We have to admit that the Turks make better sweets than us. The pistachios and butter are better, so is the workmanship," he said, munching on a baklava slice from Gaziantep.

Viewing Syria as a gateway to the Middle East, Turkey has moved in recent years to solve old disputes with Arab governments while becoming more critical toward Israel.

Ankara mediated indirect Syria-Israel peace talks that were broken off when Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in 2008.

"Syria is an important country as a growing market, a promising economic partner, plus it has an important place in regional issues," Turkish ambassador Omer Onhon told Reuters. "So it's only natural that our relations have improved."

Yet the two countries, on opposing sides in the Cold War, came to the brink of conflict in 1998 over Syrian support for the PKK, a separatist Turkish Kurd guerrilla group. Work on demining the 800 km (500 mile) border began only two years ago.

Syria previously complained that Turkish upstream dams had worsened its water shortage. It long upheld a territorial claim against Turkey, which was awarded the province of Alexandretta (Iskenderun) by France in 1939 when Syria was under French rule.

Syrian maps still show the border province as part of Syria, but the government has indicated that a solution is possible.

Under Western pressure, Turkey has expanded the rights of its Kurdish minority in recent years, although clashes with the PKK continue. Syria has kept its own one million Kurds on a tight rein, denying citizenship to a substantial number of them.

The easing of Syrian-Turkish trade restrictions, however, is helping revive Aleppo, which has a big Kurdish population.

The once-cosmopolitan entrepot had been a prime casualty of the decades of border tensions that cut the city off from its natural hinterland in what is modern-day Turkey.

Turkish businessmen fill Aleppo hotels, eager to sell consumer goods to Syrians starved of them under the country's previous socialist-style economic policies.

Joint ventures, mostly in jeans and textiles, with Turkish companies make up half of the $650 million investments at the nearby Sheikh Najar industrial zone, according to official data, but overall Turkish investment in Syria remains miniscule.

"Syria is a truly virgin market for us," said Bilge Pakis, an engineer at Turkish waterpark specialist Polin, which operates in 70 countries.

ECONOMIC DISPARITY

Syrian presidential aide Hassan Turkmani said ties with Turkey had helped Damascus overcome Western attempts to isolate it, but acknowledged the challenges in befriending a powerhouse with an economy 10 times as big as Syria's.

Turkish exports to Syria, ranging from construction material to white goods and electronics, rose to $1.4 billion in 2009 from $1.1 billion the previous year. Syrian exports in return, mostly of oil, almost halved to $328 million in the same period.

"Syria has the potential and if we can learn from the Turkish experience and adopt the technology we can become competitive," Turkmani said.

The burgeoning relationship with Turkey may also have encouraged Syria to snub an economic deal with the European Union that could have forced the government, controlled by the Baath Party since 1963, to discuss its treatment of political prisoners and reforms to the legal system.

Syria cited interference in internal affairs and potential economic damage as reasons for refusing to sign the deal last year. But not everyone sees this as a good thing.

"What we would have lost to the European Union we are now losing to Turkey," one Syrian businessman said.

Last year the two countries signed 50 protocols ranging from energy to transport, which will consolidate Turkey's push. Turkish officials, keen to see Syria ease container truck congestion at the border, say progress has been slow.

"Trade has been to our advantage. But more Turkish investments will come and Syrian labor is starting to go to Turkey," one of the officials said.

Syrian businessman Fahed Tfenkji said Syrian companies could not rely only on lower labor costs to attract Turkish partners.

"A Turkish company comes and is pleased with the operation for the first six months," he said. "But unfortunately the Syrian partner often cannot sustain the quality."

Trade flourishes as Syria befriends old foe Turkey

[Shammu]

Turkish diplomat warns break with Israel possible

By Desmond Butler, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jun 4, 1:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Turkey's ambassador to Washington is warning that his country could be forced to break off relations with Israel unless it apologizes for the deadly commando raid against an aid ship.

In a meeting with reporters Friday, Namik Tan outlined three Turkish demands on Israel including a public apology. He said that Israel must also accept a credible independent investigation of the raid and end its blockade against Gaza.

When asked if Turkey might break off relations, Tan cited the high emotions of the Turkish public about the raid.

He said: "We don't want this to go to that point." But he added: "The government might be forced to take such an action."

Tan said Turkey has been a friend to Israel, adding: "It is about to lose that friend."

