juin 2008

       Egypt announced that it would not open the Rafah border crossing until kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit is returned to Israel, an official in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's entourage to Sharm e-Sheikh announced Tuesday. Earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that his country was trying to secure Schalit's release, while Olmert lauded his host's efforts to end terrorism from the Gaza Strip. Olmert and Mubarak held talks at the Red Sea resort in a meeting that came on the sixth day since the... [Lire la suite]

     A Border Guard officer tasked with a perimeter security assignement during the farewell ceremony for French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Ben-Gurion Airport was killed after apparently shooting himself. An ambulance was rushed to the scene to treat the soldier, but a short time later he was pronounced dead.Police officials estimated that the officer committed suicide. The incident caused a scare during the ceremony, prompting body guards to rush VIPs away from the area. The armored cars of President Shimon Peres and... [Lire la suite]

     European Union countries have agreed to impose new sanctions against Iran, including a freeze of assets on Iran's biggest bank, amid Tehran's refusal to meet international demands to stop efforts towards achieving nuclear weapons. With that, the EU is leaving open the possibility of talks over an international package of incentives delivered to the Iranians earlier in June by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in exchange for Iran suspending uranium enrichment. The decision was officially adopted... [Lire la suite]

    The Labor Party faction in the Knesset has voted to support the bill to dissolve the Knesset, and bring about an early parliamentary election. The bill is to be brought by the opposition on Wednesday for a preliminary reading, requiring three more votes for final passage. It is being sponsored by MK Silvan Shalom (Likud). In Monday's Labor faction meeting, an overwhelming majority of the Knesset Members supported the bill. Party chairman Ehud Barak emerged saying he was very satisfied with his faction's decision. Faction... [Lire la suite]

      The IDF has begun the process of declaring IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev as soldiers who died on the battlefield, whose burial place is not known. Channel 10 news first reported the development Monday night, saying Israeli intelligence has presented evidence to the military rabbinate, which makes such decisions on declaring missing soldiers dead. After Channel 10 reported that the Goldwasser and Regev families have been notified of the process that is underway, Eyal Regev, brother of Eldad,... [Lire la suite]

    Visiting President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said Monday that his country will always stand at Israel's side when its existence is threatened. Said Sarkozy, the Iranian nuclear program requires a harsh and extreme response on the part of the international community. He also spoke of the terror threat faced by Israel, saying there can be no recognition by Israel of the Palestinian nation as long as rockets strike at innocent civilians on a daily basis. But, Sarkozy added, there could be no peace without an immediate and... [Lire la suite]

Israel is likely to attack Iran in the time between the November presidential election in the US and the inauguration of the new president, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton told the Daily Telegraph in an interview published Tuesday. But he said he did not believe the US would take part in such a strike. "It's clear that the administration has essentially given up that possibility," he said. "I don't think it's serious any more. If you had asked me a year ago I would have said I thought it was a real possibility. I just don't... [Lire la suite]

     Tangible progress has been made in talks with the Palestinians regarding the fate of the refugees, and the issues of borders and security arrangements, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published on Tuesday.According to Olmert, who spoke with the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat, the issue of Jerusalem would only be discussed in the final stage of talks because it is "volatile," but expressed hope that the two sides cold overcome the obstacles and reach agreement over the fate of... [Lire la suite]

       In a visit likely to fuel speculation about possible Israeli military action against Iran, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen will touch down briefly in Israel at the end of the week for talks with IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, top defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. A few weeks after Mullen's visit, Ashkenazi will fly to Washington DC for several days on his first visit to the US as chief of staff. Mullen's visit to Israel is part of a European... [Lire la suite]

       In the first such strike since a cease-fire went into effect in the Gaza Strip last week, Palestinian militants from the coastal territory fired a mortar shell at the western Negev late Monday night. No injuries or damage were caused. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces troops operating in the West Bank city of Nablus killed two Palestinian militants early Tuesday morning. One of the dead was a senior Islamic Jihad militant, and the other belonged to Hamas. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh... [Lire la suite]