2 dec 2017
Israeli planes struck a military base being built by Iranian military forces, near the Syrian capital of Damascus, with surface-to-air missiles, pro-Assad news outlets reported early on Saturday morning.
The strikes were carried out from Lebanese airspace, the reports said, and hit near the city of Al-Kiswa, located some 13 kilometers south of Damascus. Loud explosions reportedly followed, according to the PNN.
Earlier on Friday, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV channel reported that Israeli planes flew over southern Lebanon.
Syria’s air-defense system fired missiles at the Israeli aircrafts, Sky News Arabia reported.
The Syrian government has yet to comment on the reports.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization affiliated with the country’s opposition, heavy explosions were heard in the Damascus area, while electricity was cut off in several parts of the city.
Israeli officials declined to comment on the reports.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that Iran is building a permanent military base in Syria, within a compound used by the Syrian military near Al-Kiswa.
The strikes were carried out from Lebanese airspace, the reports said, and hit near the city of Al-Kiswa, located some 13 kilometers south of Damascus. Loud explosions reportedly followed, according to the PNN.
Earlier on Friday, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV channel reported that Israeli planes flew over southern Lebanon.
Syria’s air-defense system fired missiles at the Israeli aircrafts, Sky News Arabia reported.
The Syrian government has yet to comment on the reports.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization affiliated with the country’s opposition, heavy explosions were heard in the Damascus area, while electricity was cut off in several parts of the city.
Israeli officials declined to comment on the reports.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that Iran is building a permanent military base in Syria, within a compound used by the Syrian military near Al-Kiswa.
24 nov 2017
Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries Van Agt said that “Israel, for those who do not know, has a range of nuclear bombs, [and] is the most dangerous country in the Middle East.”
This came in a speech delivered by Van Agt during a discussion session on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, organized by the “Youth Socialists in the city of Utrecht,” on Thursday. Van Agt explained, according to Al Ray, that “Israel seems to the world public opinion as if living under constant threat, as a small place among a number of Arab countries,” he said.
“The whole world is turning a blind eye to the siege imposed on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, including the Netherlands,” he said.
“The interest in the Palestinian cause has decreased significantly over the past few years,” said Agt, who went on to defend Palestinian rights after leaving politics.
“There are several factors, but the most important thing is that people are beginning to look at it as something natural, along with the disintegration of the Middle East,” he said.
Van Agt led the Dutch government between 1977 and 1982, a member of the Christian Democratic Union Party, with a book called “An uprising against injustice, and the tragedy of the Palestinian people.”
This came in a speech delivered by Van Agt during a discussion session on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, organized by the “Youth Socialists in the city of Utrecht,” on Thursday. Van Agt explained, according to Al Ray, that “Israel seems to the world public opinion as if living under constant threat, as a small place among a number of Arab countries,” he said.
“The whole world is turning a blind eye to the siege imposed on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, including the Netherlands,” he said.
“The interest in the Palestinian cause has decreased significantly over the past few years,” said Agt, who went on to defend Palestinian rights after leaving politics.
“There are several factors, but the most important thing is that people are beginning to look at it as something natural, along with the disintegration of the Middle East,” he said.
Van Agt led the Dutch government between 1977 and 1982, a member of the Christian Democratic Union Party, with a book called “An uprising against injustice, and the tragedy of the Palestinian people.”
21 nov 2017
Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz
Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz revealed that the country maintains secret contacts within Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim and Arab countries, especially those with shared concerns from Iran.
Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, did not characterize the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was “hiding its ties” with Saudi Arabia, He replied: ”We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually we are not the party who is ashamed,” according to Reuters.
When asked about Israel’s interest in establishing relations with a state that does not have a parliament, does not contain opposition, and the king is appointed by the ruling family, he said: “This is not our way. We prefer democracy.”
He also added, according to the PNN, that Saudi Arabia is recently undergoing a process of moderation, escalating its stance against Iran, Hezbollah and terrorism; Saudi Arabia is our partner in the face of the Iranian threat.”
He revealed that “the diplomatic efforts by Israel with the US administration and the United Nations to reconsider the nuclear agreement with Iran is happening through contacts with the Saudi authorities and through their help.”
Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz revealed that the country maintains secret contacts within Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim and Arab countries, especially those with shared concerns from Iran.
Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, did not characterize the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was “hiding its ties” with Saudi Arabia, He replied: ”We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually we are not the party who is ashamed,” according to Reuters.
When asked about Israel’s interest in establishing relations with a state that does not have a parliament, does not contain opposition, and the king is appointed by the ruling family, he said: “This is not our way. We prefer democracy.”
He also added, according to the PNN, that Saudi Arabia is recently undergoing a process of moderation, escalating its stance against Iran, Hezbollah and terrorism; Saudi Arabia is our partner in the face of the Iranian threat.”
He revealed that “the diplomatic efforts by Israel with the US administration and the United Nations to reconsider the nuclear agreement with Iran is happening through contacts with the Saudi authorities and through their help.”