Turkish diplomat warns break with Israel possible
~~~~~~~~~~~

My note;

The war of Ezekiel 38 & 39 is closing in, and Turkey will be against Israel. So does this news surprise me, no it doesn't, for it has already been foretold, and Israel will win.

[Shammu]

Is flotilla battle signaling start of 'Gog and Magog'?
Council of Judea announces result will be 'third and final redemption'
Posted: June 04, 2010
12:35 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

A council of rabbis in Israel says their nation's conflict with Turkey over a flotilla of "aid" ships headed for the blockaded Gaza Strip controlled by the terrorist Hamas organization just may be the beginning of the "Gog and Magog process where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption."

The announcement comes today from the Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria, whose statement was reported by Israel National News.

WND columnist Greg Laurie just months ago explained the biblical reference to Gog and Magog, in the book of Ezekiel, as a prophecy that a "large force," will attack Israel from the north.

"We don't know why or exactly when this will take place. But this much I know: There is a lot going on in our current headlines that leads me to believe it could happen at any time," he wrote then, at the end of 2009.

This stunning analysis exposes Western readers to the traditions of Islam – and predicts the end times may not be that far away. Get "The Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast"

"What does this mean to us? A lot. When Magog and her allies attack Israel, God will intervene and decimate the armies of Magog and its allies. Because of this, the Bible tells us, the Jewish people will give glory to God. Today, many Israelis are atheists. Certainly you will find very few Jewish people who believe in Jesus as their Messiah, although there are some. But they do have a determination to return to their homeland. They realize that they can look to no other nation for their protection or security and have returned to Israel, thus fulfilling prophecy from Scripture. But when the Holy Spirit is poured out on Israel after God drives back the invading armies of Magog, the Bible predicts there will be a revival in which numerous Jewish people will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah," Laurie explained.

According to the INN, the council stated, "the legitimacy of our people is not derived from the nations of the world and their poisonous traditions, rather from the Torah of Israel which teaches us that [Israel] 'is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.'"

The council, which was assembled by Rabbi Zalman Melamed of Beit El and is supported by religious Zionist rabbis in the regions of Samaria and Judea, included a blessing for soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.

It also suggested an emergency government be developed to lead during a time of conflict.

INN explained it interprets the "Gog and Magog" reference as a "vision of a war where the world is united against Israel that will precede the final redemption of Israel and the world."

The explanation continues, "The prophecy's symbolism involves a prince called Gog of Magog, leader of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, who leads a coalition that includes Persia (Iran), Cush, Phut, Gomer, and Beit Togarmah against Israel."

According to Ezekiel 39, Israel is successful against the attackers:

And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; and I will turn thee about and lead thee on, and will cause thee to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel; and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the peoples that are with thee; I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field, to be devoured.

The INN report continued with quotes that God will have compassion on Israel, "and they shall dwell safely in their land, and none shall make them afraid."

Laurie explains that the existence of the nation of Israel, created on May 14, 1948, is a miracle in itself.

"Never has a nation been able to maintain its national identity 300 to 500 years after being from its homeland – until Israel," he wrote. "Today, one will look in vain for the descendants of the Hittite nation or the Babylonian nation, although they were major powers in the ancient world. In fact, were it not for the Bible, the Hittites never would have been remembered by history, having sunk deep into the sands of time. There was a time that scoffers ridiculed the Bible for even mentioning the Hittites, as it was thought they were a fictional people. But in the 19th century, archaeologists confirmed the accuracy of Scripture when they uncovered irrefutable evidence of the extensive Hittite empire," he said.

"You won't find any Hittites today – or Babylonians, for that matter. But not so with Israel. How did the nation survive when the mighty Hittites, Babylonians and others vanished? Because God promised they would. In his book, 'What in the World Is Going On?' David Jeremiah writes, 'The return of the Jews to Israel in 1948 was an astounding event unprecedented in world history. Never had a decimated ancient people managed to retain their individual identity through almost 20 centuries and re-establish their nation in their original homeland. This event was specifically prophesied, and it happened exactly as foretold.'"

Laurie called it a "super-sign" in history.

