GPL M/ EAST UPDATES FROM . NOV 9.. NO …142

RICE CONCEDES MIDEAST PEACE UNLIKELY THIS YEAR :
There is little hope for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by the 2008 deadline, Condoleezza Rice finally conceded on Thursday November 6 while en route for possibly her last trip to the Middle East as US secretary of state.

OLMERT TO VISIT WASHINGTON WITH LAST LIST OF REQUESTS TO BUSH :
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will travel to Washington later this month with a long list of topics to discuss with US President George W. Bush, who will also be leaving office early next year. Ha’aretz reports that Olmert’s agenda is comprised of four main issues: 1.. Peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria; 2. dealing with Iran and its allies; 3. the future of U.S. military aid and cooperation; and 4…cancellation of visa requirements for Israelis who want to visit the U.S.

OBAMA TABS EMANUEL AS CHIEF OF STAFF :
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a Jewish congressman whose father is an Israeli citizen, is said to want the job of White House chief of staff offered to him by president-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday November 5. He has yet to accept the position as of press time. A source close to the representative told Ynet on Wednesday, “Emanuel is pro-Israeli, and would not be willing to consider accepting the job unless he was convinced that President-elect Obama is pro-Israel.” Emanuel speaks Hebrew and often travels to visit friends and family in Tel Aviv.

SYRIA WILL RESTRAIN HIZBULLAH AND HAMAS IF OBAMA SHIFTS U.S. POLICY :
Syria would be prepared to restrain the militant activities of Hizbullah and Hamas if US president-elect Barack Obama shifts its policy toward Damascus, according to a leading state analyst who is considered an official voice for the Assad regime. In an article published on Friday November 7, on the Asia Times news site, Syrian analyst Sami Mubayed called on Obama to endorse the renewed peace talks with Israel to ensure their success. Mubayed urged Obama to “normalize” relations between Washington and Damascus, by dispatching a new U.S. ambassador to Damascus, dropping economic sanctions, and changing Western rhetoric toward Damascus, among other demands.

ISRAEL MAY TARGET LEBANON’S INFRASTRUCTURE WITH HIZBULLAH IN GOVERNMENT
Jerusalem setting new rules in case of future war
Israeli leaders have decided that Lebanese infrastructure is deemed legitimate military targets in any future conflict with Lebanon, given that Hizbullah now plays a central role in the Lebanese government.

PALESTINIAN MILITIAS FIRE ROCKETS FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE DAY :
Palestinian terror militias in the Gaza Strip fired five Kassams into Israel on Friday morning November 7, the third day in a row of such truce violations. The rockets landed near the towns of Sderot, Eshkol and Sha’ar Hanegev but no injuries or damage was reported. Friday’s attacks provided further evidence that the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is beginning to unravel despite statements calling for calm from leaders on both sides. A total of 60 rockets and mortar shells that have been fired at Israel since Tuesday.

EXPLORATORY OIL DRILLING BEGINS IN JUDEAN DESERT :
Three major oil companies have been given the green light to begin exploratory drilling for oil in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve. The companies believe that there could be as much as 6.5 million barrels of oil under the desert sands. That kind of reserve would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

SYRIAN TV : FATAL AL-ISLAM MEN CONFESS TO DAMASCUS BOMBING : (AFP)
Syrian state television on Thursday November 6, broadcast statements by men it said were Fatah al-Islam militants, in which they admitted carrying out a bomb attack in September that killed 17 people. It also identified the man said to have been the suicide bomber in the Sep. 27 attack in Damascus as Abu Aysha al-Saudi - “The Saudi.” The men said they had also planned to attack Syrian security posts, British and Italian diplomats, and the country’s central bank

OBAMA AND OLMERT AGREE ON NEED TO ADVANCE PEACE PROCESS :
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Olmert called U.S. President-elect Obama on Thursday November 6, Olmert’s office said. A statement said the prime minister and Obama “both spoke about the need to continue to advance the peace process, and this, while safeguarding the security of Israel.” Obama and Olmert also “spoke about the long friendship between the United States and Israel and the need to preserve and strengthen this friendship.” (Reuters) President-elect Obama spoke to nine world leaders Thursday, returning their congratulatory calls. (Washington Times)

U.S. TREASURY TIGHTENS BANKING SANCTIONS ON IRAN : - David Lawder
The U.S. Treasury on Thursday November 6, revoked Iran’s license for “U-turn” bank transfers, which briefly enter the U.S. before being sent to offshore banks. “This regulatory action will close the last general entry point for Iran to the U.S. financial system,” the Treasury said in a statement. It said the action was aimed at increasing financial pressure on Tehran to end support of terror.

