10 juillet 2008

       Amidst recent reports of a possible Israeli attack on Iran, and reports of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' military maneuvers, Defense Minister Ehud Barak hinted Thursday that Israel will attack Iran if there is no other option. Speaking at Labor party headquarters in Tel Aviv, Barak said that the situation "is a challenge not only to Israel, but to the whole world." He added that at the moment the focus should be on international sanctions and other diplomatic options. Barak also asserted that... [Lire la suite]

       Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo said Thursday that the Palestinians were considering freezing their peace talks with Israel over Israeli construction plans for East Jerusalem. The Palestinians hope to establish the eastern sector of the city as capital of their future state, and see continued Israeli construction there as undermining that goal. Since renewing negotiations with the Palestinians in November, Israel has disclosed plans to build more than 3,000 apartments in East Jerusalem and the... [Lire la suite]

       Militants in the Gaza Strip fired two Qassam rockets into the western Negev on Thursday, hours after Israel Defense Forces troops shot to death a Palestinian militant along the Israel-Gaza border. The shooting was the first deadly incident since the two sides reached a cease-fire last month. The rockets struck open areas in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional council, causing no injuries or damage. The rockets set off the early warning Red Color siren in the western Negev city of Sderot as well as nearby... [Lire la suite]

      Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week declared a crackdown on 36 Palestinian charities Israel claims are funneling money to Hamas. On Wednesday an IDF force raided the offices of a charities in the West Bank city of Nablus, confiscated documents an ordered its closure for a period of two years. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in protest, claiming the closure of the foundations was hurting the needy. The Israeli army has recently raided 10 charity foundations in Nablus and Ramallah. On Tuesday... [Lire la suite]

       The French oil and gas giant Total said that it will not invest in an Iranian gas field, describing the situation there as too politically risky, the company's CEO told the Financial Times. The company was considering investing in a liquefied natural gas project in Iran and was the last major Western oil company mulling such an investment there. Total will be the third European company to opt out of the scheme after Royal Dutch Shell and Spain's Repsol decided not to invest in the project, but those two... [Lire la suite]