New on the Z Word Blog

Obama's audience in Cairo; a Palestinian intellectual on the "Nakba Narrative"; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

A notorious parliamentarian comes to the US; a vicious antisemitic attack in Buenos Aires; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The movies of Avi Mograbi; Max Hastings falls out of love; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

To mark the occasion of May Day, Terry Glavin reflects on the meaning of solidarity at a time when many labor leaders and activists are sympathizing with the most dubious reactionaries.
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Iran's Drive for Nuclear Weapons

Visit YouTube to see Point of No Return? Iran's Drive for Nuclear Weapons, a new AJC film examining the Iranian nuclear threat.
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New on the Z Word Blog

All the latest news and analysis from the Durban Review Conference; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The BBC admits to bias; dodgy reasons not to attack Iran; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

A searing critique of Roger Cohen's latest apologia for the Iranian regime; the grim fate of Iranian bloggers; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Was there a handshake? Are they a threat? Is a pre-emptive strike on the horizon? Delving into the Iranxiety Attack; and much more besides
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New on the Z Word Blog

The attempted bombing attack on Pi Glilot in 2002 is a reminder of how Hamas sees "proportionality;" Caryl Churchill's antisemitic play comes to New York; and much more besides.
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Vilified: Telling Lies About Israel

Vilified: Telling Lies About Israel, AJC 's short film written and produced by Z Word editor Ben Cohen, has exceeded 25,000 vies on YouTube in a little over a week - watch it here.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The professional liars of Press TV; helpful advice for terrorists from Richard Falk; a message from an Iranian dissident; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Tame Jews and the Tehran regime; Marxist film director says antisemitism is understandable; viewing figures for AJC film Vilified soar on YouTube; and much more besides
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Vilified: Telling Lies About Israel

Watch this new film from AJC exposing the lies and libels targeting Israel. Written and directed by Z Word editor Ben Cohen.
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New on the Z Word Blog

We've had music for airports and music for films - have a listen to music for antisemites; how leftist bloggers aren't bothered by Chas Freeman's Chinese connection; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Durban II's house of cards begins to collapse; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Michael Ignatieff. leader of Canada's opposition, slams Israel Apartheid Week; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The tyrant of Khartoum is the subject of an arrest warrant; the hypocrisy underlying Israel Apartheid Week; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

After the expulsion of Bishop Williamson, Argentina mulls a Holocaust denial law; European antisemites back Hamas; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

As things stand, the US won't be attending the Durban review conference; meet Chas Freeman, the new hero of the "resistance"; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

What anti-Zionists who style themselves as intellectuals can learn from the antisemitic ravings of a South African trade union activist; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism; Israeli athletes face tough challenges off the field; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Antisemitism and criticism of Israel; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Hitchens, Irving and free speech; antisemitism in Spain; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The most immediate question facing whoever becomes Israel's next Prime Minister - the future of Gaza; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Israel's election results in a daunting challenge to build a coalition; Irish trade unions push the boycott; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

As Israel prepares for tomorrow's election, Arab Israelis face a decisive choice; more platitudes from Juan Gelman on antisemitism; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

A leading spokesman for the ultraconservative Pius X Society speaks to an Austrian newspaper; Hamas steals aid again; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

African responses to the Gaza conflict; remembering Daniel Pearl; denying the obvious in Buenos Aires; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Rashid Khalidi asserts spurious claims as undisputed facts when it comes to the situation in Gaza; the intellectuals who forgot about Hamas; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Further reaction to the brutal antisemitic attack upon a synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Antisemitism is becoming acceptable in certain government circles; El Pais demonizes Israel in the name of love; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The UN General Assembly President and Holocaust commemoration; Jew-baiting the world's most famous antisemite; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Part two of our series on the flaws of the Northern Ireland analogy; antisemitism and anti-Zionism overlap to deadly effect in Norway; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

From the torture chambers of Tripoli to the op-ed pages of the New York Times - polite society welcomes Muammar al Qadaffi; part one of a new series on the limits of the Northern Ireland analogy; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

President Barack Obama's resounding inauguration speech; the Middle East agenda which the Obama Administration will follow; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

There's little chance of the academic boycott taking off in the US; Eduardo Galeano's flawed view of Gaza; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

As news of a ceasefire in Gaza emerges, visit the Z Word blog for comment, analysis, links and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

The IDF has been widely accused of war crimes in Gaza - but we have been here before; assessing UNRWA's role in Gaza; daydreaming with Stephen Walt about Israel's demise; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

Realists and moderates and the Gaza conflict; British Jews and the call for a ceasefire; and much more besides.
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New on the Z Word Blog

A thought experiment concerning antisemitism; more than pretty speeches are required about Gaza; pro-Hamas thugs rampage in Oslo; and much more besides.
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More Durban II Doubts

A number of leading democratic states, including the US and Australia, are seriously considering a withdrawal from the UN's Durban II anti-racism conference in 2009 because of concerns that the event will be marred by antisemitism.
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Mumbai Terror Escalates Regional Tensions

As Indian commandos battle terrorists at hotels and a Jewish center in Mumbai, a war of words between India and Pakistan is escalating (VOA here; Z Word blog here and here and here.)

Terror in Mumbai

As the death toll continues to rise from the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Indian police are preparing to storm a Jewish center where Israelis are being held hostage.
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UN General Assembly President: Treat Israel Like Apartheid South Africa

The President of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, has endorsed a "campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to pressure Israel."
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Iran Rounds Up "Israeli Spy Network"

Just days after Iran hanged a salesman on dubious charges of spying for Israel, state radio says an alleged espionage network with links to Israel's Mossad agency has been dismantled.
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New Flashpoint in Hebron

A house in Hebron could become the site of a new clash between the IDF and settler extremists if a Supreme Court decision to evict the settlers is carried out.
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Iran Executes Man Accused of Israel Espionage

Iran has hanged a telecoms salesman convicted of spying for Israel, warning that a "more serious intelligence war" has begun with Israel.
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US Report Predicts Al Qaeda Decline

A new study of the global future by U.S. intelligence agencies suggests that Al Qaeda may be on the decline - and that US global dominance is also waning.
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Antisemitic Incidents Surge in Europe

Jewish leaders say the global economic downturn may be fostering a rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany and elsewhere in Central Europe.
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Israel to Boycott Durban II

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has announced Israel's decision to boycott the United Nations "Durban II" conference on racism in 2009, fearing it would be used once again as a forum for anti-Israeli sentiment.

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Palestinians Launch Further Rocket Attacks

Palestinian terrorists have fired a barrage of rockets into southern Israel, causing no injuries but casting a shadow over a meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
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Canadian Professor Arrested for 1980 Paris Synagogue Attack

A Canadian professor, Hassan Diab, has been arrested on charges that he was involved in the October 3, 1980 bombing of the rue Copernic Synagogue in Paris.
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Gaza Plunged into Darkness as Ceasefire Crumbles

Gaza loses much of its electricity as Israel squeezes access routes into the Strip following renewed missile attacks by terrorists.
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Bin Laden Plans New Atttack, Says Arab Newspaper

Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda are planning an attack against the United States that will "outdo by far" September 11, an Arab newspaper in London has reported.
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AJC Considers Legal Action Over Neo-Nazi Obama Slurs

The American Jewish Committee is reviewing legal options against a German neo-Nazi party for "racist" remarks describing Barack Obama's election as a "declaration of war" on non-white America.
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Gaza Boat Activists Fail to Provoke Israel

Pro-Palestinian activists sailing boats from Cyprus to Gaza have been actively seeking a confrontation with Israel, hoping for a PR coup.
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Merkel Calls for Action Against Racism at Kristallnacht Event

As Germany marks the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht antisemitic riots, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said all Germans must act against racism. At a ceremony at Berlin's largest synagogue, she said Germans "cannot be silent" in the face of anti-Semitism.
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Gaza Terrorists Target Israel

Four rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists slam into southern Israel, threatening to unravel an already fragile truce.
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Israel Responds to Gaza Attacks

Israel carries out an airstrike in northern Gaza after terrorists launch a barrage of rockets against nearby towns in Israel, including Ashkelon.
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Israel Prepares for Obama Presidency

With their own government in limbo until February's elections, Israeli politicians and analysts are debating the implication of Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election for the Middle East.
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Israel Toughens on Settler Extremists

The Israeli government has announced a series of measures in response to a rise in violence by extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including a halt to government financing of illegal outposts.
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US General Warns of Iranian Attack Capability

Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering III says that Iran is not far from attaining the means to deliver missiles against Europe and the US in five to six years.
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TV interview with Rabin assassin shakes Israel

Israelis from across the political spectrum have slammed a decision to air the first ever television interview with Yigal Amir, the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
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Israeli Arabs Seek Party Unity

Israeli Arab politicians are seeking to establish a new party that would represent all members of their fragmented community in the upcoming general elections. The group has proposed that current government minister Ghaleb Majadele head the party.

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Israel Elections Set for February 10

Israel's political parties have decided to hold early elections on February 10, a decision that will leave US-backed Middle East peace talks in limbo for at least three more months.
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Israeli Police to Investigate Settler Extremists

Israel's Deputy State Prosecutor has ordered the police to open a criminal investigation following the attacks by Hebron settlers upon Israeli soldiers on Saturday night.
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Israel Heading for the Polls

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni has abandoned her efforts to form a new coalition government and is recommedning early parliamentary elections.
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Shas Won't Join Livni Coalition

The Israeli ultra-orthodox Shas party has decided not to join a coalition led by premier-designate Tzipi Livni, making early elections almost inevitable.
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Iran Refuses Argentinian Extradition Request

Iran has refused an Argentinian extradition request for a number of its citizens, including former President Rafsanjani, wanted in connection with the terrorist bombing of the Jewish AMIA Center in Buenos Aires in 1994.
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US Bans Dealing with Iran Export Bank

The US Treasury Department has named the Export Development Bank of Iran as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and banned Americans from any dealings with it.
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Iran Threatens Strike Against Israel

Senior Tehran officials are recommending a preemptive strike against Israel to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear reactors, a senior Islamic Republic official told foreign diplomats two weeks ago in London.
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Barak Slams Settler "Hooligans"

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has condemned "assaults by hooligans" disrupting Palestinian olive picking in the West Bank; meanwhile, Israeli soldiers chased away dozens of settlers who attacked olive harvesters near the West Bank town of Qalqilya.
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Austrian Leaders Praise Haider

