Israeli PM to Visit Russia Over Weapons Supply to Syria

Source : RIA Novosti

AVIV, May 11 (RIA Novosti) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Russia to discuss the supplying of Russian weapons to Syria, a high-ranking source in Jerusalem told RIA Novosti on Saturday.

“Netanyahu plans to visit Russia. The main theme [of discussions] will be the export of weapons to Syria,” the source said on condition of anonymity, since the Israeli authorities have not yet officially announced the visit.

Netanyahu plans to come to Russia for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the date is being agreed upon.

A source in diplomatic circles told RIA Novosti that the Israeli prime minister expects to travel to Sochi at the beginning of next week. “The visit is currently at the active planning stage,” the source said.

The two leaders discussed the Syrian crisis by telephone on May 6, after reports emerged that Israel had carried out several air strikes on Syrian territory in the previous days. Reuters reported that the strikes targeted weapons designated for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, while the Syrian state news agency SANA said that a research center near the capital Damascus had been attacked.

Media reports had previously stated that Israel wants Russia to agree not to supply Syria with S-300 missile batteries.

Russia’s supply of weapons to Syria was also a topic of discussion at Friday’s talks in Sochi between Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron, where the Russian side repeated its position that it is simply honoring existing contracts, a source from the Russian delegation said.

“It’s quite clear: There is no embargo on deliveries, and we are fulfilling agreements signed previously, i.e. we are carrying out the obligations we took upon ourselves.”

The source added that all the weapons Russia is currently delivering to Syria were of an “exclusively defensive nature.”

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow had no plans to supply Syria with weapons beyond the current contracts that Moscow is honoring. The announcement came a day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had informed the United States about the suspected sale of Russian S- 300 missile batteries to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. According to the information the Israelis provided, Syria has been making payments on a 2010 agreement with Moscow to buy six launchers and 144 operational missiles for $900 million.

Commenting on the media reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry said “the missiles are potentially destabilizing with respect to the state of Israel.”

The sale of Russian weapons to Assad’s regime has been a source of bilateral tension between Moscow and Washington, with US officials accusing Russia of arming a regime the United States says is killing its own citizens in Syria’s raging civil war.

Russia, however, has insisted that the deliveries are legal under international law and that it is not supplying Syria, the largest importer of Russian arms in the Middle East, with offensive weapons that can be used to kill civilians.

About 70,000 people have died in Syria since the beginning of the uprising against Assad in March 2011, according to UN figures. Russia, along with China, has faced widespread condemnation over its refusal to approve UN sanctions against Assad’s regime

Israel: “Reconciliation With Turkey Enabled Us To Strike Syria”

Source : International Middle East Media Center

Senior Israeli military and security officials stated that the reconciliation with Turkey, and the progressing relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv, enabled Israel, over the last few days, to carry out several air strikes against Syrian targets.

Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth quoted Israeli officials stating that the apology made by Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the death of nine Turkish activists on board the MV Marmara solidarity ship, on May 31 2010, allowed Israel to operate freely in the north without fearing a confrontation with Ankara.

The officials said that the reconciliation and good relations with Turkey would eventually lead to a future regional cooperation “against Iran and terrorist groups in the region”.

They also said that the current relations with Turkey also granted Israel an enormous international support regarding air strikes carried out, last Sunday and Thursday, against Syrian targets, especially U.S. and British support.

Meanwhile, Israeli media sources reported that Tel Aviv and Ankara are about to sign an agreement for financial compensation for the victims of the Israeli attack on MV Marara.

Furthermore, senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials held a meeting, Monday, in an attempt to determine the amount of the proposed financial compensation.

The Israeli paper further reported that the meeting was described as positive, and that both parties managed to reach a draft agreement, but added that “there are other related issues that need to be addressed before the final deal is sealed.”

An Israeli official said that Israel estimates the compensation amount to reach five or six million USD, and in return, Turkey vows to void all lawsuits filed against Israeli military officials, and soldiers, involved in the attack and the death of the nine Turkish solidarity activists.

In addition, Turkey reportedly promised to approve an amendment that allows the Turkish government to prevent Turkish citizens from suing Israel or its soldiers in the future.

Palestinians, Arab League share positions regarding peace with Israel: negotiator

Source : Xinhua

RAMALLAH, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian leadership on Wednesday said its position regarding a final settlement with Israel conforms with that of the Arab League.

The Palestinian and Arab positions "put the ball in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's court to make progress on the way of peace," said Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian peace negotiator.