IDF DRILL SIMULATES WAR WITH SYRIAN AND LEBANON : - Amos Harel
The Israel Defense Forces Northern Command concluded a large-scale exercise Thursday November 6, which simulated a two-front war with Syria and Lebanon. The exercise drilled the Israel Air Force and the Home Front Command in dealing with the simulated firing of thousands of rockets and missiles into the heart of Israel’s population centers. The exercise entailed the deployment of troops on the ground, comprising mainly reservists. During the drill, the striking aircraft were under orders to focus on long and medium-range missile launchers. The responsibility for knocking out shorter-range rockets lay on ground troops that were ordered to carry out an on-paper invasion into Syrian and Lebanese territory. (Ha’aretz)

OBAMA SETS CONDITIONS FOR HAMAS : by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hamas must recognize Israel as a condition for talks with the administration to be formed by President-elect Barack Obama, his spokesman Dennis McDonough said Saturday night November 8. He was responding to a Hamas statement on Friday that it wanted to talk with the President-elect Obama despite negative statements Hamas made during the recent presidential campaign.

AUSCHWITZ DEATH CAMPL PLANS FOUND : by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The original drawings by an architect for expanding the Auschwitz death camp, including a gas chamber and a “corpse cellar,” were published in the German newspaper Bild Saturday. Government officials have not commented on the report, but the newspaper published building sketches. It did not reveal how and where they were found. Blueprint pictures clearly describe a room for a 1,200 square-foot “gas chamber” as part of a “delousing facility” to be added to the death camp in 1941. The reported documents sketches were among 28 blueprints that were obtained. “The documents refute once and for all claims by those who deny the Holocaust even took place.”

SECRET ORDER LETS USA RAID AL-QAEDA ‘ANYWHERE! : :- Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti (New York Times)
The U.S. military since 2004 has used broad, secret authority to carry out nearly a dozen previously undisclosed attacks against al-Qaeda and other militants in Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere, according to senior American officials. A 2004 order signed by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld with the approval of President Bush identifies 15 to 20 countries, including Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and several other Persian Gulf states, where Qaeda militants were believed to be operating or to have sought sanctuary, a senior administration official said.

ARABS LAMENT LACK OF DIALOGUE ON IRAN NUCLEAR CRISIS : (AFP)
Arab diplomats complained on Sunday November 9 about a lack of dialogue with the West over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The Jordanian For. Min. said, “the nuclear crisis became a crisis (for the West), but for us the Iranian surge for hegemony has become a crisis.” Sunni Arab governments like Egypt, Jordan and the six oil-rich Gulf monarchies have repeatedly expressed concerns over what they see as the growing influence of Shiite Iran in the region, namely in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

IRANIAN ECONOMISTS SLAM AHMADINEJAD : - Borzou Daragahi
A group of 60 Iranian economists on Sunday November 9 condemned the economic policies of President Ahmadinejad and contradicted recent boasts by Tehran leaders who said the Islamic Republic has been successfully weathering the global financial crisis.

AL-QAEDA EXTREMISTS PLANNING MASS-CASUALTY ATTACKS IN BRITAIN : - Sean Rayment
Secret enclaves of al-Qaeda extremists based in London, Birmingham and Luton are planning mass-casualty attacks in Britain, according to a leaked government intelligence report. The document, drawn up by the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Defense, MI5 and Special Branch, states that “some thousands” of extremists are active in the UK.

AUSTRALIA SWITCHES POSITION AND VOTES AGAINST ISRAEL AT THE UN: - Phillip Hudson
Australia has switched its position to vote against Israel on two resolutions at the UN, ending the Howard government’s unswerving alignment with the U.S. and raising concern from the Jewish community. The move also signals that the Rudd government plans to take a different approach on the international stage.

ROCKETS FIRED AT ISRAEL FROM GAZA RESIDENTIAL AREAS : - Yaakov Lappin
Defense Minister Barak told the cabinet Sunday that many of the rockets that struck Israel during the past week were fired from the vicinity of residential homes and schools in Gaza, precluding an Israeli response due to fear of harming civilians.

ABDULLAH: OBAMA,PRESSURE ISRAEL : by Malkah Fleisher
Jordan’s King Abdullah II addressed U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday November 9, inviting him to follow in the tradition of past U.S. presidents by imposing pressure on Israeli Jews and Arabs to formulate a peace treaty.

P.A. CLAIM: TEMPLE MOUNT NOT JEWISH : by Hillel Fendel
Top PA officials continue to deny Israel’s connection to Judaism’s most sacred spot in the world - the Temple Mount. The latest to do so is Ahmed Qurei, known also as Abu Ala, who has led and continues to lead Palestinian Authority negotiations with Israel. In a small media briefing this past Wednesday, Qurei said, “Israeli occupation authorities are trying to find a so-called Jewish historical connection between Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, but all these attempts will fail. The Temple Mount is 100 percent Muslim.” The Waqf itself - the Supreme Moslem Council of Jerusalem which now runs the Temple Mount day-to-day - has debunked the Moslem claim that the holy site is not Jewish - in a Temple Mount guide it published in 1925.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS BRIGHT SIDE AS ISRAELIS RETURN HOME :
The recent global financial downturn has had one silver lining in that the strong Israeli economy is beginning to prompt thousands of Israelis living abroad to move back home to the Jewish state. The Immigrant and Absorption Ministry foresees as many as 15,000 Israelis coming home by the end of 2009, reports Ynetnews. Much of the draw is that, for various reasons, the Israeli economy has been less impacted by the financial meltdown than other developed countries. Some 2,000 Israelis have returned home between August and mid October alone - a 50% rise from the same time last year.