"Events predicted in the Bible that have already transpired include Israel's scattering; Israel's regathering; Israel's regaining of Jerusalem; Israel's isolation; and Israel's being attacked. The Bible tells us that the final conflict of humanity will be centered on Jerusalem and the Middle East," he said.

"It is really amazing when you think about the fascination with Jerusalem and Israel, yet it was predicted long ago. God has promised a blessing for those who bless Israel, and a curse on those who don't," Laurie said.

"Could these events from our headlines of today explode and culminate in the scenario we read about in the Bible? Yes, they could. Will they? I don't know. We have to be very careful in interpreting current events," Laurie said.

"But this I do know: Jesus Christ is coming back. It could happen at any time. It could happen this year or this month or this week. It could happen today," said Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., which is one of the largest churches in America.

Israel's conflict with a Turkish fleet sailing for the blockaded Gaza has turned largely around the world on reports of the "massacre" by Israelis against the "peace" activists aboard the flotilla, even though video of the event reveals otherwise.

[Shammu]

Religious leaders unite against planned Jesus cartoon

  By James Hibberd James Hibberd   – Tue Jun 1, 11:47 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – It's not on the air yet. It's not shot yet. There's no pilot yet. There might not even be a script yet.

But Comedy Central's plan to develop an animated project about Jesus Christ has the biggest names in the TV watchdog business forming a protest supergroup to preemptively smite the show.

Brent Bozell (president, Media Research Centre), Tony Perkins (president, Family Research Council), Michael Medved (talk radio host), Bill Donohue (president, Catholic League), Rabbi Daniel Lapin (American Alliance of Jews and Christians) and Tim Winter (president, Parents Television Council) are joining forces to form the Coalition Against Religious Bigotry.

Comedy Central's "JC" is in development, which means it's still a couple of steps from getting the green light as a series. The project is about Jesus trying to live as a regular guy in New York City and wanting to escape the shadow of his "powerful but apathetic father." Because Comedy Central recently censored "South Park" for its portrayals of the Prophet Muhammad, some Christian leaders see the prospect of a Jesus cartoon as proof of an offensive double standard.

CARB will hold its first press conference on Thursday to urge advertisers not to support the project, should it ever hit the air.

"After we reveal the vile and offensive nature of Comedy Central's previous characterizations of Jesus Chris and God the Father, we expect these advertisers to agree wholeheartedly to end their advertising on Comedy Central and discontinue their support for unabashed, anti-Christian discrimination," Bozell said in a statement. "Why should they be supporting a business that makes a habit of attacking Christianity and yet has a formal policy to censor anything considered offensive to followers of Islam? This double standard is pure bigotry, one from which advertisers should quickly shy away."

Comedy Central had no comment.

Religious leaders unite against planned Jesus cartoon

[Shammu]

Israeli Arabs warn of 'new intifada' after operation
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
06/01/2010 07:45

Sector calls general strike for Tuesday in protest. '

Leaders of the Arab community in Israel have warned that a “new intifada” could erupt as a result of mass demonstrations planned for Tuesday in protest of the IDF operation against the aid convoy headed to the Gaza Strip.

The leaders warned the security forces against trying to stop the protests. They also called on demonstrators to avoid violent confrontations with the police.

The National Committee for Arab Local Authorities in Israel called for a general strike in the Arab sector on Tuesday in protest against the IDF operation.

The committee strongly condemned the “piracy operation,” saying that those who were on board the ships were unarmed civilians, including representatives of the Arab community in Israel.

“This is a real crime against the human conscience,” the committee members said following an emergency meeting in Nazareth. “We hold Israel fully responsible for this crime and its repercussions, and call for an inquiry into the circumstances and to bring the perpetrators to trial.”

The committee also warned the Israeli authorities against “provoking” demonstrators during Tuesday’s general strike.

It said that Israel bears full responsibility for the safety of the Israeli Arabs who were on board of the ships, including Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement (Southern Branch); MK Haneen Zoabi (Balad); and Muhammad Zeidan, chairman of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee.

MK Ghaleb Majadle (Labor) announced on Monday evening that Salah was alive and well, and that, contrary to rumors, he hadn’t been hurt during the IDF raid.

“After contacting official parties, it has transpired that Sheikh Raed Salah is on one of the ships,” Majadle said. “He’s in good health and I have notified his supporters.”

The committee also urged Fatah and Hamas to resolve their differences and reunite to “face fateful challenges.”

