Russia Shuts Air and Sea Traffic Off Syria Coast Following Downing of Jet
Russia began stepping up operations on Thursday morning following the shooting down of a military aircraft, report in Cyprus says
Middle East News
Russian Embassy: Israel's Irresponsible Actions Led to Death of 15 Servicemen
Russia's Israel embassy: Israel's irresponsible actions led to death of 15 servicemen
Opinion Oslo's Jewish Rejectionists Are in Power – and Closer to a Greater Israel Than Ever Before
Today, the most strident Israeli and American opposers of Oslo, from Netanyahu to Kushner and Friedman, have the upper hand. Married to the comparison between peacemakers and Nazi collaborators, they are busy translating their 'vision' into reality
Nasrallah: Hezbollah Getting Precision Rockets Despite Israeli Actions
Days after Israeli strike in Syria, Hezbollah chief says efforts to cut smuggling routes are pointless
Israeli Arab Poet Dareen Tatour, Convicted of Incitement, Released From Prison
Tatour served five months after being convicted of incitement to violence and supporting terrorism over a poem. 'I will continue writing'
Israel Upgrading and Reinforcing Nuclear Sites in Light of Iranian Threats, Atomic Energy Chief Says
Threats 'require Israel to take action and continue to protect and defend its nuclear facilities,' Zeev Snir says as Tehran demands UN supervise Israel's nuclear program
Israel Air Force Chief Heads to Moscow to Discuss Syria Strike, Downing of Russian Jet
Hezbollah says Israel’s attacks on Syria are intolerable ■ Assad sends a condolence cable to Putin, blaming Israel for incident
Syrians Avoid Russian Bombardments With Airstrike Alert App
American developers of Sentry claim the app was developed when they realized 'the biggest threat to peace inside of Syria was the indiscriminate bombing of civilians'
Israeli High Court Won’t Order IDF to Prosecute Soldiers in Protester’s 2009 Death
Bassem Abu Rahmeh died after being hit by a teargas grenade during a protest at the West Bank village of Bil’in; his story was documented in the Oscar-nominated film 'Five Broken Cameras'
Arab-Israeli Delegation to UN: Pressure Israel to Nix Nation-state Law
Representatives from the Arab community in Israel met with UN deputy commissioner for human rights Wednesday, as part of an effort to pressure the international community to condemn Israel and cancel law
Israel
Netanyahu: If War Is Imposed on Israel, We'll Act With Full Force
Prime minister adds that Israel's ties with 'the moderate Arab world' have reached an unprecedented turning point
Palestinian News
Palestinian Dies in West Bank After Arrest, Israeli Army Denies Claim He Was Beaten to Death
Mohammad Zaghloul Arimawi's brother tells Palestinian media 40 soldiers raided their house, some kicked his brother until he blacked out ■ IDF says initial inquiry shows Arimawi was not beaten
ISIS
Islamic State Releases New Recording Purportedly Carrying Message From Leader al-Baghdadi
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's whereabouts are unknown, and he has not been heard from in almost a year ■ Recording in which he allegedly calls on followers to 'persevere' could not be authenticated
Security & Aviation
Friend or Foe? A Deadly Syrian-Russian Screwup
Something strange was definitely in the air over Syria on Monday night, with British and French forces both reportedly present – but Israel may now have to lay low for a while and let Russian pride recover
Israel Strikes Syria, Russia Gets Hit: A Crisis With Moscow Could Reach All the Way to Iran
Monday’s incident near Latakia, in which 15 Russian soldiers were killed in a downed plane, might see Russia toughen its stance toward Israel and curtail the air force’s freedom of action in Syria
Israel Denies Reports Saudi Arabia Purchased Iron Dome Missile Defense Systems
London-based Al-Khaleej Online cites diplomatic sources saying Israel agreed to sale after pressure from Washington. Saudi officials have not confirmed the report
Secret Dossier Warns: The Israeli Army Is Unprepared for War
Defying chief of staff, Israeli general makes unprecedented call for independent inquiry
Israel Lull in Syria Strikes Is Over, Resuming Military Action Against Iran
Airstrike attributed to Israel and threats made by its leaders suggest Israel may respond to any danger – even if it means deviating from deals made with Moscow
Iran Deploys Missiles in Iraq Capable of Reaching Israel
'It seems Iran has been turning Iraq into its forward missile base,' a Western source says
Israel Signals It Could Hit Iranian Targets in Iraq
Responding to reports about Iranian ballistic missile deployment in Iraq, Defense Minister Lieberman says 'we retain total freedom of action, will not limit ourselves to Syria'
Iran, Russia Prepare to Battle Each Other Over Control of Post-war Syria
U.S. sanctions are pushing Iran to try and carve out even more profits from Syria's post-war reconstruction
Mounting U.S. Economic Pressure on Palestinians Could Reignite Israel-Gaza Violence
The allegations against UNRWA aren't baseless, but the damage to the organization could have serious consequences, and intelligence officials don't paint an encouraging picture
A Golden Age for the Mossad: More Targets, More Ops, More Money
Israel's Mossad, the second largest spy organization in the West, has grown richer and more sophisticated under Yossi Cohen. But is the director too close to Netanyahu?
