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ISTANBUL - Iran turned down a request by the United States for a rare bilateral meeting on the sidelines of nuclear talks between the Islamic republic and six world powers in Istanbul on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency said. There was no comment from US diplomats, whose country has not had direct ties with Tehran for more than three decades. "The Iranian delegation rejected the request of Wendy Sherman, the representative of the American delegation, for a bilateral meeting," IRNA said.

Former U.S. diplomat John Bolton alleged Thursday that the Obama administration leaked a story about covert Israeli activity in order to foil potential plans by the country to attack Iran's nuclear program. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/29/bolton-accuses-administration-leaking-story-on-israeli-planning-along-iran/#ixzz1qY6Il9aA

A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports, a development that a United Nations Security Council source told ABC News was "a bomb" certain to have serious repercussions. Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad's strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government's violent crackdown on the country's uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council's attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war.

Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday said there is still a chance that Israel could buy Korean-made T-50 supersonic trainer jets. Last month, Israel decided on the Italian-made M-346 trainer jet that had been in competition with Korea's T-50 in a US$1 billion acquisition bid. But U.S.-based Defense News recently reported that the M-346 deal could be scrapped. Italy had agreed to buy $1 billion worth of Israeli-made surveillance planes and spy satellites in return, but its fiscal crisis apparently means it might be unable to keep up its end of the deal. Lieberman told reporters trainer jet...

Meir Dagan has been described as "hard-charging" and "stops at nothing." For more than eight years, Dagan made full use of those qualities as chief of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, where he focused on keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. When that job ended, Dagan did something unheard of for an ex-Mossad chief: he spoke out publicly, voicing opposition to Israel launching preemptive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities anytime soon. Dagan believes the Iranian regime is a rational one and even its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - who has called for Israel to be annihilated - acts in a somewhat...

This is what Netanyahu said to Obama. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the U.S. and Israel stand together on security and against Iran.

It wasn’t long ago that the White House was angering Israeli leaders with statements seen as critical. But 2012 is an election year, and that makes all the difference. It was one of those moments you could experience only at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference. At the lectern was Susan Rice, President Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations. In the audience were 300 rabbis, Jewish-community leaders, and AIPAC delegates who were allowed to attend Rice’s speech, an event left off the public agenda for the conference. Rice, an African-American, began her remarks by quoting in stilted...

Israeli defense officials tell Channel 2 that Washington wants to avoid causing further tensions in region after various foreign reports of U.S. and Israeli preparations for strike on Iran.Israel and the United States have postponed a massive joint defense exercise, which was expected to be carried out in the coming weeks, in order to avoid an escalation with Iran, Channel 2 reported on Sunday. According to an Israeli defense official, Washington wants to avoid causing further tensions in the region, especially in light of the sensitive situation that has been generated after various reports in the international media that the...

The United States has pointedly ramped up its public warnings over the last few weeks about the risks of military action against Iran, accompanied by private words of caution to Israel, which sees Tehran’s nuclear push as a direct threat. But so far, at least, comments by U.S. and Israeli officials suggest that Washington's private lobbying has yet to convince Israeli hard-liners and even some moderates that alternatives, like sanctions and diplomatic pressure, will ultimately succeed in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It is unclear whether the differing views are any indication about whether Israel might be moving closer to a...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem The Book of Proverbs Chapter 16 1. The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. 3. Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. 4. The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 5. Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished....

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Looking dazed, a thin and pale Gilad Schalit emerged from a pickup truck Tuesday under the escort of his Hamas captors and the Egyptian mediators who helped arrange the Israeli tank crewman's release after more than five years in captivity.Click here for article

This afternoon in New York City, I watched as Occupy Wall Street tried to turn New York‘s Washington Square into a launchpad for Cairo’s Tahrir Square here at home. The General Assembly– Occupy Wall Street’s cross between the Politburo and a summer camp powwow– held the Washington Square Rally to unify the protest’s message and attract new recruits. The main effort of the Occupiers has become spreading the movement into every sector of society, including the occupation every city and town. They are explicit about this, and they are serious. At around 3:15 p.m., I nestled into the crowd of...

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has handed over a historic request to UN chief Ban Ki-moon asking the United Nations to admit the state of Palestine as a full member. The Palestinian leader won huge applause and a standing ovation on Friday from some of the assembly as he entered the hall before beginning his speech. Abbas said he was ready to return to the negotiations, saying he did not want to isolate or delegitimize Israel. "Here I declare that the Palestine Liberation Organization is ready to return immediately to the negotiating table on the basis of the adopted terms of...

The vote’s on Friday. Hillary, Tony Blair, and other diplomats have been frantically negotiating with them for the past week to get them to reconsider — but so far, Abbas won’t bend. Gosh, I wonder why. A poll released Monday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found 83 percent of Palestinians support the unilateral declaration, and half of respondents said they would join any demonstrations that might break out in its wake. Elsewhere in the Arab world, the prevailing sentiment is similar.The website NOW Lebanon carried an unsigned editorial Monday asking, “Is this the Palestinian role in...

We know President Barack Obama is a tenacious fighter. He came into office like a souped-up Mike Tyson and felled all in his path with his relentless assault. Congress pushed through ObamaCare, TKO'd the auto industry and got the white towel from the banking system. With its mouth agape, the country watched silently as the powers of the president seemed to know no bounds. But Obama has taken an embarrassing uppercut from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has jolted him, and he is not one to forget. He is out not only for revenge but for victory. And that...

We know President Barack Obama is a tenacious fighter. He came into office like a souped-up Mike Tyson and felled all in his path with his relentless assault. Congress pushed through ObamaCare, TKO'd the auto industry and got the white towel from the banking system. With its mouth agape, the country watched silently as the powers of the president seemed to know no bounds. But Obama has taken an embarrassing uppercut from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has jolted him, and he is not one to forget. He is out not only for revenge but for victory. And that...

ROME – Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi told a visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exactly what he wanted to hear Monday, rejecting recognition of a Palestinian state by the U.N. General Assembly and insisting peace must come through negotiations. Netanyahu was in Italy to rally European opposition to plans by the Palestinians to ask the U.N. to recognize a Palestinian state in September. Israel, backed by the U.S., opposes such a move, saying it will only push peace farther away. Berlusconi echoed Netanyahu when asked about the U.N. statehood recognition at a press conference following the signature of several bilateral...

Obama Signs Document That Tells Israel Jerusalem Is Not Your Capital MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE SUBJECT: Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act Obama signed this on June 3, 2011 – Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 7(a) of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) (the “Act”), I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of 6 months the limitations set forth in...

Questionaire on Palestine (feel free to answer or have a little humorous fun) When was it founded and by whom? What were its borders? What was its capital? What were its major cities? What constituted the basis of its economy? What was its form of government? Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat? Was Palestine ever recognized by a country whose existence, at that time or now, leaves no room for interpretation? What was the language of the country of Palestine ? What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine ? What was the name...

An interesting questionnaire for Palestinian Advocates By Yashiko Sagamori If you are so sure that ” Palestine , the country, goes back through most of recorded history,” I expect you to be able to answer a few basic questions about that country of Palestine : take the quiz at : http://floppingaces.net/most_wanted/japanese-view-of-the-palestinians/