Protests erupted in various places, including Umm el-Fahm, Nazareth and Sakhnin, where demonstrators burned tires and chanted slogans condemning the IDF operation.

Similar protests are also planned for Tuesday, according to several political activists and mayors in the Arab sector.

Zoabi, who was on board one of the ships, said in a telephone interview that the convoy had achieved “victory.”

Israel, she added, “does not only want to keep the blockade on the Gaza Strip, but wants this blockade to be quiet and without anyone talking about it.”

Zoabi said the confrontation between the soldiers and the activists on board the ships showed the world once again that Israel is “responsible for war crimes and is a state of occupation and repression.”

Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jaraisy called for allowing the aid ships to reach the Gaza Strip and release all those who were detained by the IDF.

“Israel has committed a crime against humanity,” he told protesters in his city. “This is an international crime that was perpetrated in a cold-blooded manner.”

MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) strongly condemned the interception of the convoy and called for organizing “demonstrations of rage.”

He described the operation as a “war crime and act of piracy that was carried out on instructions of the chief pirate, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the war criminal Ehud Barak.”

Zahalka claimed that Barak had ordered the IDF to stop the ships at any cost. “This morning, we saw what the price was,” Zahalka said. “Ehud Barak was the one who in the year 2000 issued his orders to the police to reopen the Wadi Ara highway at any price; the price then was 13 martyrs,” he said, referring to the October 2000 Arab riots in the North.

Israeli Arabs warn of 'new intifada' after operation

[Shammu]

French police urge Jews to go straight home after prayers
By JPOST.COM STAFF
06/04/2010 19:08

French police on Friday asked local Jewish leaders to conclude Saturday morning prayers earlier than usual due to a mass protest against Israel scheduled to take place in Paris that same day.

Protest marches will also be held throughout the French capital, even in the city's Jewish neighborhoods.

Fearing clashes between protesters and Jewish worshipers leaving the synagogue after the prayers, police asked the Jewish leaders to tell their congregants to return to their homes after praying and avoid the streets until the demonstrations end.

French police urge Jews to go straight home after prayers

[Shammu]

Ahmadinejad: 'Cut Off' Israel's Hands
 By ASSOCIATED PRESS
06/01/2010 12:55

Ahmadinejad calls for strong UNSC resolution over flotilla raid.

The Iranian president on Tuesday demanded a strong UN Security Council resolution against Israel over its raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.

In a speech broadcast live on state TV, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution that would "cut off" Israel's hands, thus preventing it from committing more "crimes."

At least nine people were killed when Israeli navy commandos raided the Gaza-bound flotilla Monday.

The UN Security Council called Tuesday for an "impartial" investigation of Israel's raid after an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations that lasted nearly 12 hours. It was weaker than what was initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey.

"I ask the Security Council to keep the crimes of the Zionists on its agenda and to cut off their hands from committing crimes with a strong resolution," Ahmadinejad said during a provincial visit to town of Ilam, some 700 kilometers southwest of Teheran.

He said such a resolution by the Council would secure international confidence in the body and send a message that it doesn't issue "resolutions only against countries the US and its allies want."

Ahmadinejad was referring to the push by the US, four other permanent Security Council members — Russia, China, Britain and France — and Germany for a new set of UN sanctions against Iran over its refusal to stop enriching uranium.

The West suspect the program masks efforts to make nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies and claims it's for peaceful power generation.

Ahmadinejad, who is known for his anti-Israel rhetoric, called Israeli commandos who rappelled onto the Gaza-bound flotilla "wild dogs" and criticizes Washington for its "weak and tendentious" stance in support of Israel.

He warned Israel against further raids on Gaza, saying that a "storm of anger from the nations of the region will uproot you."

Ahmadinejad: 'Cut Off' Israel's Hands

[Shammu]

Turkey emerges as Middle East leader
By Henri Barkey, Special to CNN
June 3, 2010 12:43 p.m. EDT

The recent flotilla incident is the culmination of a steep decline in Israeli-Turkish relations that started with the Gaza war in 2008 and 2009. Relations between these two countries, after reaching a high point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are now beyond repair, and it will probably take the better part of a decade for them to be resuscitated.

Turkey has also used its increasingly rancorous disputes with Israel to advance its status in the Middle East at the expense of traditional leaders across the region.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which came to power in 2002, was always conflicted in its relations with Israel. The party emerged from a hardcore anti-Western and anti-Israeli Islamist tradition that had close ties to Hamas and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