16 nov 2017
In his first interview with a Saudi newspaper, Israeli army chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot said that his government is ready to exchange information and experience with Saudi Arabia and what he described as moderate Arab countries to confront Iran.
Eizenkot told the Saudi-owned Elaf newspaper that there is a "complete consensus" between Israel and Saudi Arabia on the issue of mutual arch-rival Iran, and that Israel is ready to share intelligence with one of the world's most powerful Muslim states.
Eizenkot, who is the first senior Israeli military officer to be interviewed by a Saudi media outlet, called Iran the "biggest threat to the region", and said that Israel and Riyadh are in complete agreement about Iran's intentions to dominate the Middle East.
However, Eizenkot said in the interview that Israel has no intention of initiating a conflict with "Iran's Lebanese proxy Hezbollah", saying that "I am very happy for the calm on both sides of the border, which lasted for 11 years."
“With [US] President Donald Trump (in office) there is an opportunity for a new international coalition in the region," he was quoted as saying.
"We need to carry out a major and inclusive regional plan to stop the Iranian threat. We are ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence to confront Iran," he added.
When asked if information sharing was already underway with Saudi Arabia, he responded that "We are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and [Saudi Arabia]."
Eizenkot told the Saudi-owned Elaf newspaper that there is a "complete consensus" between Israel and Saudi Arabia on the issue of mutual arch-rival Iran, and that Israel is ready to share intelligence with one of the world's most powerful Muslim states.
Eizenkot, who is the first senior Israeli military officer to be interviewed by a Saudi media outlet, called Iran the "biggest threat to the region", and said that Israel and Riyadh are in complete agreement about Iran's intentions to dominate the Middle East.
However, Eizenkot said in the interview that Israel has no intention of initiating a conflict with "Iran's Lebanese proxy Hezbollah", saying that "I am very happy for the calm on both sides of the border, which lasted for 11 years."
“With [US] President Donald Trump (in office) there is an opportunity for a new international coalition in the region," he was quoted as saying.
"We need to carry out a major and inclusive regional plan to stop the Iranian threat. We are ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence to confront Iran," he added.
When asked if information sharing was already underway with Saudi Arabia, he responded that "We are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and [Saudi Arabia]."
13 sept 2017
By Emma Von Larsen and Bettina Boye/PNN
Various Israeli officials joined the IDC institute of Counterterrorism annual conference to discuss the development of terrorism and ways to counter, where Israeli minister of education, Naftali Bennett emphasized that “modern Zionism has created a safe haven for Jewish people, and Iran threatens this” and continued “I have no doubt that the nuclearization of Iran is the number one existential threat to the state of Israel”.
He claimed that an attack on Iran would not destroy the country, but an attack by Iran on Israel would, and that is a great threat for Israel.
Despite the lack of an actual war between Israel and Iran and Israel’s recent bombing of an alleged weapon factory in Syria, which could be seen as provoking and as an invitation to a proxy war with Iran, Bennett underlines, that the tension between the two countries is not a “Cold War”.
Bennett also argued that Israel’s own policy of disengagement is one of the greatest threats towards itself, and mentions as an example the 2005 disengagement from the conflict in Gaza, and that the consequences of Israel’s disengagement was the takeover of the Strip by Hamas.
As another example of Israel’s policy of disengagement, Bennett mentions the situation with Hezbollah, and states that, when the Israeli military retreaded from the position in Lebanon they indirectly allowed Hezbollah to blossom and to grow strength.
“I would like to state this emphatically: Lebanon is Hezbollah and Hezbollah is Lebanon. A ballistic attack on Israel would be the equivalent of a declaration of war by sovereign state of Lebanon,” he said.
Various Israeli officials joined the IDC institute of Counterterrorism annual conference to discuss the development of terrorism and ways to counter, where Israeli minister of education, Naftali Bennett emphasized that “modern Zionism has created a safe haven for Jewish people, and Iran threatens this” and continued “I have no doubt that the nuclearization of Iran is the number one existential threat to the state of Israel”.
He claimed that an attack on Iran would not destroy the country, but an attack by Iran on Israel would, and that is a great threat for Israel.
Despite the lack of an actual war between Israel and Iran and Israel’s recent bombing of an alleged weapon factory in Syria, which could be seen as provoking and as an invitation to a proxy war with Iran, Bennett underlines, that the tension between the two countries is not a “Cold War”.
Bennett also argued that Israel’s own policy of disengagement is one of the greatest threats towards itself, and mentions as an example the 2005 disengagement from the conflict in Gaza, and that the consequences of Israel’s disengagement was the takeover of the Strip by Hamas.
As another example of Israel’s policy of disengagement, Bennett mentions the situation with Hezbollah, and states that, when the Israeli military retreaded from the position in Lebanon they indirectly allowed Hezbollah to blossom and to grow strength.
“I would like to state this emphatically: Lebanon is Hezbollah and Hezbollah is Lebanon. A ballistic attack on Israel would be the equivalent of a declaration of war by sovereign state of Lebanon,” he said.
