Free Republic

BEIRUT -- A Saudi-dominated political bloc on Wednesday formally designated Lebanon's Hezbollah militia a terrorist organization, a move that signals dangerously escalating tensions between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council's decision against the Iranian-allied group comes two weeks after Saudi Arabia canceled $4 billion aid package for strengthening Lebanese security services. Saudi Arabia and other GCC member states have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon. An announcement posted on the GCC website accused Hezbollah, a powerful Shiite Muslim movement, of unspecified hostile acts in the six states in the bloc: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,...

Islamic State video features Hebrew-speaking militant for the first time By Hugh Naylor October 23 at 12:22 PM JERUSALEM — The Islamic State's slick — and grisly — propaganda videos regularly feature militants who speak flawless Arabic or English or French. Now, the Islamist group is using the language of the Jewish state. A video it released this week shows a masked militant speaking impeccable Hebrew as he praises a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis and threatens to eradicate Jews from the Holy Land. It’s the first time the group has released a video in Hebrew, but the message...