On Tuesday, a senior Qatari official said that the Arab states see that making peace between Israel and the Palestinians should be based on a two-state solution and that the two sides can agree on trading lands.

This was seen as a concession that provides more flexibility for talks on the borders of the future Palestinian state, which the Palestinians have long said must be built on the lands that Israel has occupied in 1967.

The Arab position was announced after foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington.

"If Netanyahu accepts the two-state solution and there is a need for a slight swap of lands, the Arabs and the Palestinians are ready for this," Erekat said.

Erekat said if the Israeli government doesn't endorse the two- state solution, then the debate about reviving the peace process would be fruitless.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2010 over a dispute on Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Obama's visit to Israel gets an official logo

Source :   GlobalPost

JERUSALEM — The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to brand US President Barack Obama's visit "Operation Unbreakable Alliance."

"Obama’s trip to Israel will be run like a military operation in most every way. It even has a code name: Unbreakable Alliance in English, and Brit Amim (A Covenant of Peoples) in Hebrew," commented Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

"The Prime Minister’s Office came up with a large number of creative ideas for the American president’s visit, but diplomatic protocol combined with ceremonies, speeches and a heavy schedule of meetings have made such initiatives largely irrelevant."

GlobalPost's Senior Correspondent in Israel Noga Tarnopolsky said the unveiling of Operation Unbreakable Alliance signals Netanyahu's nervousness about the way Obama's upcoming trip to Israel may be perceived by the media.

"I think by now its safe to say that everyone knows the Obama-Netanyahu relationship has not been a happy one," Tarnopolsky said. "Netanyahu was weakend by the last elections and it is very likely that he will receive Obama on March 20 without a new government in hand. He needs this trip to go well very, very badly."

If it goes well, she said, it could burnish Netanyahu's claim as the only legitimate candidate for prime minister.

"But Netanyahu and his team are gaffe-prone and uneasy right now — and I'd say "Operation Unbreakable Alliance" is one sign that they are concerned things may not follow their desired narrative," Tarnopolsky added.

Netanyahu won a smaller than expected victory in elections in January. In the run up to the American elections last November, Netanyahu was perceived as favoring Republican nominee Mitt Romney for president and Obama and Netanyahu have had a tense relationship from the beginning of Obama's presidency.

The office of Israeli President Shimon Peres announced Monday that Obama would be presented with the Presidential Medal of Distinction in March, according to the Guardian.

It would recognize Obama's "unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens."

The prime minister's official Facebook page offers these three choices for logos to represent Obama's visit

Report: Australian may have leaked Mossad secrets

Source :  Maan News Agency

CANBERRA (Reuters) -- A suspected Mossad agent who died in an Israeli jail in 2010 was arrested by his spymasters who believed he may have told Australian intelligence about his work with the Israeli spy agency, Australian media reported on Monday.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp said dual Australian-Israeli citizen Ben Zygier, 34, had met officers from Australia's domestic spy agency ASIO and had given details of a number of Mossad operations.

Quoting undefined sources, the ABC, which broke the initial story about Zygier's secret arrest and death in prison, said on one of his four trips to Australia, Zygier had also applied for a work visa to Italy.

But Mossad became concerned when it discovered Zygier had contact with the Australian spy agency, the ABC reported, adding it was worried he might pass on information about a major operation planned for Italy.

It said Zygier was one of three Australians who changed their names several times and took out new Australian passports for travel in the Middle East and Europe for their work with Mossad.

The closely guarded case has raised questions in Australia and Israel about the suspected use by Mossad of dual Australian-Israeli nationals.

Israeli lawmakers on Sunday announced plans to investigate Zygier's death, which a judge has ruled was suicide. Australia's Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, has initiated an inquiry into his department's handling of the case.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday sought to reduce media attention on the case and said he "absolutely trusts" Israel's security services and what he described as the independent legal monitoring system under which they operated.

Australia's Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, who is in charge of ASIO, on Monday said he would not comment on intelligence matters or suggestions ASIO had exposed Zygier's identity.

He also said he saw no need for a review of how the intelligence agencies handled the case.

"I haven't seen any need either, for any such review to take place within the Attorney General's Department," he told reporters.

Netanyahu Says Obama Visit to Focus on Iran, Syria, Peace Talks

Via : http://www.almanar.com.lb/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named on Sunday main topics of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the occupied territories, which is scheduled for the next month.

"The president and I discussed this visit and agreed we would talk about three central issues," Netanyahu said ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, calling it "a very important visit" at a time of great instability in the region.

