PM spokesman says Israel taking bin Laden threat seriously - Haaretz

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		Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden. (Reuters)

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Last update - 22:20 30/12/2007

PM spokesman says Israel taking bin Laden threat seriously

By The Associated Press

Tags: Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida

Israel on Sunday said it was taking the threats of Osama bin Laden seriously, a day after the Al-Qaida leader vowed to expand his terror group's holy war to Israel.

Most of the 56-minute audiotape tape released Saturday dealt with Iraq, but bin Laden also offered an unusually direct attack on Israel, threatening "blood for blood, destruction for destruction."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Al-Qaida operatives have been inching closer to Israel in recent years, and Israel is aware of the danger.

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"Israel takes bin Laden's threats seriously. We have seen Al-Qaida activity to the north of Israel, in Lebanon, to the east of Israel, in Jordan, and to the south of Israel, in Sinai," he said.

"There is also evidence of al-Qaida activities in the Palestinian territories. As a result, we will be irresponsible not to take this rhetoric seriously," he continued.

Palestinians deny that Al-Qaida operatives operate in their territories.

In the tape, bin Laden rails against those seeking normalization with Israel.

"We intend to liberate Palestine, the whole of Palestine from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) sea, he said. We will not recognize even one inch for Jews in the land of Palestine, as other Muslim leaders have," bin Laden said.

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1.	Right.	22:26	\|	Colin Wright	30/12/07

2.	What does Israel do to show that they take a problem seriously?	22:49	\|	Natallie Durson	30/12/07

3.	Thanks bin Ladin for giving Israel the head`s up	23:02	\|	Conroy	30/12/07

4.	Colin Wright you are wrong	23:06	\|	Simon	30/12/07

5.	al-Qaida	18:59	\|	P. J. Casey	01/01/08

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