As it rose to power, however, the AKP distanced itself from these positions and even embraced the idea of joining the European Union. Still, it always maintained a critical stance when it came to Israel that was punctuated by occasional outbursts.

Turkey's relations with Israel improved when the AKP stepped into the vacuum created in the Middle East by the Bush administration's policies and orchestrated secret negotiations between Israel and Syria.

This effort fit well with the AKP's grand vision of its foreign policy -- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party were intent in making Turkey an important international player.

After punching below its weight for far too long, Ankara thought now was the time to engage in an activist policy and capitalize on its economic prowess and strategic geopolitical location. It aggressively sought a role in international institutions such as the U.N. Security Council and engaged in all kinds of diplomatic efforts from the Middle East to the Balkans and the Caucasus.

Erdogan and Turkey received many kudos for the Israeli-Syrian talks. But they came to an abrupt end with Israel's Gaza war. Erdogan felt personally betrayed by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was in Ankara four days before launching the Gaza offensive. From then on, Turkish foreign policy vis-à-vis Israel was dramatically transformed.

We first saw this at the January 2009 Davos meetings in Switzerland when Erdogan publicly confronted Israel's President Shimon Peres and then walked off the stage. Positive reactions to his behavior in Turkey and in the Middle East provided Erdogan with the contours of Ankara's new foreign policy.

From then on, in almost every foreign policy speech, Erdogan would disparage Israel's policy in Gaza, calling the Gaza Strip an open prison. He then began to challenge Israel's nuclear arms while defending Iran against the West.

In a deliberate obfuscation of the issues, he argued that instead of criticizing Iran's peaceful nuclear program, it was Israel's not-so-secret nuclear arsenal that ought to be the object of censure.

This, of course, is a distortion of the truth as Iran was accused of violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it is a signatory while Israel is not. His singling out of Israel was purposeful but unfair; he never criticized Turkish ally Pakistan -- or India for that matter-- for having tested and deployed nuclear arms.

The flotilla crisis occurred in this atmosphere of great tension. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu claims his government cautioned the Islamist charity that organized the flotilla not to cross into Israeli waters and that they were powerless to prevent an independent, non-government organization (NGO) from acting on its own volition. Yet there are many signs that the AKP and other Turkish Islamist parties were fully supportive of the NGO and its efforts.

Hamas itself interpreted the action as an Erdogan-led effort to breach the naval blockade of Gaza.

No one, including the Israelis, could have anticipated the extent of the fallout, although a cursory look at what the organizers were claiming should have made it obvious that the NGO was clearly trying to provoke Israel and elicit an strong response.

Ultimately, it is the incompetence of the Israeli decision-makers who failed to properly analyze the groups' intentions that in many ways handed the AKP, Erdogan and Hamas a public relations victory.

Erdogan has now become a hero in the Arab street. In two years, he has managed to do what few Arab leaders could do -- push Israel into a corner. Even though Arab countries have been mistrustful of Turkey in the past, Erdogan has successfully transformed himself into the leader of the Middle East.

He is not just the defender of traditional Arab concerns but also of Iran, as he is resisting the Obama administration's efforts to impose sanctions on Iran.

The emerging hostility in Israeli-Turkish relations puts the United States in a difficult quandary. Washington does not want to side with one ally over another, and Turkey has aggressively been pushing the United States to do just that.

Washington, however, has issues with both countries.

It is upset at Turkish efforts to protect Iran from further U.N. sanctions and at Israel for making its regional diplomacy so much more difficult, not only with the flotilla fiasco but also with its hard line on the settlements and negotiations with the Palestinians. Turkey may therefore emerge as an even more significant factor in an already complicated Middle East political tapestry.

Turkey emerges as Middle East leader

[Shammu]

Turkey recalls Israeli ambassador, cancels exercises

Turkey has recalled its Israeli ambassador after 10 people were killed in a skirmish with the Israeli military while attempting to defy an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said.

In addition, Turkey has canceled three military exercises scheduled with the Israeli military and called home the Turkish youth national football team.

Turkey is demanding the security of all the members of the flotilla, some of whom came from a Turkish organization. Turkey's prime minister was returning from Chile, and the chief of the Turkish military is cutting short a trip to Egypt.

Arinc said the operation "will leave a bloody stain on the history of humanity."

Turkey recalls Israeli ambassador, cancels exercises
~~~~~~~~~~