Austrian leaders including Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer have issued warm tributes to Jorg Haider, the far-right leader and Nazi admirer killed in a car crash last week after driving at high speed while drunk.
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Gay Palestinian Man Seeks Refuge in Israel

A 33 year old gay Palestinian man has asked the Israeli High Court for permanent residency, fearing that his life is in danger in the West Bank because of his sexual orientation.
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Hamas in Control of Gaza, Peace Outlook Bleak

Hamas is in virtual control of the Gaza Strip with the consequent chances for peace looking remote.
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UN Chief Demands Hezbollah Disband

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that Lebanon will not be a fully sovereign state until Hezbullah and other militia groups are disbanded.
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UCU Members to Sue Over Boycott

The UK's academic union is facing a court challenge over its recent motion encouraging members to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
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Jesse Jackson: "Zionists Control US Policy"

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has been widely criticized for a remark to a journalist that "Zionists" are in control of US policy.
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Livni Closes in on PM's Job

Tzipi Livni has moved one step closer to becoming the next prime minister of Israel after she secured a pledge from her party's biggest coalition ally to stay in the government and support her bid for the leadership.
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Playing the Blame Game in Acre

As violence in Acre subsides, Jewish and Arab leaders are blaming each other for violence widely regarded as a warning of the fragility of communal relations in Israel.
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Olmert: Acre "Hostage" to Extremists

Outgoing Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has said that the city of Acre is being held hostage by extremists as more violence between Jewish and Arab residents is reported.
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Israeli Hospital Treats Iranian Boy With Cancer

A 12 year old Iranian boy with cancer is being treated by doctors in Israel after undergoing unsuccessful procedures in Iran and Turkey.
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Violence in Acre

On the Z Word blog, a round-up of press coverage and an initial assessment of the Yom Kippur clashes between Arabs and Jews in the Israeli city of Acre - meanwhile, tensions there remain high.
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The Hummus Trade War

The Association of Lebanese Industrialists wants the European Union to declare hummus and other culinary specialties as traditional Lebanese dishes, challenging Israeli companies making similar products.
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Israel Challenges Russia Over Iran, Syria

Outgoing PM Ehud Olmert is expected to discuss with the Kremlin the proposed sale of S-300 antiaircraft missiles to Syria and Iran, which Israel fears would severely limit its freedom in the air.
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Canada's Liberals Sack Candidate Over Antisemitic Remarks

Canadian Liberal parliamentary candidate Lesley Hughes was asked to forfeit her place on the party's election roster because of an article she wrote claiming that Israeli businesses were told to vacate the twin towers before the 9/11 atrocities.
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Israel Wary of US Radar Deployment

Israel is wary of the deployment of the new US high-powered radar facility in the Negev which will enable the Americans to keep a close watch on its skies.

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Settler Violence Increasing, Says Top Israeli General

Hundreds of Jewish settlers are engaged in violence against Palestinians and Israeli soldiers who get in their way, says Major General Gadi Shamni, Israel's top commander in the West Bank.
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Olmert Urges Radical Steps on Withdrawal

"I am saying what no previous Israeli leader has ever said: we should withdraw from almost all of the territories, including in east Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights," the outgoing Israeli PM tells Yediot Ahronot.

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Far Right Parties Surge in Austria Poll

Austria's far-right parties have won almost a third of the vote in parliamentary elections, and could be included in a new goverment coalition
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U.S. Missile Radar to Shield Israel Against Iran

Israel has received an advanced U.S.-made radar, staffed by American personnel, as part of preparations to fend off any future ballistic missile attack by Iran.
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UN General Assembly President an "Israel Hater"

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, has called the President of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, an "Israel hater" after he embraced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Extremist Settlers Resort to Violence

The attempted murder of leading Israeli left-wing Professor Ze'ev Sternhell may be the latest indication that elements of the Jewish settler movement are resorting to extremist tactics.
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So Much for "Never Again"

Kadima's new leader Tzipi Livni says that a viciously antisemitic speech delivered by Iran's President to the UN General Assembly makes a mockery of thr world body's commitment to the slogan of "Never Again."
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Ahmadinejad's Socialism of Fools

Iran's President declares that the "Zionist regime" is "carrying out crimes...that fill the pockets of capitalists, for which the American people pay."
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Olmert Resigns

New Kadima leader Tzipi Livni has 42 days to form a coalition - but her goal is to present a new government to the Knesset by October 27.
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Iran's Supreme Leader Lashes Israel

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the ultimate authority in the Tehran regime, declares that "we are on a collision course with the occupiers of Palestine and the occupiers are the Zionist regime."
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Protest Ahmadinejad at the UN

Visit the Z Word blog for details of the September 22nd demonstration in New York against the Iranian President.
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Livni Tipped as Next Israeli PM

After her win in the Kadima party's primary election, Tzipi Livni has now firmly set her sights on becoming Israel's next Prime Minister.
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Kadima Heads for Leadership Primary

Israel's ruling Kadima party will try on Wednesday to elect a new leader to succeed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - independent polls show Tzipi Livni with a 15-point lead.
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US to Sell Power Bombs to Israel

The U.S. has agreed to sell 1,000 bunker-buster bombs to Israel, in a deal that could significantly improve Israel's ability to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities - though there is no word on a date for delivery.
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Olmert: Greater Israel is "Over"

Ehud Olmert closes a meeting of the Israeli cabinet by saying that "the notion of a Greater Israel no longer exists, and anyone who still believes in it is deluding themselves."
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McCartney Resists Boycott Pressure

Paul McCartney will go ahead with a much anticipated Tel Aviv concert, despite appeals for cancellation from pro-boycott groups.
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Iran Can't Take Moral High Ground, Says Israel

Israel's new UN ambassador, Gabriela Shalev, says that "it is absurd that Iran preaches morality to Israel."
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Israeli Cabinet Discusses Settler Compensation

For the first time, Israel's Cabinet has discussed a plan to compensate Jewish settlers in the West Bank if they leave their homes voluntarily.
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Israel Police Seek Olmert Indictment

An Israeli police statement seeks the indictment of PM Ehud Olmert in affairs that include receiving tens of thousands of dollars from a U.S. businessman and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad.
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Iran Dismisses Sarkozy Warning

Iran has dismissed a warning by France's president that the Tehran regime is risking an Israeli military strike because of its nuclear program.
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Sudanese Army in Deadly Assault on Darfur Towns

Sudanese government troops have launched a brutal assault on the towns of Disa and Birmaza in northern Darfur.
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Iran to Press for Oil Output Cut

The Iranian regime's representative to OPEC is urging measures to keep oil from falling below $100 per barrel and for a cut in output.
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Syria-Israel Talks on Hold

Indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria have been postponed due to the resignation of a senior Israeli mediator, according to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

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Ramon Warns Hamas on Shalit

Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon has warned Hamas that its refusal to reduce its demands may doom a deal to swap Palestinian prisoners for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
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UN Official Courts US and Israel On Durban II

Navi Pillay, the UN's new human rights chief, says she hopes to persuade the United States and Israel to drop their opposition to the UN's follow-up to the notorious Durban anti-racism conference of 2001.
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Iran Confirms Centrifuge Operations

Iran is using 4,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium and plans to install an additional 3,000 of the devices, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheikh Attar has said.
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Hamas Purges Gaza School System

Hamas has replaced hundreds of striking teachers with its own supporters, purging schools of political rivals and deepening its political control of Gaza.
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Iraq Adviser Quit to Speak Against Iran

A former security adviser to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Wafiq al-Samarraie, has said that he resigned his job in order to speak freely about the Iranian threat to the Middle East.
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Anti-Choice Activists Invoke Holocaust

A fundamentalist group opposed to abortion rights has displayed placards bearing the legend "American Holocaust" at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
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Ahmadinejad Poised for New Term

Iran's President appears to have won approval for a second four-year term from the regime's "Supreme Leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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Rice Pushes Israel Over Settlements

With hopes for a peace deal on the wane, the US Secretary of State reiterates that Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank is "not helpful."
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Israel Releases 200 Palestinian Prisoners

Almost 200 Palestinian prisoners are heading home after being released by Israel in a goodwill gesture towards President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Activists Arrive in Gaza

Despite loud predictions of a confrontation with the Israeli Navy, two boats carrying international "peace activists" have arrived in Gaza. See the Z Word blog for comment.
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Ahmadinejad 's Latest Conspiracy Theory

"About 2,000 organised Zionists and 7,000 to 8,000 agents of Zionism have dragged the world into turmoil," the Iranian President tells a rally.
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Hezbollah Threatens "Shocking" Revenge

A leading Hezbollah figure has said that the terrorist group will soon take revenge against Israel for the killing of Imad Mughniyeh.
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Terror Victims Sue Bank of China

More than 100 victims of terrorism in Israel have filed a lawsuit against one of China's largest banks, demanding that it stop transferring money to terrorist groups like Hamas.
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Activists Pledge to Carry Out Gaza Stunt

Two ships organized by the "Free Gaza Movement" are preparing to leave Cyprus for Gaza, determined to provoke a response from the Israeli Navy. See the Z Word blog for comment. 
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Assad Heads to Moscow

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is heading for Moscow - purchasing weapons from Russia is his main priority.
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Iran Row Over "Friendship" Comment Continues

A top Iranian cleric has chastised a leading Iranian politician over his controversial remarks that Iranians are "friends with Israelis" - "how could we speak of friendship with them?" asked Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi.
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Iran Dispute with UAE Heightens

The ongoing sovereignty dispute between the United Arab Emirates and Iran over the status of three islands is heightening tensions between regional Sunni states and the Tehran regime.
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Another Lebanon War?

