Jerusalem – The Israel Defense Force confirmed a joint search and rescue (SAR) exercise this week by the Turkish, American and Israeli Air and Naval Forces. Israel was the event’s host country, but most of the exercise took place westward in international waters.

According to an Israeli army spokesperson, the objective of this exercise was “to practice and improve coordination and cooperation between the forces.” This was done by conducting practices of SAR procedures and the providing medical care at sea. The drill largely contributed to the ability of the three forces’ air and naval vessels to respond faster and more efficiently to future maritime emergencies as to provide humanitarian aid when required.

Seven naval vessels, three helicopters and two SAR airplanes engaged in various drills conducted during the exercise. As part of the exercise, the forces held joint discussions, preliminary training on land, joint tours and more. The three naval forces declared the exercise a success.

Ignoring Palestinian Incitement?

Addressing a press conference this week, Irwin Cotler, a professor of Law at Montreal’s McGill University, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Human Rights, said official Palestinian Authority (PA) incitement to hatred and murder is being ignored by Western governments and media. “People don’t realize that [Palestinian Authority leader ] Mahmoud Abbas signed a law, on the very day there was a suicide terrorist attack in December 2005 against Israel, providing monthly stipends for the families of suicide bombers. In January 2007, Abbas addressed a large crowd that was estimated as being over 100,000, in which he said ‘the sons of Israel are mentioned in the Quran as those who are corrupting humanity on Earth’ … Abbas has never recognized Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish state … The official PA media promotes anti-Israeli libels and breeds hatred and contempt for Jews.”

Mr. Cotler said Mr. Abbas’ statements and hatred promoted have been ignored by the West and those promoting Middle East peace. Yet, that incitement, Mr. Cotler concluded, is “the greatest threat to a just and lasting peace.” Mr. Cotler also noted other parts of the Arab world have bred a similar hatred. The recent ransom agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, in which the Lebanese terror organization released the bodies of two IDF soldiers it kidnapped in 2006 in exchange for several terrorists held in Israeli jails, was greeted in Lebanon joyously. In Mr. Cotler’s view, “Knowing that Israel was in mourning was, tragically, a national day of celebration in Lebanon.”

Mr. Cotler also said Hamas, with its charter’s “genocidal objective, anti-Semitic ideology and terrorist instrumentality,” is not alone in its incitement in the PA public sphere.

Iranian Army Wraps Up Stealth Maneuvers

According to an official Iranian news agency, www.FarsNews.com, “Iran has wrapped up three successful military maneuvers aimed at strengthening the country’s defensive prowess,” according to Brig. Gen Abdul-Rahim Mousavi who said, “Iran’s Army forces have held aerial, naval and ground drills over the past two months.”

The Iranian commander said, “maneuvers had been held in secret to prevent Western governments from acquiring intelligence on Iran’s defensive and combat capabilities.”

The announcement comes amid reports circulated by Iran which suggest that an armada of U.S. and European naval vessels had been stationed in the Persian Gulf in an unprecedented build-up, towards “military strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran should the country continue its uranium enrichment program.”

The statement emphasized, “Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.”

Iran also insisted it would continue enriching uranium because it “needs to provide fuel to a 300-megawatt light-water reactor it is building in the southwestern town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr.”

Syrian-Russian Ties Increase

SANA, the Syrian news agency, reported Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has expressed Russia’s readiness to supply Syria with new defensive arms that do not violate the balance of power in the world.

In a statement which summarized summit talks between President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President, Dimitry Medvedev, the Syrians report “Lavrov expressed readiness to look into the Syrian demand for purchasing new Russian arms.”

During the meeting, Mr. Assad offered Mr. Medvedev the right to deploy Russian missiles within Syrian territory, in response to U.S. military in Poland.

The Syrian president may have been referring to the Russian S-300 anti-plane missiles, which could threaten U.S. aircraft in the Middle East. The missiles, placed on Syrian territory, would also make an Israeli air strike more difficult.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday his country is considering fulfilling Mr. Assad’s bid for new Russian artillery, but did not specify the type of weaponry Damascus wants to purchase.

Russia’s Itar-Tas news agency reported Mr. Lavrov said the weapons were defensive, and “would not harm the region’s strategic balance.” The foreign minister spoke after a meeting with Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Assad.