I'm tired of all these people blaming Israel. They need to start looking at their own country (Turkey) for the problem, not have Israel defending herself, from these fools. And every time Israel has to defend herself, they blame Israel. No, they need to take care of the problem before it becomes Israel's problem. I applaud Israel for defending herself.

[Shammu]

Hamas coordinating with Iran on response to flotilla interception
June 2, 2010

TEL AVIV — Israel's military has assessed that the Hamas regime is thus far exercising restraint in wake of the bloody naval interception of a Turkish-sponsored flotilla to the Gaza Strip.

Military sources said Hamas was believed to have approved a slight increase in missile and rocket fire in retaliation for the Israel Navy interception of the six-vessel flotilla on May 31, in which nine passengers were killed. They said Hamas appeared to be under orders from Iran not to provoke another war with the Jewish state.

"They will fire a few more missiles than usual, but at this point they are clearly acting cautiously," a military source said.

 On June 1, Palestinian gunners fired at least six rockets and anti-tank missiles toward Israel, including two that landed in the southern city of Ashkelon. The Israel Air Force foiled another attack and killed a three-member Islamic Jihad missile squad in the northern Gaza Strip.

"The Israel Defense Forces holds Hamas solely responsible for terror emanating from the Gaza Strip," the military said.

The sources said Hamas security forces were stopping Palestinian militias from significantly escalating violence with Israel. At the same time, the Islamic regime in the Gaza Strip was said to be in close contact with Iran, its leading ally and military supplier.

"Iran is using extremist organizations and states in order to distract world attention, and it is entirely possible that the timing of the terrorist flotilla is not coincidental," Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said.

In another incident, two Palestinian fighters were killed as they sought to infiltrate Israel from the southern Gaza Strip. The military said the Palestinians engaged Israeli troops in a gunbattle near the Gaza border fence.

The source said Hamas was expected to maintain low-intensity warfare against Israel amid the furor of the Israel Navy seizure of the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara. But they said Hamas has also warned Palestinian militias against launching missile salvos into Israel.

"Iran has been closely monitoring the situation and does not want another Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip," the source said. "The Hamas leadership understands this."

Hamas coordinating with Iran on response to flotilla interception

[Shammu]

Full-scale war imminent in Mideast?
Posted: June 03, 2010
1:00 am Eastern
Jerome R. Corsi
© 2010

Are we on the verge of a regional war in the Middle East?

The Israeli decision to interdict the flotilla indicates the Netanyahu government's willingness to accept a full-scale regional war with Iran that could arise from even a minor incident resulting from Israel's determination to hold firm the naval blockade of the Gaza.

In May and June 2009, when I was in Israel interviewing top government leaders, including two former heads of Mossad, for "Why Israel Can't Wait: The Coming War Between Israel and Iran," I was told repeatedly that should the world not be able to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, Israel would exercise the right of self-defense to launch a pre-emptive military strike on Iran, with or without the approval of the United States.

Now, nearly a year and a half into the Obama administration, Israel has reason to doubt the White House would come to Israel's aid in a military confrontation with Iran.

From the perspective of Jerusalem, the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza is an extension of the conflict with Iran, precisely because Hamas, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, is a terrorist organization that must be understood as a surrogate of Iran.

Increasingly, Israel feels confronted by an existential threat from Iran, not only because Iran is proceeding full-speed ahead to develop nuclear weapons, but also because Iran has resupplied Hezbollah and Hamas with rockets that can hit Jerusalem as well as Tel Aviv.

Even as evidence surfaces at the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency that Syria has conducted nuclear experiments, radical Islam seems on the upsurge in Turkey, a Middle Eastern neighbor traditionally friendly to Israel, that has now decided to side with the political activists trying to push the envelope in the Gaza by sponsoring the flotilla trying to break the blockade.

With the Obama administration openly siding with the Palestinian cause and insisting that distance needs to be placed between the United States foreign policy and Israel's openly expressed national security interests, how could the Israeli government not be feeling increasingly nervous?

The Obama administration apparently fails to realize what Israel cannot afford to ignore – namely, that President Ahmadinejad may be right, despite his ranting and raving against Israel.

Since 1948, when the Jewish state was first established, Israel may be facing the most serious existential crisis ever.

Ahmadinejad has a point – the survival of Israel is by no means certain, especially if the United States is prepared to stand on the sidelines while the weight of international pressure comes down on Israel every time it takes a military step in perceived self-defense.

A regional war involving Israel, Syria and Turkey, with the active participation of Hezbollah and Hamas, would be catastrophic.

At a minimum, thousands of people, including Israeli citizens, would die; at the worst, the conflict could risk going nuclear, with Russia and China ready to enter any escalating conflict on the side of Israel's enemies.

The Obama administration did not take steps to block the United Nations Human Rights Council from engaging in an investigation of the flotilla incident.

But then, the Obama administration appears to be moving toward a Middle Eastern nuclear-weapons policy that is targeted to put pressure on Israel to abandon its nuclear arsenal, not to prevent Iran from developing one.

