The Prime Minister of Lebanon in conflict with Hezbollah

Lebanese PM, Fouad Siniora, addressed the Lebanese people today on national television. Siniora spoke against the Hezbollah led Lebanese opposition who is planning to hold mass demonstrations tomorrow in Beirut. Hezbollah demands the immediate establishment of a national unity government and threatens to topple Siniora's duly elected one. Siniora expressed concern for Lebanon and its democracy and called on the public to support the goverment. Siniora went on to state that the government will only be brought down by political means and not by threats or ultimatums.

Egyptian court sentences the Taba bombers to death

A specially appointed Egyptian court sentenced today three terrorist to death. The three took part in three simultaneous bombings in Ras Al-Shitan and the Hilton hotel in Taba, both in the Siani desert.
In the attack, an entire wing of the Hilton hotel collapsed. 34 people were killed, 13 of them Israeli citizens.
Egypt make great effort to keep the security in the Siani peninsula as it is a major tourist location and a source of great revenue. Many Israelis frequent the Siani in what best examplifies the peace which exists between Israel and Egypt.
After the Taba bombing, Egypt, in an unprecedented step, allowed IDF soldiers to cross into the Siani and assist in resuce operations.
Al-Qaeda is assumed to be responsible for the bombing.

Nassrallah calls for demonstration in Beirut tomorrow

The leader of the lebanese terrorist organization, Hezbollah, called today in a television interview for people to go out in a non-violent demonstration tomorrow in Beirut. Nasrallah calls for the replacement of the current government of Lebanon, headed by Fouad Siniora, by a national unity government. Nasrallah claims that the incumbent goverment has failed to protect the interests of Lebanon. This demonstartion comes in the wake of the resignations of 3 Hezbollah appointed ministers from the government of Siniora a few weeks ago after their demands for additonal offices were denied. The tension between Hezbollah and Siniora arose during the war with Israel last summer. The war which began as Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, brought great destruction to Lebanon. Ever since, the tensions have been high and there are fears of impending civil war.
Hezbollah is supported by Syria and Iran and it is feared that its goal is to topple Siniora's government and to form an Islamic republic on the northern border of Israel. Hezbollah is an active organization and is responsible for the killing of French, American and Israeli soldiers and for the bombing of jewish institutions in Argentina.

Bush meets with Iraq's Prime Minister

President Bush met today with Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki. This is part of the American President's visit to the kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is considered a moderate Arab state, has a peace accord with Israel and a border with Iraq. Bush's visit is part of an American campaign to secure local assistance in an effort to stablilize the situation in Iraq.
Pres. Bush refused to give a date for the withdrawl of American troops from Iraq. Bush claims that setting a deadline for a withdrawl would cause unrealistic expectations. He also expressed the view that leaving Iraq while the country is full of terrorists would jeopardize the well-being of Iraqi citizens and provide a boost for the terrorists.
Political analysts believe that part of Bush's visit is dedicated to gain support for his position regarding the issue of Iran's nuclear program. Moderate and secular Arab states have no interest to see the fundamental state of Iran holding such a weapon, as one of its goals is to spread the Islamist revolution which ocurred there in the late 1970's.

The General Strike is suspended

Chief justice of the Israeli court of labor realtions, Steve Adler, ordered today that the general strike which began yesterday by the Histadrut, Israel's largest workers union, shall end and will not resume this week. He also ordered that the treasury ministry shall pay the majoirity of withheld funds to the employees of nearly all local authorities. The Histadrut began the strike in protest over the witholding of salaries to 6,000 employees throughout Israel.
Further negotiations between the treasury and the Histadrut will be helf under the observing eyes of of Justice Adler. The Histadrut is threatening to resume the strike should the treasury ministry fail to transmit the owed funds.
The strike received 70% approval rates in the general public and overall support in the media.

General Strike in Israel

The Histadrut, Israel's leading workers union, began a nationwide strike this morning in protest over the withholding of salaries of 6,000 civil service employees. Several local authorities in Israel are in deep deificits and have been unable to pay the salaries of their employees for months and in some cases even years. The Histadrut is demanding the immediate payment of all past funds.
Among the national services which did not operate today is Ben-Gurion international airport, the train system, the mail service, certain sections within the university and the prominent phone company, Bezeq.
Ministers of the treasury and the interior are currently meeting with chairman of the Histadrut in the hopes of coming to a solution that will prevent another day of general strike.
The strike is widely supported by the Israeli public who is furious with the fact that workers did not receive their salaries.
Financial sources estimate the daily damage of the strike to be 350 million shekels, somewhere in the area of 81 million $