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com

©The Bulletin 2008

Jerusalem – There is an unwritten rule that synagogues in the United States do not intervene in partisan American politics.

On Thursday, one of the largest synagogue organizations in the United States, the National Council of Young Israel, an umbrella organization which represents more than 150 synagogues around the U.S., decided to disregard that rule.

They did so by making an unprecedented appeal to Sen. Barack Obama and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean to rescind the invitation extended to former President Jimmy Carter to address next week’s convention in Denver.

In a letter sent to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and the DNC Chairman, NCYI President Shomo Z. Mostofsky, and NCYI Executive Vice President Rabbi Pesach Lerner cited Carter’s anti-Israel statements and actions as the reasons behind their request.

“Over the past several years, President Carter has repeatedly and relentlessly undermined Israel’s position on the world stage,” wrote Mostofsky and Lerner. “He has blatantly disregarded the standard code of conduct on issues related to international affairs, always to the detriment of Israel and its citizens. Affording Mr. Carter a prime speaking engagement on the Democrats’ brightest stage is an affront to the State of Israel, and to all American Zionists, whether they are Christians or Jews.”

The full text of the National Council of Young Israel’s letters appears below.

Dear Senator Obama and Chairman Dean:

We are writing to express our profound disappointment at the decision to add former President James Carter to the list of speakers at next week’s Democratic National Convention. We ask that you rescind President Carter’s invitation to address the convention in Denver.

Over the past several years, President Carter has repeatedly and relentlessly undermined Israel’s position on the world stage. He has blatantly disregarded the standard code of conduct on issues related to international affairs, always to the detriment of Israel and its citizens. Affording Mr. Carter a prime speaking engagement on the Democrats’ brightest stage is an affront to the State of Israel, and to all American Zionists, whether they are Christians or Jews.

Mr. Carter’s transgressions against Israel are well known and well documented. In April 2008 he deliberately and wantonly ignored the wishes of the United States government when he traveled to Syria to meet with Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’ terrorist organization. The fact that he embraced Hamas, a terrorist group that has repeatedly called for the destruction of the State of Israel, the obliteration of the United States, and the annihilation of the Jewish people, was a slap in the face to Israel, the U.S., and Jews everywhere.

In addition, let us not forget Mr. Carter’s 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” in which he condemned Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and criticized American Jews for what he called their efforts to curb any debate on the issue by exercising their power. In his book, Mr. Carter examined the history of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and was highly critical of Israel’s policies.

A great deal of the controversy surrounding the book focused on Mr. Carter’s use of the word “apartheid” in the book’s title. Although apartheid was the official policy of racial segregation that was used in South Africa to discriminate against non-whites, Mr. Carter said that it is an appropriate term to describe Israel’s policies in relation to its treatment of the Palestinians.

Further, it was just several months ago when Mr. Carter inexplicably disclosed to the world classified details about Israel’s nuclear program, thereby undermining Israel’s ability to properly defend itself when attacked by its enemies.

In light of President Carter’s highly disturbing position towards the State of Israel, we strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to permit him to speak at the upcoming convention. Time and time again, Mr. Carter has proven that he has no compunction when it comes to using his bully pulpit to bully Israel, one of America’s strongest and closest allies. As the leaders of the Democratic Party, you have the ability to right this wrong and preclude Mr. Carter from taking the stage in Denver. It would be a shame to have such a special event for the Democratic Party tainted by the presence and involvement of an individual who has made prejudice one of his central themes.

Very truly yours,

Shlomo Z. Mostofsky, Esq., President

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

©The Bulletin 2008

Jerusalem – Former U.S. presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, the ex -governor of Arkansas, offered The Bulletin his insights on Tuesday while visiting the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

During his three-day visit to Israel, Mr. Huckabee viewed the town’s police station, where he saw a display of missiles fired on the town from Gaza.

Visibly shaken, the governor stopped to speak to reporters. “There is nothing normal about waking up everyday and having to worry about your children getting hurt in a rocket attack,” he said. “No bandage or medicine can cure the suffering of the children of Sderot.”

