52 / 15150 Results
  • December 10, 2012

    The EU criticizes Israel’s settlement expansion plans in a statement released at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. Sweden’s FM Carl Bildt says European governments are increasingly...

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  • November 9, 2012

    Israel’s DM Barak says that Iran has slowed the timetable for enriching enough uranium to build nuclear weapons, extending Israel’s window of opportunity to strike Iran before it crosses Israel’s...

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  • October 30, 2012

    A PLO official tells Reuters that they expect at least 12 ‘‘yes’’ votes from EU mbr. states at the UNGA vote in 11/2012 for recognition as a non-member state. (REU 10/30)

    Israeli DM Barak...

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  • October 25, 2012

    Armed Palestinians fire a mortar from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no injuries. Later in the day, an unofficial truce, believed to have been negotiated by Egyptian intelligence, takes hold...

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  • October 19, 2012

    President of the UNGA Vuk Jeremic says that the Palestinian bid for non-member state is likely to succeed, and that it would likely occur in the second half of 11/2012. (REU 10/19)

    The EU...

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  • October 6, 2012

    Israel’s air force shoots down an unmanned drone over the Negev desert. On 10/11, Hizballah confirms that it sent the drone, described by leader Hasan Nasrallah in a televised speech as a ‘‘...

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  • September 27, 2012

    PA pres. Mahmud Abbas addresses the UNGA in New York, announcing as expected that his government will seek non-member observer state status for Palestine (see Doc. B4 in JPS 166). Abbas also...

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  • September 21, 2012

    Three unidentified gunmen enter Israel from the Egyptian Sinai nr. Mount Harif, where Israel’s new border fence is currently under construction. They are killed in an exchange of gunfire with IDF...

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  • August 15, 2012

    The IDF conducts late-night patrols and house searches in 4 villages nr. Hebron (3 synchronized). (PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18; PCHR 8/30; OCHA 8/31)

    Fmr. Israeli national security adviser Uzi...

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  • August 12, 2012

    A day after the PA urges Egypt to destroy smuggling tunnels on the Gaza border, saying they pose a threat to Egyptian security and undermine Palestinian national unity efforts, Hamas officials in...

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  • August 9, 2012

    Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. Dozens of Palestinian supporters of the Democratic Front for the...

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  • August 5, 2012

    As many as 35 unidentified gunmen attack an Egyptian checkpoint near the Rafah border, fatally shooting 16 Egyptian security officers and wounding 3. Some of the assailants then steal 2 armored...

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  • August 1, 2012

    U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta arrives in Israel for a 2-day visit intended to calm Israeli fears over Iran and to project a U.S.-Israeli unified front. He urges Israel to allow sanctions and...

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  • July 29, 2012

    On the 2d day of his trip to Israel, Republican presidential candidate Romney prays at the Western Wall and gives a public address to 300 select supporters in Jerusalem (calling Jerusalem the...

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  • July 19, 2012

    The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 early in the morning and the other late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Bet...

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  • July 18, 2012

    The IDF bulldozes 3 agricultural storehouses and a well nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Jenin; and conducts separate late-night arrest...

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  • July 16, 2012

    U.S. secy. of state Clinton meets with Israeli leaders (including PM Netanyahu, Pres. Peres, DM Barak, FM Avigdor Lieberman) and Quartet special envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem and with PA PM Salam...

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  • July 3, 2012

    The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in 2 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

    In a television interview in...

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  • June 25, 2012

    Russian pres. Vladimir Putin makes a 1-day visit to Israel for the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Russian soldiers. In addition, he meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu, DM Barak, and other...

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  • June 20, 2012

    Kadima head Shaul Mofaz arrives in Washington for his 1st official visit as Israel’s vice PM in charge of overseeing peace process issues. He meets with U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton and U.S...

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  • June 19, 2012

    Israeli pres. Shimon Peres says he has met with Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas and other Palestinian officials several times in recent months to discuss resuming peace talks. The Palestinians do...

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  • June 18, 2012

    Three unidentified assailants cross into Israel from Egypt and plant a roadside bomb that they detonate when 2 vehicles pass carrying laborers who are working to build Israel’s new border fence;...

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  • June 4, 2012

    In Hebron, a knife-wielding Palestinian attempts to attack IDF soldiers posted outside the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ Cave of the Patriarchs but is shot and seriously wounded. The IDF patrols in 3...