On the second anniversary of the war on Israel's northern border, some Israelis sense that another clash with Hezbollah is inevitable.
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Israel Releases 200 Palestinian Prisoners

Israel's cabinet has approved the release of some 200 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Israel Slams UN Lebanon Mission

Israel has protested before Claudio Graziano, head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), for refusing to admit to the rearmament of Hizbullah in southern Lebanon, in violation of Resolution 1701.
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Iranians Training Iraqi Death Squads

According to intelligence seen by the Associated Press news agency, Iraqi Shiite assassination teams are being trained in Iran by members of the elite Quds force as well as Hezbollah.
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Iran Legislators Slam Minister's "Israeli Friends" Remark

Iran's parliament has deplored remarks by a minister who said that Iranians could be friends "even with Israelis," declaring that the Islamist regime "cannot recognize a nation called Israel."
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Palestinians Reject New Peace Proposal

The Palestinian Authority has rejected a peace proposal aired in the Hebrew press under which Israel would withdraw from 93 per cent of the West Bank.
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US Treasury Imposes New Iran Sanctions

The US Treasury has imposed sanctions against five more Iranian entities it says have provided support or materials to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
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Iran and EU Agree to New Nuclear Talks

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana have agreed to continue what Iran called "talks in a constructive atmosphere" over Tehran's nuclear program.
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No Talks on Gilad, Says Hamas

Hamas is not interested in renewing talks to free abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, a senior official of the Islamist faction has said.
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Hamas Trains Teens for Terror

Around 200 teenagers have received military training at what Hamas describes as a summer camp.
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Iran Uneasy with Syria-Israel Talks

A leading Arab newspaper says that Bashar al-Assad's recent visit to Tehran was marked by unease over Syria's indirect negotiations with Israel.
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Syria Blocks Nuclear Watchdog

Syria has blocked a new visit by International Atomic Energy Agency experts seeking to follow up on intelligence that Damascus built a secret nuclear program built with the help of North Korea.
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EU Introduces New Iran Sanctions

European Union nations have introduced fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, including restrictions on public loans and tougher cargo inspections.
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Israel Builds Strike Capability

Israel is building up its strike capabilities with new fighter aircraft and submarines amid growing anxiety over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
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Hamas Threatens West Bank Civil War

A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, has warned that the Islamist group could also overrun the West Bank, currently under the control of its rival, Fatah.
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Israeli Arab Charged With Hezbollah Espionage

Khaled Kashkush, a 29 year old Israeli Arab, has been indicted on the charge of supplying sensitive information to a Hezbollah handler in Germany.
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Iranian Letter Avoids Mention of Nuclear Freeze

Iran's letter to world powers about its nuclear programme does not mention a freeze in nuclear activity demanded by Western capitals to avert further UN sanctions.
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West Africa's "Hezbollah States"

Israeli businessmen in West Africa say that Hezbollah enjoys strong support among Lebanese diamond merchants in the region.
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Gaza: Hamas's Revolution is Complete

As a result of last week's clashes, Fatah - until a few years ago, the main Palestinian organization in Gaza - has been ejected by Hamas.
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Iran Still Defiant on Nuclear Program

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran will not back down “one iota” from its right to develop nuclear power, voicing defiance on the day of an informal deadline for a deal aimed at freezing uranium enrichment.
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Fatah Supporters Flee Hamas, Enter Israel

More than 180 Fatah supporters have fled into Israel from the Gaza Strip after a dramatic escape from a Hamas crackdown.
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Iran Heading for Nuclear Breakthrough, Says Mofaz

"Iran is continuing to advance toward a military nuclear capability and is heading towards a major breakthrough," says Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz.
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Hamas Arrests Gaza Fatah Leaders

Hamas security forces have arrested Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's top Fatah representatives in Gaza.

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Antisemitic Incidents Rise in UK

According to the Community Security Trust, there was a 9 per cent rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK in the first half of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007.
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Netanyahu Urges Election

Israeli opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu has called for snap elections following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to stand down.
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Olmert to Quit

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will step down after a September party leadership vote.
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Strike on Iran Still an Option, US Says

Bush Administration officials have told visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that the option of attacking Iran over its nuclear program remains on the table.
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Abbas Threatens to Dismantle PA

President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to dismantle the Palestinian Authority if Israel releases Hamas prisoners in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
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Torture Routine Among Palestinian Factions

A Palestinian human rights group says that both Hamas and Fatah have tortured large numbers of detainees.
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Olmert Casts Doubt on Peace Deal for 2008

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that Israel and the Palestinians won't be able to achieve their declared goal of forging a peace deal by the end of the year, citing conflicting claims to Jerusalem as the main obstacle.
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Lebanese Politicians Slam Iranian Vice-President

Several leading Lebanese political and religious figures have slammed Iran's Vice-President for remarks he made linking western acceptance of Tehran's nuclear program with peace in Lebanon.
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Hamas Actively Rearming

As a fresh round of strife continues between Fatah and Hamas, Israel's intelligence chief says that the Islamist rulers of Gaza have taken advantage of the ceasefire to rearm.
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Fear of Sectarian Violence Follows Indian Bombings

As a little known Islamist group takes responsiblity for bombings in Ahmedabad which killed at least 45 people, Indian leaders urge calm between Hindus and Muslims.
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Toll Rises in Lebanon Fighting

At least six people have been killed and many more wounded in heavy clashes between rival factions in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli.
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Iran Announces More Uranium Centrifuges

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges - a significant increase in the number of uranium-enriching machines in its nuclear program.
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Israel Scales Back Nablus Operations

Israel will restrict its activities in Nablus to the "necessary minimum", in order not to undermine efforts to establish an effective Palestinian police force in the city.
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Obama Pledges to Foil Iran Nukes

On a visit to Israel, presidential hopeful Barack Obama tells the Jerusalem Post he will do "everything in my power" to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Ahmadinejad: No Nuclear Surrender

Iran's President has reiterated that Tehran will not back down in the face of growing pressure over its nuclear program.
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AJC Welcomes Karadzic Arrest

The American Jewish Committee says that the arrest of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic "sends a powerful message that suspected war criminals involved in genocide will be pursued as long as required and brought to justice."
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New Bulldozer Terror Attack in Jerusalem

For the second time in a month, a large construction vehicle has plowed into traffic on a busy Jerusalem street, mangling cars and injuring at least 24 people before the driver was shot dead.
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Highly Critical US Report on Israel Anticipated

Israeli and US officials expect a report by James Jones, the American security coordinator with a remit for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to sharply critical of Israeli policies.
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Hamas Threatens More Kidnappings

As rumors circulate of a fresh initiative to free Gilad Shalit, a Hamas spokesman says the terror group is keeping the option of "kidnapping Zionist soldiers open."
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Brown Pledges to Fight Academic Boycott

In an address to the Knesset, the first by a British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown underlines the UK's support for Israel and condemns the academic boycott.
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Nuclear Deadline for Iran

Iran is facing a two-week deadline to give a final answer to world powers seeking a breakthrough in the nuclear crisis, after talks attended by the US ended in stalemate.
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Arab League Backs Sudan Tyrant

Foreign Ministers of the Arab League have declared their support for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court.
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Iran: No Nuclear Freeze

As direct talks with Iran which include the US begin in Geneva over its nuclear program, the Tehran regime rules out a suspension of uranium enrichment work.
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Dignity and Sorrow Across Israel

Thousands of Israelis express grief and sorrow as the two soldiers murdered in Lebanon, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, are finally laid to rest.
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Antisemitism Think-Tank Launches

The European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism (EISCA) has been launched at the House of Commons in London with a pledge from Winston Pickett, its director, to provide "clear thinking" on the issue.
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Spain Overturns Bomber Convictions

Spain's supreme court has overturned the convictions of four of 21 people sentenced over the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in 2004.
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Israeli Heroes: Remembering Ehud and Eldad

Shlomo Goldwasser - father of fallen Israeli soldier Ehud, whose remains, along with those of Eldad Regev, were released by the Hezbollah terror group as part of its prisoner swap with Israel - says that he and his wife want to remember their son as he was, "not a body."
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Prisoner Swap Brings Painful Memories

As Israel and Hezbollah swap prisoners, some Israelis recall the murderous rampage of Samir Kantar, one of the terrorists released.
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Sudanese Dictator Charged with Genocide

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally requested an arrest warrant for Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir, on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur; Arab League ministers are to meet in Cairo to discuss their response.
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Israel-Hezbollah Prisoner Exchange Set for Wednesday

Two Israeli soldiers, their condition unknown, will be exchanged for five Hezbollah fighters.
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Syria Will Open Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon an Embassy in Damascus

Surprise move appears to indicate Syrian acceptance of Lebanese sovereignty.
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Syria Says Peace with Israel "Unavoidable"

Syrian regime thinks next American administration will help finalize details of any agreement.
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Israel to Free Prisoners, Olmert Says Peace Close

PM Olmert says peace with the Palestinians is within reach.
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Unity Government Formed in Lebanon

Lebanese government formed, provides Hezbollah with veto power.
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Syrian President Visits France

French President Sarkozy discusses Syria-Israel peace with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia Argues Missile Shield Not Needed

Foreign Minister Lavrov says Iran’s recent missile tests show that Iranian weapons have limited range, shield not necessary.
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Secretary Rice: US Will Defend Allies

Secretary of State's comments intended to dissuade Iran from attacking Israel, on eve of Islamic Republic's war games.
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Israeli Officials: Security Council Resolution 1701 Not Working

Israeli officials believe that Hezbollah’s successful rearming requires immediate diplomatic action at the United Nations.
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Iran Tests Long-Range Missiles

Shahab-3 rockets launched by Iran are capable of striking Israel.
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Attack on US Consulate in Turkey

US Ambassador calls attack on American consulate “an act of terrorism”.
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Iran Demonstrates Its Might

Coinciding with US and Israeli military exercises in the region, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducts war games to sharpen its combat readiness.
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Prisoner Swap Deal Signed

Israel agrees to return Hezbollah prisoners and bodies of dead fighters in exchange for captured soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
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Abbas in Damascus to Discuss Palestinian Unity

Mahmoud Abbas visits with Syrian officials to dialogue on Fatah-Hamas unity, but decides not to meet Hamas leader Khalid Meshal.
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New Global Poll: US Government Shouldn't Take Sides in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Survey finds that 71 percent of Americans think their own government shouldn't favor one side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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US Officials Fear Any Israeli Strike on Iran Won't Fully Destroy Nuclear Sites

US intelligence appears to differ from Israeli sources on the potential success of an Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Israel and Syria Agree to Fourth Round of Talks

Turkey will host another round of talks in late July, as the parties discuss the future of the Golan Heights, among other bilateral issues.
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Israeli Official Argues for New Separation Barrier Route

In response to the recent bulldozer attack on Israeli citizens in Jerusalem, Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon suggests altering the route of Israel’s separation barrier to isolate Arab districts in Jerusalem.
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Iran's Position on Nuclear Issue "Unchanged"

Iran dismisses package of incentives, intended to entice the Islamic Republic to halt its nuclear enrichment.

Israeli Architects Face Expulsion from World Body

Israel faces expulsion from The International Architects Union because of claims over the involvement of Israeli architects in constructing West Bank settlements.

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Hamas Halts Talks for Schalit

Terror group suspends negotiations for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, claiming that Israel has violated cease-fire.
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Iran Responds to Incentives Package

Iran submits written response to six world powers’ offer regarding suspension of nuclear program.
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US Israel Envoy Plays Down Iran Attack

The US Ambassador to Israel, Richard Jones, denied that an attack on Iran's nuclear installations was imminent, adding that sanctions would take their course.