Mr. Huckabee was then escorted to the home of the Tourgeman family that had been devastated by a missile attack, where he was shown pieces of an exploded missile and the large hole where the rocket had smashed into the house.

The Bulletin asked Mr. Huckabee, “How could you impress upon the American people the consequences of the Israeli withdrawals, when this is the result – terrorists using areas under their control to fire missiles?”

Mr. Huckabee’s response was that “not everyone can come here and see it for themselves. Americans don’t get it. They do not understand the close proximity. How would we feel if Canadians started launching missiles at Buffalo? Would they say that we should vacate Buffalo and then scoot back into New York?”

Mr. Huckabee then discussed how to make this point with Sen. McCain. When Mr. McCain emerged from a bombed-out home in Sderot back in March, The Bulletin asked him the same question, to which McCain responded that Israel should continue with the peace process negotiations, and he stated to speak about the “moderate” Palestinian leadership.

Mr. Huckabee’s response was that “I will have a talk with Sen. McCain about this. I can’t tell you that this is why but I believe that there is an unwillingness to upset the energy supply and the ripple effect of that which I said two years ago – for which I was laughed at – that America must become energy independent within 10 years – not only for economic reasons, but also for security reasons.

After lunch with Sderot residents at a Yeshiva seminary, the ex-governor climbed to the rooftop of the seminary and gazed for a moment at the areas from Gaza where more than 8,000 missiles have been from Gaza into the Jewish communities of the Western Negev region over the past seven years. His comment: “Both Christians and Jews share a culture of life. They share a culture of death and destruction.

“We don’t have a frame of reference for the spirit of radical Islam,” the visiting American politician said. “That’s why having tea with our enemies won’t work. The language doesn’t work. It’s like trying to hook a Mac up to a PC.”

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

©The Bulletin 2008

Jerusalem – The Israeli Intelligence Counter-Terrorism Bureau has issued an unprecedented warning to Israelis traveling outside of Israel to be on heightened alert against possible Hezbollah attacks or kidnappings of Israelis throughout the world:

Israeli intelligence is asking residents of Israel now on vacation to take the following precautionary measures:

1. Heighten awareness and sensitivity toward any unusual circumstances or phenomena.

2. Turn down unexpected and alluring proposals in both business and recreation.

3. Avoid allowing entrance to your hotel room or apartment by unexpected or suspicious visitors.

4. Avoid staying at secluded locations, especially during hours of darkness.

5. Insist on being accompanied by someone you trust when attending business meetings or while at recreation.

6. Alter your routine and habits occasionally, if on a prolonged stay in one place: Switch hotels, travel routes, restaurants and recreational spots.

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

©The Bulletin 2008

Ignoring an official request submitted by Israel, Jordan released four Jordanian prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment. The murderers were sentenced in Israel for the murder of Capt. Yehuda Lifschitz and First Sgt. Pinchas Levy in 1990, and were handed over to the Jordanian authorities a year ago to continue serving their sentence.

The four – Salem Yousef Salame Abu-Jalun, Khaled Abd el-Rizek Abu Jalun, Amin Abd el-Karim Alsanae and Suleiman Tahah Mohammed Ajluni – were handed over to Jordan as a gesture to King Abdullah.

In the framework of their transfer, it was agreed that Jordan would not grant them an amnesty, at least for a year and a quarter after their transfer, meaning from December 2009, but a clause was added to the agreement stating that the king could grant them an amnesty if Israel decided on a massive release of prisoners as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Since the cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 200 security prisoners, the Jordanians saw themselves as acting in accordance with the agreement.

When the issue was discussed through discreet channels, Israeli officials said it would prefer that the release be delayed by few more weeks so that it would not be linked to the gesture to Mr. Abbas. The Jordanians rejected the request and the four were released yesterday morning.

Reached at her home, Pinchas Levy’s mother told the Israeli media that she was greatly disappointed with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who had assured and reassured her that the murderer of her son would never be released from jail by Jordan.

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

©The Bulletin 2008

“There will no longer be a situation where war is waged on an unknown, distant battlefield, while life continues as usual in the large cities. The war will also reach the cities and homes of Israel’s citizens, and our enemies’ objective will be to target the home front,” warned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, during a tour of the Israel Army’s “Home Front Command” base on Tuesday.