As the Obama administration backs away from a defense of Israel, the Netanyahu government will have no choice but to step up the defense of Israel, regardless how much the anti-Israel international community objects.

In the existential test that is shaping up, the real culprit remains Iran, but if Turkey and Syria want to join in the cause in support of Hamas and Hezbollah, the coming of a full-scale regional war looms close by on the horizon.

[Shammu]

NKorean official says war possible at 'any moment'
 Thu Jun 3, 3:56 pm ET

GENEVA – A senior Pyongyang official has warned that the Korean peninsula could see "all-out war" as tensions mount from North Korea's believed sinking of a South Korean warship.

North Korea's deputy ambassador in Geneva, Ri Jang Gon, accuses Washington and Seoul of causing the crisis, and says military action or sanctions would prompt defense from the isolated communist nation with "tough measures including all-out war."

He said Wednesday at the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament: "The present situation of the Korean peninsula is so grave that a war may break out any moment."

South Korea's delegate, Im Han-taek, says its neighbor committed a "grave violation of the armistice" and it is saddened by Ri's "propaganda" statement.

U.S. Ambassador Laura Kennedy rejected Ri's allegations.

NKorean official says war possible at 'any moment'

[Shammu]

Turkey to reduce economic, military ties with Israel

Fri Jun 4, 7:03 am ET

ANKARA (AFP) – Turkey will reduce economic and defence ties with Israel, but bilateral cooperation will not be entirely frozen after the Gaza ship raid, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said Friday.

Ankara "will reduce relations in these fields to a minimum level, taking into account whether (cooperation) already exists... whether payments have been made or not," Arinc said on NTV television.

"But as a state we cannot completely ignore a state whose existence we recognise," he said.

Relations between Turkey and Israel, once close allies, have been plunged into crisis by an Israeli commando raid on a flotilla carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Nine Turks, including one who also held US citizenship, on the lead vessel were killed.

Ankara recalled its ambassador from Israel and scrapped plans for three joint military exercises.

Arinc explained that Turkish officials had determined that "there are not many agreements between the two states in the economic field" and that most of the existing cooperation was between companies.

Military and defence industry cooperation was the driving force behind the Turkish-Israeli alliance, sealed in 1996 with the signing of a military cooperation accord.

Israeli companies have been among the main recepients of lucrative tenders to equip the Turkish army.

One project, worth 183 million dollars, involves the manufacture of 10 unmanned aircraft and related surveillance equipment for the Turkish army in a joint venture led by Israel Aerospace Industries.

Speaking after the raid on the aid ships, Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said the crisis would not hamper the completion of the project.

Israel is expected to deliver the remaining four drones in June or July, he said.

The project, launched in 2005, has been delayed amid technical snags and political tensions, which have built up since Israel's devastating war on Gaza last year.

In previous years, Israeli companies have modernised about 100 Turkish F-4 and F-5 fighter jets in a deal worth some 700 million dollars, and sold Turkey rockets and electronic equipment.

In 2002, Israeli Military Industries won a 668-million-dollar tender to upgrade 170 M60 tanks, the delivery of which was completed in April.

Turkey to reduce economic, military ties with Israel

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Israel's use of 'captured' video draws criticism
By Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press Writer   – Thu Jun 3, 9:19 pm ET

JERUSALEM – Israel's military is using video confiscated from people on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla to justify opening fire during its deadly raid on the ships, drawing sharp criticism Thursday from foreign correspondents who say some of the footage was shot by journalists.

At least two videos posted to the army spokesperson's YouTube channel are labeled "captured" from the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship Israeli commandos stormed in a nighttime raid Monday that left nine people dead.

The military allowed some journalists to board vessels used in the raid, and several dozen reporters were on board the flotilla's six ships as well. Video of the operation is playing a major role in Israel's and pro-Palestinian activists' efforts try to push their version of events.

Israel says the commandos resorted to force only after activists attacked them with knives, crowbars and clubs, as well as two pistols wrested from soldiers. Activists who had set sail for Gaza with 10,000 tons of aid, hoping to break Israel's 3-year-old blockade of Gaza, say the commandos fired first.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, demanded Thursday that the military stop using the captured material without permission and identify the source of the video already released.

"The Foreign Press Association strongly condemns the use of photos and video material shot by foreign journalists, now being put out by the (military) spokesman's office as 'captured material'," the FPA said in a statement. It said the military was selectively using footage to back its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.