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Bulldozer Rampage in Jerusalem

Three people are killed and dozens more are wounded after a Palestinian rams a bulldozer into a bus and other vehicles on Jerusalem's busy Jaffa Road.
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Shavit: Israel Has One Year to Stop Iran

Shabtai Shavit, the former director of Mossad, warns that Israel has only one year to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
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UK Academics Ignore Boycott

British academics are enthusiastically taking up offers of joint seminars with their Israeli colleagues, says the director of the Academic Study Group on Israel and the Middle East.
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Israeli Cabinet Approves Prisoner Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has won his cabinet's approval on Sunday for a prisoner swap with Hezbollah under which two soldiers held by the Islamist terror group, and believed to be dead, would be recovered.
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Teaching the Holocaust in Balata

An Israeli Arab teaches residents of the Balata refugee camp about the Holocaust, arguing that if Palestinians are to be successful they need to "know their enemy."

Presbyterians Mull Israel Divestment

The Presbyterian Church in the US is considering a range of anti-Israel proposals, including divestment and a call to end US military aid.
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Push for Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facilities Grows

As the former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, predicts an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities before President Bush leaves office, a senior Israeli analyst tells CBS News the job can only be done with American assistance.
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Israel Closes Gaza Cargo Crossings

The IDF closes Gaza’s cargo crossings in response to Qassams fired by Islamic Jihad.
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Hamas Violates Truce

Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for three Qassam rockets against Sderot launched from Hamas-controlled Gaza, in violation of the truce.
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EU Sanctions Won't Affect Nuclear Program, Says Iran

Iran's "pursuit to realize its nuclear rights" will continue despite a new raft of EU sanctions against the Tehran regime, a foreign ministry spokesman says.
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War of Words Over Iran Escalates

As European Union finance ministers freeze the assets of Bank Melli, Iran's biggest bank, within the EU, the Tehran regime claims that Israel does not have the capacity to launch an attack on its nuclear facilities.
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Barbarism in Paris

A Jewish teenager has been beaten into a coma following a vicious antisemitic attack on the streets of the French capital.
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Israel Increases Goods Flow into Gaza

As badly-needed goods are driven into Gaza following the ceasefire with Hamas, the family of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit criticize the Israeli government for not making his release part of the deal.
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Iran Must "Read the Writing on the Wall"

An Israeli official says last month's ambitious long-range military exercise is a clear signal to Iran that an attack on its nuclear facilities is a very real option.
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Complaints Close Israel Exhibit in Chicago

A controversial exhibition on Israel at Chicago's Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies closes early after complaints about its content.
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US Says Israeli Military Exercise is Iran Rehearsal

A major military exercise carried out by Israel may be a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, say American officials.
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Canadian Jews Play Down Report of Hezbollah Threat

Following an ABC report that Hezbollah "sleeper cells" are poised to attack Jewish targets in Canada, a top Jewish official says that there is no imminent threat.
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Hezbollah: Armed Presence Will Remain After Deal

Hezbollah says that its armed presence in Lebanon will remain even after Israel evacuates the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
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Gaza Truce Takes Shaky Hold

A truce between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza has gone into effect just hours after southern Israel was subjected to a barrage of mortar and rocket fire. Doubt that the truce will last is widespread.
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Business as Usual in the Tunnels into Gaza

Cigarettes, clothing, viagra and weapons are among the items being smuggled through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza, resulting in handsome profits for both the smugglers and their Hamas rulers.
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Israel Confirms Gaza Ceasefire

Israel confirms a ceasefire with Hamas-ruled Gaza, following talks brokered by Egypt. Israelis are now hoping for an end to rocket attacks on Sderot and other towns in the south.
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Israel and Hamas Agree Truce

Reports of a truce between Israel and Hamas are spreading across the media, along with rumors of renewed negotiations over the fate of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
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Falk Wants to "Insulate" HRC

Richard Falk, the UN Human Rights Council's new special investigator on Israel - infamous for comparing Israel to the Nazis - says he wants to "insulate" the discredited body from "partisan politics."
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Oil Price Fears Grow

As oil surges towards $140 per barrel, some analysts predict that the price could hit $150 as early as next week.
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UCU Executive Dithers on Academic Boycott

Perhaps alarmed by the unlawful nature of the academic boycott, the UCU national executive has deferred a decision on whether it can be implemented to its Strategy and Finance Committee.
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Fears Over Iran Nuclear Blueprints

As George Bush and Gordon Brown reiterate a tough line on Iran, a former U.N. weapons inspector has revealed that blueprints for nuclear devices were found two years ago on computers connected to an international nuclear smuggling ring with links to Iran and North Korea.
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Hamas Consolidates One Year On

One year after its violent seizure of Gaza, Hamas is growing stronger even as living conditions in the tiny strip deteriorate.
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France and US Rally Over Iran

Meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, George Bush restates their joint determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Rice Warns Israel on Settlements

The US Secretary of State says that construction projects in east Jerusalem and the West Bank could "imperil" peace efforts.
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Artists Flock to Israel

Calls on rock musicians to abide by the boycott campaign have made little impression, as rapper Snoop Dogg, French electronica duo Air and even a revived Blondie announce concerts in Israel.
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UK to Host Antisemitism Parley

London will be the venue for a February 2009 conference on antisemitism bringing together parliamentarians from across the globe.
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Saudi Hate School on US Shores

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has highlighted a Saudi-run school in Virginia which teaches hatred of Jews, Shi'a Muslims and others.
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The Israel Lobby at the Hebrew University

In Israel to speak at a forum organized by the far-left Gush Shalom group, "Israel Lobby" authors Mearsheimer and Walt have delivered a lecture, arranged at their own request, at the Hebrew University.
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Rice: World Losing Patience with Iran

The US Secretary of State says that Iran will not be allowed to use a renewed diplomatic overture to to stall concerns over its nuclear program.
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EU Cool on Israel Upgrade

EU diplomats say that there is unlikely to be an upgrade of ties with Israel, "given the uncertainty of the situation on the ground in Israel and its immediate neighbourhood."
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Qaddafi in Race Slur Against Obama

The Libyan dictator claims that Barack Obama's support for Israel stems from an "inferiority complex" over his African origins.
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Al-Qaeda Active in Hamastan

In Hamas-ruled Gaza, Al Qaeda groups are active - and their impatience is growing.
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Israelis Debate Gaza Operation

As terrorists bombard southern Israel with mortar rounds, Israeli leaders discuss whether to mount a military operation against Hamas.
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Gilad's Family Receives Letter

Two years after he was kidnapped, the family of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has received a letter in his handwriting in which he pleas for his life.
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Diplomatic Solution Emerging for Shebaa Farms

British and French diplomacy may result in an imminent diplomatic solution of the conflict over Shebaa Farms, which involves Israel, Lebanon and Syria.
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US to Limit Contact with "Pathetic" UN Rights Council

The United States has confirmed plans to scale back its participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council, which obsessively criticizes Israel while ignoring massive human rights abuses elsewhere.

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Mofaz Iran Comments Spark Anger

Several Israeli commentators and politicians have rounded on Deputy PM Shaul Mofaz, saying his comments on attacking Iran are designed to further his political ambitions.
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Tel Aviv Celebrates Gay Pride

Parties hit the streets of Tel Aviv for the 10th annual Gay Pride parade.
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The Battle for Water

A fast-growing population combined with global warming has put a major strain on Israel's water supplies, as the country experiences a drought for the fourth consecutive year.
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Palestine in 1948: Bobby Kennedy's Reports

In 1948, a 22 year old Robert Kennedy reported from Palestine for the Boston Post. Lenny Ben-David revisits his dispatches.
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Israel to Loosen Limits on Gaza Scholars

Israel will no longer prevent Palestinians with foreign study grants from leaving Gaza and will look favorably on their applications for exit permits, senior officials say.
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Former Belgian Minister Sues Jewish Leader

A former Belgian minister has filed a libel lawsuit against a senior Jewish leader who reported anti-Jewish comments made by the politician during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
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Al Qaeda Calls for Gaza Jihad

Ayman al-Zawahri, Al Qaeda's number 2, has urged a holy war  over the Gaza Strip.
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Israel Angered by Palestinian EU Call

Israel has reacted angrily to Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad's call on the European Union not to upgrade its ties with the Jewish state.
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Israel's Supreme Court Condemns Student Ban

The Israeli Supreme Court has called on the government to reconsider its almost total ban on Palestinian students leaving the Gaza Strip to study abroad.
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Tough Line on Iran Renewed

As Israel's PM warns Iran over its nuclear ambitions, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice describes Tehran as a threat to the entire Middle East.
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Taking the UCU to Task

Read the letter sent by leading UK lawyer Anthony Julius to UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt.
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Gaza Fulbright Scholarships Reinstated

The US Consulate in Jerusalem tells seven Gaza Fulbright scholars that their grants have been reinstated and that exit permits are being secured from the Israeli authorities.
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Putin Denies Iran Seeking Nuclear Weapons

On a visit to Paris, Russian PM Vladimir Putin tells reporters that "nothing indicates" Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
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Israel and State Department Trade Fulbright Accusations

Israel says that the State Department did not contact the Prime Minister's Office over the seven Palestinian Fulbright scholars unable to leave Gaza. Officials also say the students will now be able to depart for their studies.
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Baghdad's Last Jews

For the handful of Iraqi Jews who saw the end of Saddam's totalitarian regime, life remains dominated by fear and uncertainty.
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UN Agency Blasted for Ahmadinejad Invite

The Israeli Ambassador in Rome has slammed the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation for inviting the Iranian President to its summit next week.
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Rice to Examine Fulbright Withdrawals

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is looking into reports that the State Department scrapped grants to Palestinian scholars because they could not get Israeli approval to leave Gaza.
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Fulbright Withdrawal from Gaza Students Causes Unease

Leading Israelis have expressed concern at the US State Department's decision to withdraw Fulbright Scholarships for seven students from Gaza after Israel refused them permission to travel.
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UCU Vote Denounced by UK Academic Leader

Professor Rick Trainor, president of the umbrella body Universities UK, says that the UCU vote is "at odds with the principles of academic freedom."
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Boycott Threatens International Cooperation for UK Academics

The UCU vote to encourage a boycott of Israeli academics is likely to sour relations between British academics and their colleagues abroad, reports Joanna Sugden.
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UCU Votes for Academic Boycott

Despite authoritative legal advice that an academic boycott of Israelis would break British anti-discrimination laws, the UCU passes a motion calling on members "to consider the moral implications" of working with Israeli colleagues.
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Remembering the Gay Victims of Nazism

A monument to the gay victims of Nazi persecution has been unveiled in Berlin, aimed at reminding visitors that discrimination based on sexual orientation continues to exist.
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Iran: The Deceit Continues

A new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Iran's suspected research into nuclear weapons development remains "a matter of serious concern."
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Durban 2 Headed for Geneva

A follow-up to the 2001 UN conference against racism - which many states fear will degenerate into an endless Israel-bashing session - will be held in Geneva in April 2009, diplomats announce.
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Gordimer in Jerusalem

Nobel Prize-winning South African author Nadine Gordimer offers harsh criticisms of Israel in a conversation with Amos Oz, but rejects the apartheid analogy at the same time.
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No More Talks With Hamas, Says Sarkozy

The French President tells Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that France will have no more contact with Hamas.
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Egyptian Diplomats Boycott Israeli Soccer Team

An Egyptian soccer team, including diplomats from the Egyptian Embassy in Rome, boycotted an international tournament after finding out they were playing an Israeli side.