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  • May 30, 2012

    Israeli naval vessels halt and seize 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, detaining 4 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and...

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  • May 29, 2012

    The IDF makes brief incursions into s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis and c. Gaza nr. Wadi al-Silqa to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence; in both cases, Israeli helicopters providing...

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  • May 28, 2012

    Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh authorizes a senior CEC team to begin updating Gaza’s voter rolls, in keeping with agreements reached in Cairo on 5/20/12. The CEC estimates that since the...

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  • May 24, 2012

    The IDF issues a military order confiscating 29 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land in Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit for ‘‘security and military purposes and to combat terrorist attacks...

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  • May 23, 2012

    A Palestinian sniper operating nr. the former Kissufim crossing on the c. Gaza border shoots and wounds 2 IDF soldiers inside Israel; no group claims responsibility. The IDF bulldozes a...

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  • May 22, 2012

    Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages in...

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  • May 21, 2012

    The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 nearby villages, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 each nr. Jericho, Hebron, and Ramallah in the morning; stages 3 groups of synchronized patrols s. of Jenin (4 villages...

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The EU criticizes Israel’s settlement expansion plans in a statement released at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. Sweden’s FM Carl Bildt says European governments are increasingly frustrated by the settlement policy. The ministers also emphasize that the EU’s agreements with Israel only apply to the pre-1967 territory, which a diplomatic source tells the Israeli media could be a sign of future action related to settlement products. (JP, REU 12/10)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that construction plans for the E1 area e. of Jerusalem do not prevent the eventual emergence of a Palestinian state, and repeats the offer of direct talks with Mahmud Abbas ‘‘without preconditions.’’ Meanwhile, Palestinian cheif negotiator Saeb Erakat outlines 3 conditions for a return to talks: (1) agreement that the goal of the peace process is a withdrawal to the 1967 borders; (2) restarting negotiations from the point they were halted; and (3) setting a 6-mo. timetable for agreement on all final-status issues. He adds that Israel should halt settlement activity, but does not list it as a condition. (AFP, JP 12/10)

Israel’s Finance Ministry deducts more than $71 m. from VAT taxes Israel collects and holds on the PA’s behalf and transfers it to Israel’s Electric Corporation to cover 37% of the PA’s electricity debt. (YA 12/10)

Independent politician Khalil Assaf says that the PA has officially agreed to allow Hamas to hold a festival in Nablus commemorating the movement’s 25th anniversary. (MNA 12/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF, citing military exercises, compels 6 Palestinian families to leave their homes in a village in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF also notifies Palestinian farmers nr. Salfit that the road connecting the village to their fields will be demolished in the next 2 weeks. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon, in 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Bethlehem in the afternoon, and in Ramallah and nearby Qaddura r.c. at night. The Ramallah raid targets prisoner support NGO Addameer and the Palestinian NGO Network, as well as the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees. In all 3 cases, soldiers ransack the offices and confiscate equipment, including computer hardware. (WAFA 12/10; MNA 12/10; PCHR 12/13; AP 12/11)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that Iran is getting closer to being able to build a nuclear bomb and that 2013 will be the year to confront the issue. Western diplomats say that Israel is suspected to be behind a series of leaks, intended to increase pressure, about Iranian nuclear weapon experiments. Diplomats say that the P5+1 world powers expect to hold a fresh round of talks with Tehran in early 2013. (JP, Guardian, REU 12/10)

Israel’s DM Barak says that Iran has slowed the timetable for enriching enough uranium to build nuclear weapons, extending Israel’s window of opportunity to strike Iran before it crosses Israel’s ‘‘red line’’ for production by 8 mos. (AP 11/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Hebron (firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths) in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Jenin, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya at night. Officials in Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley report that 100s of residents have received orders to evacuate their homes for the duration of an IDF training exercise. Palestinians, Israelis, and international protesters block the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank, halting traffic for 15 minutes to protest settlements and their road network; 1 activist is arrested. The IDF opens fire with stun grenades and tear gas on Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the settlement in Kafr Qaddum; Palestinian youths reply with stones; no serious injuries are reported. (972mag, MNA 11/9; PCHR 11/14)

