Middle East Update

In an attempt to avoid the looming disaster to the US economy which is threatened by a collapse in the home mortgage area, the USA is about to freeze home mortgage rates, hoping this will prevent a devastating economic collapse.

The US has asked the United Nations Security Council to endorse by resolution this week’s Annapolis understanding between Israel and the Palestinians to reach a peace settlement by the end of 2008. Meantime, Israeli defense sources are voicing concern that the new US special security envoy to the region, retired general James Jones, will spend [...]

by Gil Ronen
At the ceremonial opening of the international summit at Annapolis, U. S. President George W. Bush read aloud a joint statement agreed upon by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The statement included a commitment by both sides in the conflict over the Land of Israel to “make every effort” [...]

Aluf BennThe main message of this week’s summit at Annapolis will be that the U.S. is back as a leader in the Middle East. When the U.S. calls, the world sides with it. Only a year ago, a pessimistic theory of America’s decline as a leading power in the Middle East dominated Washington. [...]

Emmanuel Sivan
This is the real story of Annapolis: a story of fierce personal emotions, disappointment, affront and desperation. But what action did Rice set in motion, and to what end? The action is not based on an American assessment that the conflict is ripe for resolution and/or that there are leaders in the region capable [...]

David A. Fulghum and Robert Wall The U.S. provided Israel with information about Syrian air defenses before Israel attacked a suspected nuclear site in Syria on Sep. 6. The main attack was preceded by an engagement with a single Syrian radar site at Tall al-Abuad near the Turkish border.

Yitzhak Benhorin (Ynet News)
The U.S. Congress on Friday approved the purchase of $700 million worth of weapons and technological systems from Israel’s defense industries for use by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Weapons and components to be purchased include a navigation [...]

(Ha’aretz)The U.S. has promised Syria that the issue of the Golan Heights will be brought to the agenda of the upcoming regional meeting scheduled for later this month, the head of Israeli military intelligence said on Sunday. Briefing the weekly cabinet meeting, Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin said that the [...]

Sarkozy restores French-American relations
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has dramatically turned around French foreign policy in the six months he has been in office, restoring French-American relations, and realigning France as a major champion of Israel. Sarkozy told a gathering of the American Jewish Committee on Wednesday November 7 that

“Israel’s security is close to my heart… [...]

by Hillel Fendel
Over 30 top U.S. physicians arrived in Israel on Sunday November 4, for an intensive five-day course in the latest Israeli developments in emergency and trauma medicine. The group will return to Israel on immediate notice in case of war or other national emergency, so that they can fill in for Israeli [...]