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Israel Deports Norman Finkelstein

"It wasn't a Belgian bed-and-breakfast, but it wasn't Auschwitz either," says anti-Zionist US academic Norman Finkelstein of his 24 hours in an Israeli prison cell, prior to his deportation from the country because of concerns related to his meetings with Hezbollah. 
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American Teachers Urge UCU to Drop Boycott Proposal

Edward J. McElroy, President of the American Federation of Teachers, has urged British academics not to single out Israelis for a boycott, in a letter to the UCU leadership.
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UCU Under Pressure Over Academic Boycott

The UCU could face legal repercussions if it passes a motion supporting an academic boycott of Israelis; earlier this week, two prominent legal experts deemed that such a course of action would be unlawful.
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Libel Verdict on Al-Dura Killing Overturned

A court in Paris overrules a libel verdict in favor of France 2 television against media critic Phillipe Karsenty, who claimed that footage of the killing of Palestinian child Muhammed al-Dura - who became an icon of the second intifada - was staged.
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US Cool on Syria-Israel Talks

The US reacts cooly to news of indirect talks between Syria and Israel, saying that the Palestinian negotiations track is "more mature."
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UCU Leader Avoids Legality Question

UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt refuses to be drawn into a discussion of the legality of the proposed academic boycott of Israel; Engage detects a change of tune.
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The Jihadis Next Door

Jewish residents of the 19th arrondisement in Paris talk about revelations that some of their Muslim neighbors have gone to fight in Iraq.
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Israel and Syria in "Indirect" Talks

Israel says it is holding indirect peace talks with Syria mediated by Turkey. Talks between the two broke down in 2000 over Syrian demands on the Golan Heights.
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Academic Boycott Violates Anti-Racism Laws

Two leading barristers have issued an opinion concluding that the academic boycott of Israelis being considered by the UCU would be on the wrong side of British laws on discrimination.
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France in Contact with Hamas

"These are not relations, they are contacts," says French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, responding to reports that France is in touch with Hamas.

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Hezbollah Ascendant

"Hezbollah today stands unquestioned as the single most powerful force in Lebanon," writes Anthony Shadid.
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The Threats Facing Israel

In a candid interview, the director of Israel's Military Intelligence talks about Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran.
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Islamists Ride High in Kuwait Polls

Conservative Islamist candidates have made strong gains in Kuwait's pariamentary elections, while women candidates have failed to win a single seat.
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Major Gaza Offensive if Shalit Remains Captive, Warns Suleiman

Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Sulieman has apparently warned Hamas leaders that Israel will launch a major offensive in Gaza if Gilad Shalit is not released.
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Bin Laden's One-State Solution

A new audio tape apparently recorded by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vows "not to give up one inch of Palestine."
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A "State of Nazism": Palestinian Demonstrations Demonize Israel

Palestinian schoolchildren in Ramallah chant "We Will Return!" beneath slogans describing Israel as an "apartheid" and "Nazi" state.
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Palestinian Protests Underline Divisions

Protests by Palestinians to mark Israel's sixtieth anniversary have highlighted the divisions between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Hamas foes in Gaza.
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Terror Strikes Ashkelon

Fifteen people are wounded as a rocket fired from Gaza crashes into a women's health clinic next to a mall in the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
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Australian PM Explores Court Action Against Ahmadinejad

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may take Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the International Court of Justice over his "antisemitic" incitement of violence against Israel.
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Terrorism Victims Sue UBS

Victims of terrorist attacks in Israel have filed a lawsuit in New York against UBS,  claiming that the Swiss bank's dealings with Iran enabled the funding of terrorist groups.
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Jerusalem Parley Set to Begin

An array of international guests - including George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch - are descending on Jerusalem for a major conference hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres.
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Little Hope for Reconciliation

Leading Israeli historian Benny Morris explains why, sixty years after its creation, Israel remains fundamentally insecure.
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EU Condemns Ahmadinejad

The EU has rebuked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for describing the State of Israel as a "stinking corpse."
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Hezbollah Overruns West Beirut

Lebanon draws closer to a renewed civil war as Hezbollah terrorists storm the western half of the city.
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Canadian PM: Anti-Zionism is Often Antisemitism

Anti-Israeli sentiment is often "a thinly disguised veil for good old-fashioned antisemitism," says Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
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Fierce Clashes in Beirut

Sunni and Shi'a neighbourhoods in Beirut plunge into conflict as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah says that recent government actions amount to "open war."

Israel at Sixty: AJC Celebrates

The American Jewish Committee marks Israel's sixtieth anniversary with several features, including a blog by Executive Director David Harris on why this is an occasion to celebrate.
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1948: "I Was There"

On 14 May 1948, 200 dignitaries gathered at Tel Aviv's Museum of Art to hear David Ben Gurion read the Declaration of Independence. Arieh Handler, now 93, was one of them.
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Israel Remembers Fallen Soldiers

On the eve of the sixtieth anniversary of its independence, Israel remembers the 22,437 soldiers who fell in defense of the Jewish state.
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When Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism

San Francisco's Mayor says that much of the anti-Zionist rhetoric in the Bay Area is antisemitism, plain and simple.
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Olmert Corruption Allegations Intensify

Rumors abound in Israel that the latest set of corruption allegations against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could result in his resignation. See also The New York Post.
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Olmert Investigation Could Brake Peace Process

US attempts to bring about a lasting deal between Israel and the Palestinians could be held back by an Israeli police investigation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
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Rice: Peace is Possible This Year

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice believes a deal between Israel and the Palestinians can be done before President Bush leaves office.
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The Price of Success

Israel's remarkable progress in preventing suicide bombings comes at a political price, reports Isabel Kershner.
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Al Jazeera Spurned by Israeli Officials

Concerned by the Arabic satellite network's coverage of the conflict in Gaza, Israeli officials won't be appearing on Al Jazeera - not everyone agrees with that strategy, however.
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Israel to Honor Gay Holocaust Victims

A monument commemorating the gay men and women persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime is to be erected in a Tel Aviv park.
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Gordimer Declines Israel Boycott

Nobel Prize-winning South African author Nadine Gordimer defends her decision to attend a writer's festival in Jerusalem, but strongly attacks the Israeli government.
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Israel Remembers the Holocaust

"There is no force in the world stronger than the spirit of this people, that emerged from the abyss of annihilation to the summits of creation, success, building and might of the State of Israel," says Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as commemoration ceremonies are held across the country.
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New Report Pinpoints Rise in Violent Antisemitic Attacks

A new Tel Aviv University study notes an overall decline in antisemitic incidents around the world last year, but a significant rise in violent attacks.
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Rice: Hamas Serving as Iran's Proxy Warriors

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice tells the American Jewish Committee's annual meeting that Hamas is serving an Iranian regime bent on acquiring nuclear weapons and destroying Israel.
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The Centrifuges of Natanz

The Iranian regime takes journalists on an official tour of its main nuclear center at Natanz; the New York Times concludes that Iran's true intentions remain an enigma.
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Iran: It's the Economy, Stupid

Parliamentary elections won't impact government policy or the power structure in Iran, but the current regime's mishandling of the economy could come back to haunt it.
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Gordimer Under Pressure to Boycott Israel Writers Festival

Nobel Prize winning South Afrcian author Nadine Gordimer is under pressure to observe a cultural boycott of Israel by pulling out of May's International Writers Festival in Jerusalem.
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Amis on Islamism: Much Heat, Little Light

"I have never before assented to so many of the principles of a book and found it so awful," says Leon Wieseltier, reviewing Martin Amis's angry denuniciation of Islamism, "The Second Plane."

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Outrage Over Belgian Government Support for Pro-Boycott Festival

Jewish leaders in Belgium are furious about a Palestinian festival, sponsored by the culture ministry, which encourages a boycott of Israeli goods.
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Israel Air Force Chief: Iran is a Real Threat

Israelis must be ready for anything and can trust only themselves, Major General Eliezer Shkedy tells 60 Minutes.
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Don't Knock Biofuels

Concerns about dependency on oil supplies from repressive states are now being displaced by the argument that biofuel alternatives are behind the global food crisis - and that's a big mistake, argues Roger Cohen.
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Anti-Boycott Activist Banned from UCU Email Forum

David Hirsh, one of the founders of Engage, the academic group formed to oppose the academic boycott, has been banned from an email forum run by the University and College Union (UCU).
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Was There an Agreement Over Settlements?

