Turkish PM: Israel’s Foreign Minister Threatened to Use Nuclear Weapons in Gaza

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is alleging that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to use nuclear weapons in the Gaza Strip. Erdogan’s comments were made in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian. His remarks threaten to send the already deteriorating relationship between Turkey and Israel to new lows, especially having defended Israeli arch nemesis Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the same interview. Erdogan said of the Iranian president that, “There is no doubt he is our friend...As a friend so far we have very good relations and have had no difficulty at all.” In recent weeks, Turkey banned Israel from joint military exercises in which both countries have participated for six consecutive years; Erdogan then defended Turkish public television for airing a provocative program in which actors representing Israeli soldiers were seen shooting and killing Palestinian youth.  

Car Bombs Leave More Than 140 Dead, 700 Wounded, in Baghdad

Two massive car bombs exploded in Baghdad on Sunday, leaving at least 147 dead and more than 700 wounded. The vehicles were driven by suicide bombers. As in the aftermath of a similar attack on the finance and foreign ministries two months ago, Sunnis are being blamed for the bombings which come only three months before the nation goes to the polls to elect a new government. The key issue in that election is the government’s claim that security has improved. Sunday’s attack leveled the Justice Ministry and the office of the Governor of Baghdad. Prime Minister Nour Al-Maliki toured the devastation and blamed Syria for harboring those responsible for directing the anti-government attacks. 

Netanyahu Government Will Investigate Gaza Allegations, but Not Soldiers

Bowing in part to intense international and domestic pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has formulated a plan by which to conduct a domestic investigation into allegations made in the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Goldstone report while not investigating its soldiers. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has been adamant that it is out of the question to investigate Israel’s army, which he calls the most “moral” in the world. Justice Minister Ya’akov Ne’eman has been instructed to coordinate a “small task force” rather than a commission of inquiry to come up with recommendations relating to the legal, diplomatic and public relations aspects of the fallout from the Goldstone commission’s report. Netanyahu has warned repeatedly that Israel will take no “risks for peace” if the international community acts to deny its right to self-defense. 

Charges Against Arab Teens Arrested on Temple Mount Dropped

Five Israeli Arab teens who were arrested on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Sunday morning and charged with planning to riot were released by a judge who chided police for making the arrests based on insufficient evidence. The five, who are residents of the northern town of Umm Al-Faham, arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday night, after a call had been issued by the Islamic Brotherhood to come to Jerusalem to “defend” the Al-Aqsa mosque. Rioting has followed past calls by the group for similar action. Although the intent of the police in arresting the teens was to prevent their participation in potential rioting, none of the five had violated any laws before the arrests were made. Notwithstanding the dismissal of charges, the group was barred from the Temple Mount area for 30 days. Rioting did take place on Sunday, resulting in more than 20 arrests.

FOLLOW US!!!