The Qatar Dilemma: When Even a Supporter of Terrorism Can Be an Israeli Ally
It turns out that when there is political and military need, amazing elasticity can be applied to principles cast in concrete
Putin Told U.S. He Can't Get Iranian Forces Out of Syria
In Jerusalem, U.S. national security adviser says U.S. not considering recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights
Trump vs. Turkey: U.S. Punishes Strategic Ally, but Is Erdogan Really Willing to Leave NATO?
As the U.S.-Turkish relationship continues to deteriorate, the key question is how far can Trump push Erdogan before Turkey leaves NATO
Trump: Israel Will 'Pay a Higher Price' for Jerusalem Embassy Move
Palestinians will 'get something very good' in future peace talks, U.S. president says; Bolton: No timetable for peace plan rollout
Iran's ‘Insurance Policy’ Against an Israeli, U.S. Strike
Israeli and American officials think Iran is trying to ‘wait out’ Trump's first term, and is banking on the wounded nuclear deal to shield it from a military strike until then
Analysis Israel's Groundhog Day in Gaza: Stuck in Endless, Bloody Loop With Hamas
Gaza factions' announcement that the current round is over may only be a temporary pause in fighting ■ Israel is not looking for war, but public pressure may lead to more severe steps
Mossad Assassinated Syrian Weapons Chief for Working on Long Range Missiles With Iran
Middle Eastern spy agency claims Dr. Aziz Asber was working closely with Iran's Quds Force chief on long range missiles capable of reaching Israeli cities
Analysis No Matter the Outcome, Gaza Is Becoming Netanyahu’s Political Nightmare
All the options on the table – escalation, ceasefire and the status quo – are bad for Netanyahu. He's allowed Hamas to paint him into a corner
What Israel's War With Hezbollah Would Look Like, According to the Israeli Army
While the intelligence community still thinks the probability of war initiated by Hezbollah is low, the main concern is that local events in Syria or Lebanon will trigger an escalation
New Details Emerge on Unprecedented 'Israeli Strike' on Syria-Iraq Border
According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel struck a villa housing Shi'ite militias, Iranian forces in attempt to disrupt Iran's land corridor to Mediterranean
Why Saudi Arabia and ‘Little Sparta’ Still Can’t Defeat Iran in Yemen
The kingdom and the UAE are both modern military powerhouses, spending billions on arms every year, yet are being thwarted by a group of guerrilla fighters
British Air Force Lost Special Forces Plane on Covert Syria Mission
The British Royal Air Force targeted pro-Assad forces after a fight between coalition and pro-Assad forces broke out in the desert on the border between Jordan, Syria and Iraq
Gaza Flare-up: Israel Must Admit the Truth - Burning Kites Don’t Justify War
The government is dragging Israel dangerously close to an unnecessary war in Gaza, despite assertions by top security brass that the situation doesn't warrant it
Hamas Has a Strategy, Israel Has Only Tactics
A fragile and thin boundary separates violent dialogue from a deterioration which could ignite public pressure to secure Egypt's border with Gaza
Syria’s Assad Has Become Israel’s Ally
Israel wants Assad to remain in power. Both Israel and the Syrian president now depend on Russia, and when Israel threatens Syria over Iran, it should know it's threatening Putin, too
Does Iran Really Want to Nuke Israel?
Israel is closer than ever to war with Iran, warns former deputy national security adviser Eran Etzion – an exceptional voice among Israel’s security experts
El Al Launches Low-cost Wi-Fi Service on Flights
Israeli airline will offer three different packages, starting Sunday with flights to and from Europe
Next Stop for Assad: The Golan Heights
Israel is preparing for the next stage, in which Assad forces will deploy in positions they held before the war, determined by the disengagement lines agreed upon by Israel and Syria in 1974
Post-election Crackdown: Erdogan Detains 324 Security Staff in 24 Hours
Hundreds arrested over alleged ties to cleric accused of orchestrating failed coup
Israel's Alleged Strike on Syria-Iraq Border Signals That the World's Getting Ready to Act Against Iran
Airstrikes in Syria and Yemen are being accompanied by diplomatic efforts including Netanyahu's visit to Jordan. Even the Trump administration is perking up
Analysis Assad Prepares to Take Over Syria's Golan Heights, Testing Israel
Israel will likely try to make the regime’s return to the border region contingent on an agreement to remove Iranian forces and the Shi’ite militias from the area
'Israel Behind Attack in Syria That Killed Dozens'
CNN reports that Israel is responsible for Sunday's airstrike, carried out close to the Iraq-Syria border
At Kim Summit, Trump Abdicated America’s Global Role – Except on Iran
Leaders looking to replace U.S. as global super power score victory
Turkey Coordinating With Iran on Possible Military Incursion Into Kurdish Iraq
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey is in contact with Iran about conducting a possible military operation against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in the region of Qandil
Iran News
Iran Says U.S. Exit From Nuclear Deal 'Doomed' to Harm Mideast Peace
European opposition to Trump's unilateral withdrawal does not address region's 'extremely difficult situation,' Iranian nuclear chief Salehi says