Israel claims that a 2005 letter from President Bush to then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sanctioned the growth of existing West Bank settlements - but the US says there is no such agreement.
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North Korea Linked to Syria Nuclear Reactor

US officials say that there is video evidence of North Koreans working at the alleged nuclear facility in Syria destroyed during an Israeli airstrike in September 2007.
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Durban II Preparatory Conference Distorts Antisemitism

On the third day of a preparatory meeting in Geneva for the next UN Summit on Racism, an Algerian diplomat tries to distort the meaning of the term "antisemitism" to include anti-Arab racism.
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Israel "Ready to Withdraw" from Golan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly conveyed a message to the Syrian regime from Israeli leader Ehud Olmert offering to withdraw from the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace deal.
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Espionage Suspect Was "Helping Israel"

84 year old Ben Ami Kadish, arrested for allegedly passing classified US military information to an Israeli handler in the early 1980s, believed he was helping Israel; meanwhile, senior Israeli officials say they are not familiar with the case.
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Iran "Hell Bent" on Acquiring Nukes

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that Iran is "hell bent" on weaponizing its nuclear capability -
and warns of the dangers of another war in the Middle East.
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Muslim Antisemitism a "Strategic Threat" to Israel

A new report by a leading Israeli institution presents the surge in Muslim antisemitism as an existential danger to the State of Israel.
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Hamas: We Won't Recognize Israel

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal flatly contradicts former US President Jimmy Carter's claim that the Islamist terror organization is ready to live in peace with Israel.
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In the West Bank, Another Kind of Rally

In the midst of conflict, a group of Palestinian enthusiasts are drumming up support for motor racing.
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Hamas Issues New Threat to Gilad Shalit

A Hamas leader says that Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by the Islamist terror group almost two years ago, will not be released until demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners are met.
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Caterpillar in Talks with Church Divestment Activists

Heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar is in discussions with divestment activists in the United Methodist Church who are targeting the company because of ots dealings with Israel.
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Academic Boycott Faces Legal Challenge

Leaders of the Stop the Boycott campaign in the UK confirm that they will instruct lawyers to examine the legality of the latest academic boycott proposal to emerge within the University and College Union.
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Moroccan Court Bans Pro-Israel Berber Party

Morocco's PDAM party, based in the country's large Berber minority, has been banned under a law prohibiting ethnic parties - but its pro-Israel stance was also a factor.
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Syria Still Arming Hezbollah, Says Israel

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Syria is still supplying rockets to Hezbollah, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
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The "Peace" Lobby: J Street Launches

The much-heralded alternative to AIPAC, pushing a "pro-Israel, pro-peace" agenda, has been unveiled in Washington.
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UCU Boycott Motion Reaches Conference Floor

The UK's University and College Union has permitted a motion promoting a boycott of Israeli academics to be discussed at its upcoming conference, despite having received advice that such a move would violate anti-discrimination laws.
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Morrissey: God Bless Israel

Rock legend and former Smiths frontman Morrissey is to play Israel this summer, despite a renewed Israel boycott campaign aimed at musicians.
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Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Remembered

Marek Edelman, now 89, recalls his role as a commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising as commemoration ceremonies are held to honor the epic battle which erupted in April 1943.
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Hamas Cleric: Jihad is Global

A sermon broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV by Hamas cleric Yunus al-Astal forecasts that Islam will conquer Rome, Europe and eventually America.
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Israeli and Omani Foreign Ministers Meet

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has met her Omani counterpart, Yousef bin Alawi, during a visit to Qatar. Both the meeting and its location suggest a further warming of ties between Israel and certain Gulf Arab states.
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Iranian Minister: Mosque Explosion was an "Accident"

Iran's deputy interior minister says that an explosion at a Shi'a mosque in the town of Shiraz was an "accident"; although bomb attacks are a rarity in Iran, growing political, religious and ethnic tensions in the country have raised suspicions that it was an attack.
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Noam Shalit: Carter Could Help Secure Gilad's Release

After meeting Jimmy Carter, the father of Gilad Shalit says the former US President's anti-Israel reputation could help secure his son's release from Hamas captivity.
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Iran Seeks UN Security Council Seat

Diplomats say the Islamist regime's ambitions are yet another sign that the UN Security Council is becoming irrelevant.
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Bahraini Boycotters Step Up Campaign

Pro-boycott politicians in Bahrain are appealing to King Hamad to reopen the Israel Boycott Office, closed after the signing of a Free Trade Agreement with the US. For more background, see this recent piece by Ben Cohen on the Z Word blog.
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Iranian Regime: We're the Victims

Iran's UN Envoy has written to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon complaining about "impudent threats" frm "the Israel Regime" after an Israeli Minister warned that an Iranian first-strike would trigger a harsh response.
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Hamas Seizes Fuel for Military Aggression

Half of the 800,000 liters of fuel transferred by Israel into Gaza on a weekly basis - and intended for humanitarian usage, such as hospitals and sewage pumps - is being commandeered by the Islamist organization's military wing.
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AJC Launches Arabic Website

In a bid to increase understanding of Jews and Judaism in the Arab world, the American Jewish Committee has launched an ambitious Arabic website.
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Carter Ignores State Department Advice

Former US President Jimmy Carter has dismissed the State Department's view that he should not meet with Khaled Meshaal, a senior Hamas leader, on a visit to the Middle East next week.
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Pro-Israel Circles Warm to Hagee

By toning down his apocalyptic rhetoric, Pastor John Hagee, the leading "Christian Zionist" in the US, is gaining greater acceptance among advocates for Israel in the Jewish community.
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Antisemitism on the Rise in Canada

A new study shows that antisemitic incidents in Canada have risen four-fold over the past decade.
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Carter To Break Bread With Hamas Chief

Former US President Jimmy Carter is travelling to Damascus to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, widely regarded as responsible for supporting and directing several terrorist outrages against Israelis. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports on a new study which concludes that Hamas is engaged in a massive military build-up, backed by Syria and Iran.

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Scientists Disdain Academic Boycott

Via Engage - Statement condemning the UCU's proposed academic boycott of Israelis from four scientific associations researching diabetes and endocrinology: "The principle of the Universality of Science is fundamental to scientific progress," the statement says.
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Israel Bars "Nazi Analogy" UN Official

Richard Falk, the American academic recently appointed as the UN's investigator into Palestinian human rights, has been barred from entering Israel after he stood by comments equating Israeli policies with the Nazi German regime.
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Iran Nuclear Threat Escalates

Iran has begun installing 6,000 new centrifuges - used to enrich uranium - at its principal nuclear site in Natanz.
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Barghouti Writes "Peace Letter" for Peace Now Rally

A Peace Now rally in Tel Aviv is the site for the reading of a letter penned by jailed Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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Australian Labor Leader Denounces Anti-Israel Ad

Paddy Crumlin, leader of the Maritime Union of Australia, says a recent newspaper ad equating Israel with "racism" and "ethnic cleansing" was an "appalling choice of words."
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Israeli Court Ruling Highlights Religious-Secular Divide

The recent Jerusalem municipal court decision to allow restaurants to sell bread during the Jewish holiday of Passover has triggered appeals from politicians for tolerance.
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Israeli Minister Warns of "Binational State"

Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer warns that nationalism among Israeli Arabs could result in a binational state; he also calls for the release of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti in order to provide a credible negotiating partner.
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Sderot Becomes Israel's Symbol

Under constant fire from Hamas rockets, the Israeli town of Sderot has become a symbol of resilience. "We are at war and you feel it here," says one resident.
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Israel and US Likely to Reject UN Conference on Racism

Senior diplomatic sources say that - absent guarantees that the UN's Durban follow-up meeting will not turn into an Israel-bashing confab - Israel and the US will spurn the event.
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"Alternative AIPAC" Prepares for Launch

The much-discussed "dovish" Israel Lobby - dubbed the "J-Street Project" - is about to be unveiled.
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Amazon: An Extremist Publisher?

A book of articles by prominent antisemites of right and left has been published by a subsidiary of Amazon, the online retailer.
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Suffering in Sderot Continues

Sirens mark the start of the morning in the Israeli town of Sderot, as residents hurry to shelters under a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza.
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Saudis Prime Source of Terror Funds

Al Qaeda and other terror networks receive much of their funding from donors in Saudi Arabia, a US ally, says a leading Treasury official.
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Bjork Isn't Boycotting

Iceland's searing rock vocalist will be playing a major concert in Israel over the summer.
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Hamas Leader's Remarks on Palestinian State Under Scrutiny

Interviewed by a leading Arab daily, Khaled Meshal says he supports an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders - but also calls for the "right of return."
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Israel and Iran Rate Lowest in BBC Poll

Respondents to a BBC poll in 34 countries view Israel more negatively than North Korea and Pakistan; only Iran fares worse.
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Congress Recognizes Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands

A Congressional resolution recognizes the thousands of Jewish refugees forced to flee their homes in Arab countries following Israel's creation - and urges that their fate be taken into account in peace negotiations.

See also Point of No Return.

Hamas Antisemitism Confounds Peace Efforts

Antisemitic agitation by Hamas in Gaza - from Friday sermons in mosques to bloodcurdling rhetoric about Jews on television - casts significant doubt on whether the intentions of the Islamist organization can ever be peaceful.

See also this American Jewish Committee report on Palestinian textbooks.

New Poll Underlines US Public's Support for Israel

Support for a strong US-Israel relationship remains strong among Americans, a new poll finds.
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Funding Crisis for Israel Anti-Boycott Body

The International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom - an Israeli body which has played a critical role in fighting the academic boycott - has been silenced by a lack of funds.
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Australian Unions Shrug Off Antisemitism Charge

US labor leader Stuart Appelbaum's forthright criticisms of the "venom" directed at Israel by two Australian unions have met with a standard cool response.
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Peace Now?

Speaking in Jordan, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says she's confident that a "comprehensive peace" will be reached between Israel and the Palestinians by the year's end.
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Antisemitism in France Becoming More Violent

A report by France's leading Jewish organization says antisemitic attacks are taking increasingly violent forms.
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Dutch Jews Distance Themselves From Islam Film

Fitna, a film about Islam by Dutch MP Geert Wilders which purports to be a serious documentary, is criticized by Dutch Jewish leaders for its polarizing message. See also Elif Kayi on the Z Word blog.
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What's the UCU Hiding?

A spokesman for the UK academic union refuses to discuss the renewed motion for an academic boycott of Israelis, saying the document "should not be in the public domain."
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Hungarian Liberals Protest Antisemitic Article

Prominent Hungarians, including the Mayor of Budapest, have cancelled subscriptions to the daily newspaper Magyar Hirlap following the publication of a blatantly antisemitic article.
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Anger Over UN Appointment of Richard Falk as Palestinian Monitor

The UN Human Rights Council has appointed Richard Falk - an American academic who has compared Israeli actions with those of Nazi Germany - as its "expert" on the situation in the Palestinian territories.
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UCU Pushes New Academic Boycott Effort

Despite an authoritative legal opinion warning that an academic boycott of Israelis is an act of discrimination, the leadership of Britain's academic trade union is - for the fourth year in a row - pushing to exclude Israelis.

See also Eve Garrard's Z Word essay on the academic boycott and Z Word editor Ben Cohen on the ideological roots of the boycott.

