Bush attacks Syria

Despite the Baker-Hamilton report which urged the president to begin negotiations with Syria, President George W. Bush vehemently criticized the Syrian regime. Bush expressed support for Syrians who wish for a democracy in their country and said that they deserve a law abiding government.

What prompted Bush's statements are reports of the conditions in which political prisoners are held in Syria, some are deprived of medical care and others are imprisoned with violent criminals. Bush is also concerned with Syria's meddling in Lebanese politics. Syria is suspected of the killing of a Lebanese minister a few weeks ago.

Syria controlled Lebanon by force and had troops stationed there until it was forced to withdraw by local and international pressure. Syria hosts headquarters of several Palestinian terror organization and foments violence in Lebanon and Iraq.

Palestinian terrorist killed in Gaza

Today, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a lone Palestinian terrorist who approached the fence seperating the Gaza Strip from Israel. The Palestinian was armed with a rifle and grenades. No Israeli casualties were reported.
This is the first Palestinian terrorist killed by IDF troops since the beginning of the ceasefire in Gaza, this despite repeated rocket launches by the Palestinians from Gaza at the Israeli Negev.
Israel took care not to respond to the rockets in order to sustain the ceasefire, but today, as it was decided that the soldiers were under immediate threat, they were given the authorization to fire.

Fears of Palestinian Civil War

Fears that the Palestinians are headed for civil war escalated this week when two judges and the three children of a high ranking intelligence officer were killed in the Gaza strip as part of the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas. This is not the first time the two organizations have been at odds with each other and they have managed to lay their differences aside in the past, but the blood toll and the rhetoric of the past week are both warlike in nature.
All over the Gaza Strip abduction is rampant. Fatah officials run around shooting as they demand to be paid by the Hamas government. The negotiations to establish a national unity government with the Hamas and Fatah have floundered. All this does not bode well for the future of the Palestinian's in Gaza

Calls for sanctions against Israel

Ehud Olmert's "nuclear slip up" in an interview to German channel SAT1 on the eve of his European tour in which he supposedly admitted that Israel possesses nuclear weapons has raised calls for sanctions against Israel. The callers for sanctions have been Arab states which have ever been Israel's enemies.
Today the Iranian foreign ministry issued an announcement which stated that the zionist PM has admitted to possess nuclear weapons which proves the threat that the zionist regime poses.
Iran complained that while its civilian nuclear program is raising such worldwide antagonism, Israel's military one goes undenounced.
Olmert reiterated several times since the interview with SAT1 that Israel's position that it will not be the one to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East remains, and that no further public discussion of the matter is required.

Israel finds it harder and harder not to respond

In an interview with German reporters in Berlin, Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert said that it was harder and harder not to respond to Palestinian breaches of the ceasefire.

Yesterday, five Qassam rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip aimed at the Israeli city of Sderot. The rockets landed in open territory and caused no harm or injuries. Since the beginning of the ceasefire 23 rockets were launched by Palestinian militants from Gaza at Israel.

When asked whether Israel will respond, Olmert replied that he was aware how easy it would be to silde into overall violence and that was why Israel was restraining herself.

Olmert is visiting Germany as part of an all European diplomatic tour.

Ahmadinejad: Israel is on a collision4 course

The second day of the Holocaust denial convention in Teheran featured a speech from the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad stated that Israel is on a collision course and that the destruction of Israel is a wish shared by all the nations of the world and a divine promise. His words were received by cheers from the crowd of "scholars" at the convention.

Ahmadinejad has made repeated expressions of his desire to see Israel wiped off the map. Many in Israel and in the free world believe that Iran's nuclear program is intended for that very purpose. The Holocaust denial convention has been denounced by practically every western country as well as the Pope.