He said the focus would be on: "Iran's attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons, the instability in Syria and the ramifications for the security of the region and of course Israel and the US, and the attempts to advance the peace process between us and the Palestinians."

Last week, the White House said Obama would make his first visit to the Palestinian occupied territories as president on a trip likely to take place next month. It would also include stops in the West Bank and Jordan.

The White House has kept expectations deliberately low about the possible outcome of the visit, with spokesman Jay Carney saying Obama had no plans to use the trip to advance new proposals to break the deadlocked talks which has persisted for more than two years.

Source: AFP 

Israel deploys air defense, diplomacy on Syria concerns

Source : hurriyetdailynews.com

Israel is increasingly worried that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Islamist militants and is taking military and diplomatic steps to prevent it, local media and a security source said Monday.

Two batteries of Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system have been deployed to the north of the country in case military action against targets in neighbouring Syria or Lebanon becomes necessary, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said Israel believes Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah has a large number of forces in Syria that are supporting President Bashar al-Assad against Sunni rebels, but which are also keen to grab his chemical weapons if he falls.

"A decision to attack in Syria or Lebanon will need to be implemented immediately," if it is taken, he said.

"There won't be time then to start deploying." The Israeli army played down its manoeuvres, saying in a statement that only one battery had been moved north.

"As part of the operational deployment programme, which includes changing locations throughout Israel from time to time, (an) Iron Dome battery is currently in the north," it said.

The Maariv daily said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "urgently dispatched" his national security advisor to Moscow, where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He is expected to ask the Russians to use their influence to try to prevent the weapons from falling out of Assad's control.

The newspaper added that Netanyahu met US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Sunday. Shapiro said on Monday that the two countries were closely coordinating on events in Syria.

"There is a genuine discussion between our intelligence services," he told Israeli public radio.

"There are two dangerous possibilities," he said. "Either the regime will use chemical weapons against the Syrian people or the chemical weapons will pass to Hezbollah or to other extremist organisations."

"We want to prevent both those possibilities taking place."

Netanyahu paints himself into a corner

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com 

the Israeli parliamentary election of January 22, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line bloc suffered an unprecedented drop in the number of seats it won, which clearly showed that the popularity of his alliance is dropping precipitously. Netanyahu’s radical approach toward foreign policy, especially his intransigence on the Mideast peace process, and the worsening economic situation in Israel were two major factors behind his surprise setback.

In other words, most of the Israeli settlers and the Arab Israelis have become fed up with Netanyahu’s overemphasis on foreign policy and his inattention to internal issues. Moreover, Netanyahu’s exaggeration of alleged security threats, including his fixation with Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, and his adamant rejection of Palestine’s application for recognition of its statehood at the United Nations have caused numerous problems for Israel, most notably the rise in tension with its main ally, the United States.

Netanyahu called for early elections three months ago, expecting an easy victory that would increase the number of seats of his Likud Party and their allies in the Knesset. In fact, he thought he would form a coalition government with less friction with opposition parties. However, the results show that he will have to scramble to put together a coalition of parties, including center-left groups that have dramatically different views than Netanyahu on many polarizing issues.

Such a situation would largely benefit Iran, since Netanyahu’s rivals are determined to force him to change his stance on Iran as well as many other foreign policy issues. Israel’s center-left parties are mostly focused on internal issues, especially the economic situation and the controversial issue of conscription. If they join the government, Netanyahu will be compelled to tone down his rhetoric on Iran if he wants the coalition government to survive.

Given Israel’s economic situation and the political turmoil in the region, Netanyahu’s threats against Iran will be viewed as empty, and even the most obstinate Israeli hard-liners will not endorse his Iranophobia campaign.

Israeli Police Evict Palestinian Protesters from Tent Camp

Source : RIA Novosti

TEL AVIV, January 13 (RIA Novosti) – Israeli police evicted Palestinian activists from a tent village they had set up on a West Bank site designated as the area for a new Jewish settlement, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Sunday.

The Israeli police evicted over 100 protesters from the site near Jerusalem known as E-1 early on Sunday morning on instruction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who ordered to disperse the Palestinians.

Palestinians say Israel’s plans to build thousands of housing units as part of the E-1 project would cut off Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods from the West Bank and make it difficult for the Palestinians to create a cohesive state.

The Israeli settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories is the main obstacle for the resumption of the Israeli- Palestinian peace process, which has been stalled for more than a year.

The Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of West Bank, East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and want Israel to pull from the Palestinian territories occupied after the 1967 war.

Israel, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to raise the issue of Jerusalem, which it says is the indivisible capital of the Jewish state.