UN Bias on Israel Returns to Spotlight

As the US Envoy to the UN questions the "utility" of the Security Council's monthly briefing on the Middle East, anger is stoked by the Swiss government's decision to nominate Jean Ziegler, a key figure in the campaign to demonize Israel, as adviser to the UN Human Rights Council.
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Wiesel Recruits Nobel Laureates for Tibet

The Chinese government's crackdown on protestors in Tibet has galvanized Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel into action.
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Nasrallah Issues New Deadly Threat to Israel

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah says his organization's terrorist operations against Israel show that the Jewish state can be "eliminated."
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BBC Admits Reporting Errors

The BBC has apologized for two major errors in recent reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the false claim that the home of the gunman who carried out the massacre at a Jerusalem yeshiva was destroyed by the authorities.
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French Civil Servant Fired After Publishing Anti-Israel Pamphlet

A senior French civil servant has lost his post at the interior ministry after publishing an online pamphlet which demonized Israel.
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Hillel Invite Sparks Debate and Protest

The Chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, a bastion of extreme anti-Zionist activity, is to address leaders of the Jewish community.
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Melbourne Jews Vow to Fight Back

As antisemitic attacks rise in the Australian city, a local Jewish leader says "we will never be victims again."
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Blood Libel Resurfaces in Russia

As the Jewish holiday of Passover approaches, leaflets carrying an age-old libel - that Jews use the blood of Christian children to bake matzoth, or unleavened bread - have appeared in the Russian city of Novosibirsk. See also Simply Jews here.

German Jewish Leaders Issue Court Challenge to Google

The Central Council of Jews in Germany has filed a case in a Hamburg Court to prevent YouTube, owned by Google, from hosting antisemitic videos.
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Ontario Teachers Reject Israel Boycott

Via Engage: A resolution at the annual meeting of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association which called for a boycott of Israel was pushed off the agenda.
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New Poll Shows Overwhelming Palestinian Support for Jerusalem Massacre

A new poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah shows massive support for the recent attack on a Jerusalem yeshiva in which eight people were murdered. "There is real reason to be concerned," says Khalil Shikaki, Director of the Center.
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Side by Side in Sakhnin

Arab and Jewish community leaders have been discussing how to turn the Sakhnin Valley in northern Israel into a model of cooperation.
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Jewish Flight From Paris Suburbs

Antisemitism is driving Jewish communities out of the northern suburbs of Paris.
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Defending Israel: Canada on the Frontline

Canada is quickly gaining a reputation for courageous defense of Israel in international forums, but on the domestic front, not everyone is pleased.
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Iranian Terrorists Place Bounty on Israeli Leaders

A terrorist group sponsored by the Iranian regime, the Islamic Student Justice Seekers, is offering a financial reward for the murder of senior members of Israel's security establishment - Ehud Barak, Meir Dagan and Amos Yaron.
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Hardliners Victory in Iranian Elections Strengthens Nuclear Rhetoric

Allies of Mahmoud Ahmadinjead have swept parliamentary elections in Iran - in a contest widely regarded as rigged, after the Islamist regime banned large numbers of opposition candidates - leading to fears that Iran's nuclear ambitions will be emboldened.
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Row Over Police Response in East Jerusalem

The former Jerusalem district police commander has criticized local police for their response to Sunday's march by right-wing activists on the Arab neighbourhood of Jabal Mukaber.
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Jewish Agency Envoy's Home Attacked with Molotov Cocktail

The FBI and police in Rhode Island are investigating a 2AM attack upon the home of the US representative of the Jewish Agency.
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Harsh Reality of Life in Sderot

In a frank interview, Eli Moyal, Mayor of the Israeli city of Sderot, says: "In the last seven years, we have been living in hell."
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UK Teachers Push Anti-Zionism on Schoolkids

Pro-Palestinian activists in the UK teachers union want to teach schoolchildren about the Middle East conflict using materials produced by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign - an organization widely regarded as antisemitic.

See Mira Vogel on Engage. 

Americans Rate Israel in Top Five Countries

Americans remain solidly sympathetic to Israel, as a recent Gallup poll demonstrates.
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Iranian Regime to Execute Journalist

Yaghub Mehrnehad, a 28 year old civil rights activist and journalist, and a member of the oppressed Baluch minority, faces public hanging following a trial behind closed doors.
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AJC Head Urges More Diplomacy on Durban 2

AJC Executive Director David Harris says: "We can't afford to declare 'Durban 2' lost without more focus on diplomacy, especially toward the European Union countries and others influenced by them."
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Al Jazeera Caves to Apology Demands

Leading Arabic satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera has been forced to issue an apology after a furious row following remarks criticizing Islam made on one of its talk shows by Wafa Sultan, a Syrian-American psychologist.
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Hamas and Hezbollah Collaborated on Jerusalem Massacre

Palestinian sources claim that the gun attack on the Merkaz Harav yeshiva was ordered by Hamas leaders in Damascus, in coordination with Hezbollah.
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UCU Elections Deal New Blow to Boycotters

Elections to the National Executive Committee of the University and College Union (UCU) result in atrong gains for union activists opposed to the academic boycott of Israel.
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Polish Jews Who Fled Communist Purge Can Reclaim Citizenship

The Polish Interior Ministry has said that all Jews who left Poland in the wake of the antisemitic purge of 1968, and were consequently forced to forfeit their citizenship, will now be able to have it reinstated. For more background, see Rafal Pankowski's Z Word essay, "When Zionist Meant Jew."
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Libya Derails UNSC Condemnation of Jerusalem Massacre

A UN Security Council resolution condemning the shooting spree at a Jerusalem yeshiva has been blocked by Libyan opposition.
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Massacre in Jerusalem, Celebration in Gaza

As Hamas "blesses" the terror attack on a Jerusalem yeshiva in which eight people died, crowds of Palestinians in Gaza hand out sweets and attend mosque prayers of "thanksgiving."
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AJC Denounces "Heinous" Jerusalem Attack

The American Jewish Committee has condemned the attack by Palestinian gunmen at a Jerusalem yeshiva, or religious seminary, in which eight people were murdered.
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Six Detained Following Savage Attack On French Jewish Teenager

Six people are in custody in the Paris suburb of Bagneux, following a brutal assault on a Jewish teenager during which the victim was allegedly forced to eat cigarette butts and endure antisemitic and homophobic abuse.
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"Birthright Palestine" Rejects Israel's Existence

A new Palestinian youth program can't bring itself to recognize Israel.
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French Jewish Youth Kidnapped and Abused

Via Engage: A young French Jewish man was kidnapped and subjected to violent antisemitic and homophobic abuse by a gang in the the neighbourhood of Bagneux - the same Paris suburb where another young Jewish man, Ilan Halimi, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in 2006.
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"Arabic Voice" of IDF

For Arabic speakers around the globe, Avichay Adraee is the face and voice of Israel's military - as fighting intensifies around Gaza, his role is ever more challenging.
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New Study Shows Young US Jews Not Alienated From Israel

Shmuel Rosner on a new academic study which rejects "the prevailing pessimism regarding the future relationship of American Jews to Israel."
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NATO Expresses Fear Over Dutch Islam Film

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has expressed concern that a film about Islam by Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch MP, could have repercussions for troops serving in Afghanistan.
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Iran Announces Boycott of Paris Book Fair

Angered by the decision of the prestigious Salon du Livre to honor Israeli writers on the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel, the Islamist regime in Iran has announced a boycott - other Muslim states may follow.
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Abbas: Israel Actions "Worse Than Holocaust"

The PA President says that Israel's military operation in Gaza, launched in response to the constant firing of rockets into southern Israel, is "worse than the Holocaust"; meanwhile, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal accuses Israel of "exaggerating the Holocaust and using it to blackmail the world."
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Sudan Liberation Movement Opens Tel Aviv Office

The Sudan Liberation Movement, one of the rebel groups fighting the government-sponsored onslaught in the Darfur region, has opened an office in Tel Aviv and praised the Israeli government "for protecting Darfur youth from genocide."
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Sderot College Struggles Under Rocket Attacks

Students at Sapir college in Sderot are facing a harsh reality, one day after Roni Yihye, one of their number, was killed by a Hamas rocket. See also this BBC photo feature on what Sderot residents are saying.
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UK Greens Split Over Israel Boycott

Leading members of Britain's Green Party have dissociated themselves from a resolution passed at the party's recent conference calling for a boycott campaign against Israel.
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Abbas: Armed Conflict Against Israel Still Possible

In an interview with a leading Jordanian newspaper, PA President Mahmoud Abbas says armed conflict with Israel could resume in the future.
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UN Official Blames Israel for Palestinian Terror Attacks

UN official John Dugard has issued a report describing terrorism as an "inevitable consequence" of Israeli policies, making a distinction between Al Qaida's acts and those which emerge from a "war of national liberation": Israel has slammed the report for not recognizing that the intention of terrorists - killing civilians - is what counts.
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Cotler to Lead International Coalition Against Antisemitism

Canadian MP and human rights activist Irwin Cotler is to head the newly-formed International Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism. The coalition includes scholars, parliamentarians and activists.
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Iran Accuses EU Of Caving To "Zionist Lobby"

Following sharp European Union criticism of President Ahmadinejad's latest verbal assault on Israel, Iran resorts to more warnings against the "Zionist Lobby."
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Putin's Candidate Stung By Antisemitism

As Russia heads towards Sunday's Presidential election, Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is facing an antisemitic whispering campaign.
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UC Irvine Hostility to Jews Grows

Extreme anti-Zionist and antisemitic rhetoric and harassment of Jewish students continues to  plague the campus of the University of California, Irvine.
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Global Forum Renews Efforts to Confront Antisemitism

Meeting in Jerusalem, the Global Forum Against Antisemitism announces major initiatives, including the formation of the International Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (ICCA).
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Lawmakers Probe UN Official on Arab Rights Charter Endorsement

Two leading members of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committtee have asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki moon to clarify recent remarks by Louise Arbour, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, endorsing the Arab Human Rights Charter, which rejects "Zionism" alongside "racism". See also Z Word's blog on the issue.
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Israel Pulls Out Of Durban II

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says that Israel will not participate in the 2009 follow-up to the UN's Durban Conference on Racism, out of concern that antisemitism is likely to be a problem once again.
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A Scar On The Beautiful Game

At the Global Forum against Antisemitism in Jerusalem, British MP John Mann is to issue a report on antisemitism at European football matches.
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Iran Steps Up War of Words Against Israel

High illiteracy rates? Lack of basic civil rights? War, terror and social conflict in Iraq? Or Pakistan? According to the Speaker of Iran's Majlis, none of these constitute the "greatest catastrophe for the Islamic world" - that label is reserved for Israel.
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Just For Laughs?

