Israeli Navy Boards Iranian Arms Ship in Mediterranean

Israeli naval commandos on Wednesday seized a ship laden with arms on-loaded in Iran and believed to be bound for Syria, its cargo for Hizbullah in Lebanon. The ship – flying the flag of Antigua -- reportedly stopped in Sudan and Yemen after leaving Iran, and sailed through the Suez Canal. The Israelis boarded the vessel in the Mediterranean, about 100 miles off the Israeli coast. The ship was searched in the Israeli port of Ashdod where its cargo of weapons was uncovered. Despite Israel’s vigilance, its security officials reported on Tuesday that Hamas in the Gaza Strip has managed to smuggle in a large quantity of missiles capable of carrying a significant payload and with sufficient range to reach into Tel Aviv, Israel’s most populous city. Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, director of Israel’s army intelligence, told the parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that Hamas has test-fired the missile, shooting into the Mediterranean, and that Hamas now has a larger arsenal than it had prior to January’s controversial military operation in Gaza. The situation closely parallels that of Hizbullah in the north. The Lebanon-based terrorist organization fought a war with Israel in 2006 and today has a larger arsenal than it did prior to that conflict. 

Iranian Police Clash with Opposition in Streets of Tehran

On the day marking the 30^th anniversary of the storming of the American Embassy in Tehran, police clashed with supporters of opposition leader Mir- Hossein Mousavi in the streets of the capital. Eyewitness estimates placed the number of demonstrators in the “hundreds,” many chanting anti-government and anti-Ahmadinejad epithets. Supporters of Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi continue to challenge the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom they insist won only because of rigged voting. On November 4, 1979, Iranians overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. The captives were held for 444 days and contributed to President Jimmy Carter’s loss to Ronald Reagan in his re-election bid. 

Chancellor Merkel to U.S. Congress: Iranian Threat to Israel is Threat to the World

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a joint session of the American Congress that the Iranian threat to Israel “is a threat to the free world. Anyone threatening Israel threatens us all. The safety of the State of Israel is nonnegotiable. It never was and it never will be." Calling for “zero tolerance” on the issue of Iran being allowed to produce a nuclear weapon, Merkel said "A nuclear weapon at the hands of an Iranian president who denies the Holocaust, threatens Israel and negates its right to exist is simply unacceptable." Merkel’s speech to Congress was in commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

Ban Ki-moon Continues Criticism of Israel; Condemns Acts in Jerusalem

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has continued his criticism of Israel, this time accusing the Jewish state of taking actions that “stoke tensions, cause suffering and further undermine trust." Ban was referring to Israeli actions in Jerusalem that include the demolition of some Arab homes and in particular, the case of Jews taking over a building in east Jerusalem pursuant to a court order issued at the conclusion of a legal battle over the property. Ban called on Israel to “end its provocative actions.” Palestinian leaders are accelerating efforts to gain international support on the issue of Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of its as-yet-undeclared state. 

New West Bank Cellular Service Starts Without Israel’s Promised Frequencies

The new Qatari-backed cellular service for West Bank residents kicked off on Sunday even though Israel continues not to release the total frequency range that it promised for the venture. Wataniya Palestine began service a frequency range with 3.8 MHz rather than 4.8 MHz because the additional wave length promised in an agreement with the Palestinian Authority one year ago has not yet been made available by the Israelis. The new company has 40,000 subscribers so far. Wataniya Palestine invested $270 million in infrastructure and paid a license fee of $140 million to the Palestinian Authority.

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