Mr Olmert, who was accompanied by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and OC Home Front Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, examined in his visit the application of lessons learned from the Second Lebanon War regarding treatment of the home front.

“The wars of the future, if such wars should break out, heaven forbid, will be completely different from the wars of the past, even the Second Lebanon War,” the prime minister said. “Our enemies are acquiring weapons intended to target the population. The role of the Home Front Command in such a scenario will be more central than ever in Israel’s wars.”

Mr. Olmert was given a briefing dealing with the threats to the Israeli home front, the existing responses, and the deployment of the forces and operating methods. The prime minister also observed a Home Front Command exercise and heard briefings on the various unique measures employed by the Home Front Command. Mr. Olmert said that the briefing he was given showed him an encouraging picture of what has happened in the home front during the two years since the Second Lebanon War.

“The State of Israel, for its part, will not seek to take control of territories in order to hold them, and will focus on preventing its borders from being breached, and on a quick and conclusive victory of the campaign,” said the prime minister. “In the Second Lebanon War we had much more massive weapons and capabilities that we refrained from using because we were fighting a terror organization and not a state.

“If Lebanon should turn into a Hezbollah [-controlled] state, then we will have no limitations in this context. The same applies to any country that will want to attack us. Our task will be to bring about a quick victory, at a minimal cost, while utilizing our relative advantages.”

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

©The Bulletin 2008

Jerusalem – The Israeli security establishment has been searching the skies for the small Iranian satellite, Hope, ever since the 15-pound communications device was launched into space on Saturday.

It is supposed to pass over the Middle East once every 90 minutes, but there have been no signs of it.

Now it is being speculated that it failed to survive the launch into space.

Israeli security experts offer three possible scenarios for what became of the satellite. The first is that it disengaged from the Safir missile, returned to the atmosphere and was burned; the second is that the satellite failed to disengage from the Safir and fell with the remnants of the missile; the third, that the satellite entered into orbit, but its transmitter doesn’t work.

The director of the Iranian Space Authority announced yesterday that Iran was prepared to help Muslim countries develop the capacity for launching satellites into space.

Yet only a few hours after the launch, the director of the Iranian Space Authority claimed that the satellite in question had been a dummy satellite. Senior U.S. Defense Department officials told CNN yesterday that the launch had not gone as well as the Iranians had claimed.

The Israeli response to Iranians firing ballistic missiles has been to install two batteries of Arrow missiles, which could potentially defend against Iranian missiles.

Meanwhile, Israel Aircraft Industries and Boeing Aircraft began earlier this year to develop the Arrow 3 missile system that is supposed to be able to deal with Iranian ballistic missiles at a distance of between 300 and 400 miles away from Israel – while they are almost in space, en route to Israel. The development of the Arrow 3 missile system is supposed to be completed by 2012.

This was the third time that Iran announced a satellite launch. Last February, Iran conducted an experiment that it described as a space launch, but the launcher blew up a few minutes after the missile left the launching pad. In October 2005, the Iranian satellite Sina 1 satellite, built in Russia, was launched by a Russian launcher.

There are more details that reinforce the assessment that this was a fraud: The Iranians did not give out any information about the path of the satellite, nor about the altitude reached by the launcher.

Communication satellites orbit at altitudes of 36,000 kilometers, in a precise equatorial path, while this launcher ascended from the launching pad and suddenly “stopped” in the dark night sky.

Unless this satellite weighed the same as a grapefruit, experts say the thrust of such a launcher could not put it into orbit at all.

In addition, it seems that the night launch was meant to hide the missile and its ground systems from the eyes of Israel’s and U.S. spy satellites. But the U.S. constantly monitors Iranian launchings with the aid of three sensor satellites over the Middle East, which could precisely detect the “heat signature” of the launcher and add it to their detailed catalog, making it possible to identify immediately in future launchings.

This is what happened about a month and a half ago, when Iran launched many Scud, Shihab and Zelzal missiles. American and Israeli intelligence learned a lot from this “pyrotechnics display,” where, again, critics say Iran also tried to pull the wool over the world’s eyes with a fabricated picture.

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com

©The Bulletin 2008