Israeli and Palestinian comedians take their show across the United States - and nothing is off limits.
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IAEA: "Questions Remain" Over Iranian Nuclear Program

Doubts over Iran's nuclear intentions prevent the International Atomic Energy Agency from issuing a clean bill of health.
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Antisemitism 2.0

As virulently anti-Zionist and antisemitic material spreads through popular internet sites like YouTube and Facebook, are Jewish organizations being too slow in their response?
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Chelsea Boss Receives Antisemitic Death Threat

British police are investigating a death threat against Avram Grant, the Israeli coach of top English football club Chelsea, and his wife, which included a note calling Grant "a backstabbing Jewish b***ard."
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Ahmadinejad: "Zionist Regime a Dirty Microbe"

Speaking in the city of Bandar Abbas, the Iranian President unleashes yet another torrent of violent rhetoric against Israel. Update: UN Chief Ban Ki Moon brands remarks "intolerable."
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Sarkozy Proposals Bring Antisemites Out Of The Woodwork

Linda Keenan says that French President Nicholas Sarkozy's controversial proposals on Holocaust education are revealing the "armchair Ahmadinejads."
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Islamists Attack Palestinian Rights Groups

Islamic Jihad excoriates two Palestinian human rights groups for saying that there was no evidence of Israeli involvement in a Gaza blast last week which killed 8 people, including a commander of the terrorist organization.
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Iranian Commander Predicts Destruction of "Cancerous Germ" Israel

Mohammad Ali Jafari, head of Iran's brutal Revolutionary Guards, has said that Israel faces "destruction" at the hands of the Islamist terror organization Hezbollah.
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Uphill Struggle for Arab University Graduates

Arab students at Jerusalem's prestigious Hebrew University talk frankly about their worries for what life holds after graduation.
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UK Green Party in BDS Drive Against Israel

At its Spring Conference, the UK Green Party blames Israel alone for the conflict in the Middle East and issues a call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.
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Antisemitism Fears at UC Irvine Persist

An independent report says Jewish students face harassment and hate speech.
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Preparing for Independence, Kosovo Calls for Israeli Recognition

With a declaration of independence imminent, Kosovar PM Hashim Thaci tells Ha'aretz of his support for Israel and underlines that Kosovo will not be an "Islamic nation".
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After The Italian Blacklist, A French One

One week after the Italian interior minister closed down a blog which listed the names of more than 100 Jews and non-Jews accused of "lobbying for the Zionists," a similar list emerges in France.
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Human Rights Groups Pay Tribute to Tom Lantos

A powerful, eloquent statement from the Human Rights Leadership Coalition following the death, earlier this week, of Congressman Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who dedicated his life to advancing human rights.
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US Envoy Expresses Concern About Rising Australian Antisemitism

Gregg Rickman, the State Department's Envoy focusing on antisemitism, is meeting with Jewish leaders and government officials in Australia following a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents.
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Antisemitic Incidents in UK Remain at Worrying Level

The annual report of Jewish communal organization the Community Security Trust (CST) notes a slight fall in the overall number of incidents in 2007, but violent assaults are at a record high. Download the entire report here.

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Hope and Hurt in a Hospital Ward

Isabel Kershner reports on a poignant scene at Tel Aviv's Tel Hashomer hospital.
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Hezbollah Blames "Zionists" for Mughniyeh Killing in Damascus

Islamist terror organization Hezbollah has issued a shrill statement accusing Israel of killing its top commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was wanted for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires which caused 85 deaths.

Listen to the American Jewish Committee's terrorism expert Yehudit Barsky discuss the Mughniyeh killing.  

Canadian Lawmaker Says Durban II Alternative Conference Will Go Ahead

Senator Jerry Grafstein says parliamentarians from across the world are backing a counter-conference to the UN's Durban follow-up conference on racism in 2009.
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Arab Satellite TV Stations Face Renewed Censorship Drive

At an Arab League meeting in Cairo, member states agree a charter to penalize TV stations for "offending" Arab leaders, as well as "national" and "religious" symbols.
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Israeli Plans for New City Boost Arab Hopes

Israeli Arab minister Ghaleb Majadele says plans for a new Arab city - the first since 1948 - will bolster the Arab minority's "sense of belonging" in Israel.
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"This was not a pogrom, but it was close..."

Aviva Lori on a church service in the Polish city of Krakow marked by ugly antisemitic rhetoric.
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Anglicans Rally Around Archbishop in Shari'a Row

The Archbishop of Canterbury's comments on shari'a law continue to stir controversy, including fierce press criticism, much of it founded upon concerns about the negative impact of shari'a courts on women. Read The Independent's Johann Hari here and Harry's Place writer David T here.
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Tom Lantos, 1928-2008

California Congressman Tom Lantos, a survivor of the Holocaust and a powerful voice for human rights, has passed away at the age of 80.
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Pasadena Jewish Activists Protest Sabeel Conference

An upcoming conference at an Episcopal Church in Pasadena organized by Palestinian Christian group Sabeel is causing anxieties among local Jews, who point to the groups disturbing use of crucifixion imagery in its portrayal of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
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Italian Authorities Shut Down Antisemitic Blog

Italy's Interior Minister shuts down a blog which listed the names of 162 Jewish university professors accused of "lobbying in favor of the Zionists."

Amsterdam Mayor Speaks Out on Antisemitism in Holland

Interviewed by the German Press Agency, Job Cohen says it's "outrageous" that, according to the results of a Dutch TV poll earlier this week, 50 per cent of respondents would object to a Jewish Prime Minister.
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Le Pen Receives Suspended Prison Term

The leader of the racist Front National - infamous for describing the Holocaust as a "minor detail" in the history of the Second World War - is handed a three-month suspended sentence by a French court after telling a far-right magazine that the Nazi occupation of France was "not especially inhumane."
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Hamas Police Seize Red Crescent Aid Convoy

Associated Press reports that Hamas seized 14 trucks filled with food and medicine, according to Palestine Red Crescent employees who were intending to distribute the aid to Gaza residents. Meanwhile, this report quotes a Hamas official claiming that the convoy was seized because the Red Crescent was distributing aid to former Fatah fighters, not "impoverished Palestinians."
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Muslim Protests Over UK Decision to Ban Islamist Ideologue

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a leading Islamist cleric who has been regularly feted by London Mayor Ken Livingstone, has been banned from entering the UK for medical treatment. In the past, Qaradawi has justified suicide bombings against Israelis and the beating of "disobedient" wives by their husbands. More debate on this issue on Harry's Place and on Peter Tatchell's column.
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Top Intelligence Officials to Take Witness Stand in AIPAC Trial

The Forward reports that in the upcoming trial of two former pro-Israel lobbyists, "the witness stand will likely alternate between top Bush administration officials called by the defense lawyers and top spy agency officials called by the prosecution."
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Uproar in Poland Over New Antisemitism Book

The publication of a Polish edition of Jan Gross's book "Fear: Antisemitism in Poland After Auschwitz" has caused an angry response, including personal attacks against the groundbreaking historian.
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"We Don't Serve Jews" - CORRECTION

Z Word wishes to clarify that a number of doubts have surfaced about the veracity of a story concerning an orthodox Jew who was thrown out of a restaurant in Bruges, Belgium. We have therefore removed the story from our news section.

Inside the University of Hate

The rector of MAUP, a private Ukrainian university which is that country's biggest producer and distributor of antisemitic literature, tells an Israeli journalist, "there's no such thing as antisemitism."
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US Deals New Blow to UN Conference on Racism

Following Canada, the US announces its withdrawal from the 2009 follow-up to Durban. Meanwhile, at a UN briefing in Geneva, a senior official involved with the conference casts doubt over the prospect of an NGO Forum.
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World Bank Report Underscores Crisis of Arab Education

A new World Bank report, "Road not Travelled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa,"says the region is falling behind the rest of the world and that urgent reforms are needed.
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Hamas: Dimona Suicide Bombing a "Glorious Act"

One woman killed and nine others wounded in the town of Dimona by suicide bombers who crossed the Egyptian border. The BBC carries reports from eyewitnesses.

NGO Silence Over Murder of Kibbutz Volunteer

NGOs working on Middle East issues have remained largely silent over the killing of an Ecuadorian volunteer, Carlos Chavez, by a Palestinian sniper as he worked in a potato field on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in southern Israel.
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Iranian Women Face Stoning Under "Adultery" Charges

Via Normblog: as The Australian report points out, "Iran currently makes more use of the death penalty...than any other country apart from China." Meanwhile, the New York Times reports on the economic pressures confronting the Iranian regime.

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London Gang Attacks Jewish Tourists on Holocaust Memorial Day

Via Harry's Place: tour group leader bravely declares, "I won't be intimidated. We have the right to walk our streets unmolested."
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"Israel Apartheid Week's" Guest of Honor

Bigot and pseudoscholar Ward Churchill is to address an "Israel Apartheid Week" event in Canada.
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IJV's Shaky Grasp of International Law

Lawyer Anthony Julius responds to an ad placed in the London Times by the group "Independent Jewish Voices": "It is by no means unarguable that Israel is right to treat Gaza as enemy territory."
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Methodists Renew Israel Divestment Drive

United Methodist Church resolution comes only months after the publication of a church-sponsored report referring to the creation of the State of Israel as the "original sin."
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A Sickening Samba

A Brazilian judge has banned a group from parading in the Rio carnival with a float depicting the victims of the Holocaust and a Hitler figure.
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"Fight it with Facebook"

Israeli President Shimon Peres on how the wired (and wireless) generation can combat antisemitism.
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UN Human Rights Commissioner Criticized for Endorsing Arab Charter

UN Watch urges "clarification" from Louise Arbour over Human Rights Charter with "antisemitic" statements. More analysis, too, on Z Word's blog.
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Ra'ad Salah Charged with Inciting Racism, Violence

The head of Islamic Movement in Israel's Northern Branch faces trial on the basis of a February 2007 speech in which he invoked the antisemitic blood libel.
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PFLP Founder Habash Dies

The Palestinian Authority declares three days official mourning following the death of George Habash, founder of one of the most notorious Palestinian terror groups.
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Methodists To Mull Divestment From Israel

Meeting in Texas, the United Methodist Church - whose members include both President Bush and Senator Clinton - is debating divestment.

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Yad Vashem Launches Arabic Website

Israel's monument to the Holocaust combats Holocaust denial in the Arab world.
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