Startling moment at UN as Netanyahu says if forced, “Israel will stand alone”

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Frame grab: Fox News)I can’t watch Benjamin Netanyahu speak without being mesmerized. Maybe it’s the voice made for public speaking. Maybe it’s the earnestness. More likely it’s the timbre in the voice coupled with the knowledge Israel must feel very vulnerable right now.

There’s a personal element for me as well. Much of my heritage, my faith, and classical education comes directly from the Jewish faith, as it does for many Christians my age. Some may sneer at that statement; I don’t care because it’s true.

As Netanyahu looked at members in the assembly, there was a point in his address when he said, “Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons…If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” He said that in doing so, Israel would be defending “many, many others.” That nuanced statement references other Mideast countries who are also concerned about Iran’s objectives.

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Iran: Military intervention in Syria will cause “imminent destruction” of Israel

Historic photo shows people at prayer in a mosque in Damascus, a city currently in turmoil from the civil war. (Photo snip: LOC: Print on Stereo card;Stereo-Travel Co.; 1908)Iran’s leaders are front and center in international news right now, warning the U.S. against any military intervention in the civil war in Syria. In a story about the United Nations Deputy Sec. General for Humanitarian Affairs, state-controlled media IRNA reported Iran’s contributions to humanitarian aid, but also issued a series of warnings.

The worst threat was aimed at Israel.

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Syria Dilemma: UN rep cites charter as shield while Obama opts for ‘shot across the bow’

United Nationa Assembly (Photo: UN)Is Syria a significant global crisis, or is the civil war there being used as a political weapon to distract from an array of scandals the Obama administration is dealing with at home?

President Barack Obama told PBS on Wednesday he doesn’t want a “long conflict.” Instead, he’s opting for a Clinton-style “shot across the bow.”

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Intel on chemical weapons allegedly fired by command of Assad’s brother came from Israel

Map: CIA World Fact BookAmericans await word from President Barack Obama about possible intervention in the civil war in Syria, with media around the world crediting Israeli intelligence for information about the use of chemical weapons.

Recent reports of such weapons are the second time intelligence has indicated they were used; reports also indicated the same in March.

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Journolist-style media group the ‘Vulture Club’ condemns Israel’s al-Durrah investigation

Snip from Wikipedia entry on the al-Durrah incident.A report issued by Israel’s Government Review Committee about the al-Durrah incident has sparked condemnation by some members of the Facebook group the ‘Vulture Club.’

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Is it really fair to say the UN is anti-Israel?

Topics on the UN News Centre page reflect a single focus on the Mideast, the Palestinian Authority. (Snips from UN page)President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Israel has directed attention to the troubled Middle East. Despite half a century of negotiations, the United Nations has yet to see an agreement both Israel and the Palestinian Authority will accept.

At present many supporters of Israel perceive the UN as having an anti-Israel bias. Is that perception really fair?

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Low expectations for Obama’s Israel trip, with Iron Dome and PA prisoners on agenda

Map: CIA World Fact BookPresident Barack Obama has met with both Jewish and Arab-American leaders in the U.S. ahead of his planned visit to Israel. The president will reportedly travel there between March 20-22.

Obama is expected to hold a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama will also meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

On the agenda are a look at the Iron Dome system and the status of Palestinian prisoners.

Most pundits have expressed low expectations for the trip.

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Not a ceasefire, but a “Hudna” for Palestinian Statehood

By Kerry Patton

Living under constant threats of rocket attacks, Israel launched “Operation Pillar Defense” on November 14. Approximately seven days later on November 21, a ceasefire was established temporarily ending the violence in Gaza and throughout other locations inside Israel. 

Terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyr Brigades, Fatah, and others launched well over 1,363 rockets into Israel. This was a joint endeavor fueled by political aspirations seeking statehood.

Calling the action to end violence in Israel a “ceasefire” is a mistake. This action should be declared a "Hudna"—a temporary disruption or “calm.”

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Libya, still struggling with militias and assassinations, announces ‘full solidarity’ with Palestinians

Outlawed militias continue to be a problem in Libya, as evidenced by the assassination of Col. Faraj Mohammed Idris Drissi, the head of Benghazi’s security directorate.

The Libya Herald, a daily newspaper in English, blamed “outlaws of armed brigades” for the assassination while the Associated Press blamed "Islamic extremists."

The Herald said Drissi was the 18^th senior security official murdered in Benghazi in 2012.

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