Videos released by the army have shown the commandos' descent onto the ship and then their clash with the activists.

The "captured" footage was filmed on board the ship during the operation. One video shows commandos in a boat beside the Mavi Marmara, with activists apparently spraying jets of water at them and then a large flash — what the army says is a stun grenade launched at the soldiers.

Another video shows a man being interviewed, saying that he wants to become a martyr. A microphone bearing the logo of Iran's state-run Press TV points up at him.

Army spokeswoman Avital Leibovich said there was "a certain chance" the footage was filmed by journalists, but that most was filmed by activists. She said no material was confiscated. She said it was found on the vessel after activists were cleared off by the army.

The activists on the flotilla hoped to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposed after the militant Hamas group violently seized power in the territory three years ago.

Israel says the blockade is meant to keep weapons out of Gaza and to put pressure on its Hamas rulers. But weapons and other goods continue to reach Gaza through underground tunnels with Egypt, and many Gazans blame Israel, not Hamas, for their hardships.

Israel's use of 'captured' video draws criticism

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Global protests target flotilla raid

Muslims wave Turkish flags in Jerusalem, thousands rally in Egypt, and Norway cancels Israeli speaker

News agencies
Latest Update:    06.04.10
Israel News

On Friday thousands of people all over the world protested against Israel following the IDF raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla Monday. Major protests took place in Jerusalem, Egypt, Greece, and Austria, with Norway also canceling the appearance of an Israeli speaker.

Hundreds of Muslims held a protest march in Jerusalem's Old City, marching through the alleys carrying Turkish flags.

Police chief Dudi Cohen visited the capital earlier Friday, before prayer services were to be conducted at Temple Mount, and held a situation assessment with senior-ranking officers.

At the end of the meeting it was decided to limit the entrance of worshippers to the holy site, and no violent incidents occurred during the services.

In Egypt, about 20,000 protesters gathered in the port city of Alexandria, waving Egyptian, Turkish and Palestinian flags. The protest, organised by Egypt's most powerful opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, was unusual in a country where public demonstrations are often swiftly suppressed.

"Hamas, Hamas, you are the artillery and we are the bullets," the protestors chanted, urging the Islamist group which rules Gaza to confront Israel.

"Turkey, a thousand salutations. Long live Erdogan and long live the Turkish people," the protestors chanted in Alexandria, referring to the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Greek protest: Israel commits murders

In Norway, the military canceled a special operations seminar because the Defense Ministry objected to the inclusion of an Israeli army officer in the program.

Military spokeswoman Maj. Heidi Langvik-Hansen says the Defense Ministry was unhappy that the Israeli officer, identified only as Col. Toledano, would be delivering a talk in Oslo only weeks after the flotilla raid.

Toledano was scheduled to speak about his experience in Israel's 2006 operations in southern Lebanon.

In Greece police say pro-Palestinian activists staged a peaceful occupation at an Israeli irrigation firm. About 50 people took part in the one-hour protest at Netafim's Athens office Friday, hanging a banner that read "Israel commits murders, solidarity with the Palestinian uprising."

Organizers said they wanted to protest Monday's "murderous attack ... as well as the injuries, abuse and arrest of hundreds of activists" on the six-ship flotilla.

In South Africa, Israel was presented as a skunk in a caricature published by the Guardian & Mail. It was signed by Zapiro, an artist known to have Jewish roots. He is widely read, and associated with the left-wing and anti-Israeli sentiment.

In Vienna, around 2,500 people protested. They circulated a petition to be conveyed to Chancellor Werner Faymann calling on him to cancel his visit to Jerusalem, scheduled to take place in a few weeks, and cease all cooperation with Israel.

Meanwhile hundreds of pro-Israeli protestors gathered to show support for the raid on the flotilla. Israel's ambassador to Vienna, Aviv Shir-On, also took part in the event.

And in Spain, Israel's ambassador ignited harsh criticism by announcing that the Spanish should be more concerned with the number of people dying in car accidents than the nine killed in the IDF raid.

"Yes, nine people were killed, but 155 people were killed in terror attacks in India last week. Who cares about that? Have you heard
anything about it? Twenty-three Spanish were also killed in traffic accidents in the past wee," the Guardian quoted him as saying.

But a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Madrid said the ambassador's speech was taken out of context, and that he had been referring only to the wide coverage of the incident. "Of course we care about the victims," said Lior Hayat. "Even if they are mercenaries and terrorists."

Global protests target flotilla raid