ISRAEL LESS VULNERABLE TO ECONOMIC CRISIS THAN U.S. OR EUROPE : - Rotem Sella (Ha’aretz)
Israel’s economy is less susceptible to risk than many more developed countries such as the U.S., Canada and the Euro Bloc, according to a Merrill Lynch report on the financial and economic vulnerability of 44 nations.
Australia is considered the most vulnerable, due to a huge influx of foreign capital over the past five years, while Israel is only the 24th most vulnerable.

ISRAEL: GAZA BLACKOUTS ARE HAMAS PROPAGANDA :
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the goods crossings into Gaza to remain closed on Tuesday November 11, in response to Palestinian rocket attacks that have pounded southern Israel in recent days. Palestinian sources reported that fuel shortages were forcing Gaza’s main power station to shut down, causing blackouts.
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Hamas is using Gaza’s electricity to attack Israel. “It’s a pity that we are falling for this propaganda. I can confirm one thing, if there is only one kilowatt in all of Gaza it will be in one place only - a workshop that manufactures rockets,”

SYRIA NOT INTERESTED IN REAL PEACE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL: - Yossi Melman
The Turkish-sponsored indirect talks between Israel and Syria have not changed the regional status. The Syrian government is interested in having the Golan Heights back but not in signing a real peace with Israel.

HAMAS : SECRET TIES WITH OBAMA : by Hana Levi Julian
Hamas is claiming close and ongoing ties with America’s upcoming Obama Administration, according to a report published Tuesday November 11, in the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat. The relationship was kept under wraps until after the U.S. elections so as not to harm Obama’s election prospects. The U.S. has classified Hamas a terrorist organization. The London-based publication interviewed Gaza-based political chief Ahmad Yousuf, advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas regime in Gaza. Yousuf declared that Hamas has been in regular contact with President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers for months.

IRAN, THE TALIBAN AND SAUDI ARABIA : - James Brazier (Diplomatic Courier)
Iran, a Shia theocracy, despises the Taliban. The Taliban are Sunni extremists who view Shias as heretics. In August 1998 Taliban fighters slaughtered thousands of Shia Hazaras. The Hazaras were closely aligned with the Northern Alliance, an Iranian-backed rebel coalition dedicated to fighting the Taliban. Iran’s impact on the Taliban’s drug revenue is one of the untold stories of the war on terror.

SAUDI ARABIA SEEKS UN PLATFORM TO PROMOTE PLURALISM ABROAD : - Neil MacFarquhar
Saudi Arabia, which deploys a special police force to ensure that a narrow sect of Islam predominates in the kingdom, is sponsoring a discussion at the UN on religious tolerance starting Wednesday. But human rights groups are crying foul that Saudi Arabia is being given a platform to promote religious tolerance abroad while actively combating it at home. “It’s like apartheid South Africa having a conference at the UN on racial harmony,” said Ali al-Ahmed, a Shiite Muslim dissident from Saudi Arabia based in Washington. (New York Times)

JERUSALEM ELECTS NEW MAYOR : - Etgar Lefkovits
Businessman Nir Barkat will succeed Uri Lupolianski as mayor of Jerusalem. Barkat won 52% of the vote versus 43% for MK Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism Party in the Jerusalem mayoral election on Tuesday November 11. Israeli-Russian billionaire Arkadi Gaydamak ran third with 3.5%. (Jerusalem Post)

ABBAS: “WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW MARTYRS PATH” : - Ali Waked
“The Palestinian leadership will continue to follow Yasser Arafat’s path until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established,” PA leader Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday November 11, during a memorial service marking Arafat’s death. Abbas said, “The path of the shahids (martyrs) - Arafat, George Habash (founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and (former Hamas spiritual leader) Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - is the path that we cherish.” (Ynet News)

IRAN TEST FIRES NEW LONG RANGE, SOLID FUEL MISSILE :
Iran has successfully test-fired a new class of surface-to-surface missile using solid fuel, Iran claims it is extremely fast and has a range of 1,200 miles. Some experts say Iran is merely re-releasing old information. Meanwhile, the installation of an advanced anti-missile radar system was completed in southern Israel this week, that will house 120 people, including the first permanent US forces to be deployed on Israeli soil.

RECENT CLASHES SIGNAL POSSIBLE END TO GAZA CEAS-FIRE :
A surge of violent activity along the Gaza border in recent weeks may signal the end of the fragile five-month-old truce between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hamas. In the latest incident, IDF soldiers spotted a group of Palestinian militants attempting to plant a bomb near the border fence on Wednesday. The troops pursued the gunmen and exchanged fire, resulting in the killing of four of the assailants. Grenades, assault rifles and remnants of an explosive device were found with the bodies.