A PLO official tells Reuters that they expect at least 12 ‘‘yes’’ votes from EU mbr. states at the UNGA vote in 11/2012 for recognition as a non-member state. (REU 10/30)

Israeli DM Barak says that Iran has pulled back from its ambitions of building a nuclear weapon, but that Israel may still have to decide in 2013 whether to launch a military attack. (REU 10/30)

An Israeli border police officer is acquitted of causing the death of a 10-yr.-old Palestinian boy shot during a protest in the West Bank village of Ni‘lin in 2008. (HA 10/30)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in 6 villages nr. Jenin at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 5 nearby villages, and in 4 villages nr. Jenin at night. (PCHR 11/8)

Fighting between the Syrian military and the opposition spills over into Yarmuk Palestinian r.c., with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine– General Command reportedly joining on the side of the army. (AFP 10/30)

Armed Palestinians fire a mortar from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no injuries. Later in the day, an unofficial truce, believed to have been negotiated by Egyptian intelligence, takes hold, bringing relative calm after 4 days of IDF strikes and Palestinian rocket fire. An aide to Israel’s DM Ehud Barak denies any agreement had been reached with Hamas. (ToI 10/25)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and FM Avigdor Lieberman announce that their respective Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu parties will run together in the upcoming elections. Reports suggest that there would be no rotation of the PM slot and Netanyahu would remain leader. Lieberman tells reporters that the unity deal was first discussed a year ago. Labor leader Shelley Yacimovich urges a unification of ‘‘centrist’’ parties to challenge the new alliance. Some analysts claim that the move signals the forming of a ‘‘war cabinet’’ for confronting Iran. (HA, JP 10/25; HA, YA 10/26)

Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula issues a statement of condolences for the deaths of 2 Salafist jihadists killed by the IDF in the Gaza Strip on 10/13. (JP 10/25)

President of the UNGA Vuk Jeremic says that the Palestinian bid for non-member state is likely to succeed, and that it would likely occur in the second half of 11/2012. (REU 10/19)

The EU issues an expression of regret over Israel’s decision (see 10/18) to approve 800 new houses in Gilo settlement, East Jerusalem. (MNA 10/19)

Armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip detonate an improvised explosive device nr. the border fence with Israel, damaging an IDF jeep but causing no injuries. IDF troops on the Gaza border open fire on volunteers working on farmland nr. al-Bureij r.c., causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning. (YA 10/19; PCHR 10/24)

A bomb blast in Beirut kills Wissam al-Hassan, head of Lebanese domestic intelligence, as well as another 9 people and injuring more than 100. In the aftermath, opposition politicians, including Saad Hariri, blame the Syrian government, and there are demonstrations across the country by Sunni Muslims. Lebanese PM Najib Mikati says he suspects the killing was linked to al-Hassan’s role in uncovering Syrian involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri. Iran condemns the blast the next day and hints that Israel is responsible. (Guardian, NYT, REU 10/19; BBC, REU 10/20)

Israel’s air force shoots down an unmanned drone over the Negev desert. On 10/11, Hizballah confirms that it sent the drone, described by leader Hasan Nasrallah in a televised speech as a ‘‘reconnaissance aircraft’’ whose parts were manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon. (CNN 10/6; REU 10/11)

Israeli naval vessels off the Gaza coast open fire on Palestinian fishermen in the morning, with no injuries or arrests. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; conducts a house search and arrest raid in 1 village nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers nr. Hebron and nr. Ramallah attack Palestinian farmers. (PCHR 11/10)

PA pres. Mahmud Abbas addresses the UNGA in New York, announcing as expected that his government will seek non-member observer state status for Palestine (see Doc. B4 in JPS 166). Abbas also refers to current Israeli policies as ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ singling out settlement construction and home demolition for particular criticism. Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) criticize the speech for not offering anything new, but Fatah praises it as ‘‘historic.’’ Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu also addresses the assembly, notably literally drawing a ‘‘red line’’ on a cartoon of a bomb to illustrate his claim that Iran would be capable of making a nuclear weapon within a year. In contrast, U.S. officials play down the notion that Iran is on the brink of achieving a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Iran is making progress in building a research reactor capable of potential weapon material, and Israeli media describe the Netanyahu government as urging the EU to impose further sanctions on Iran in light of the economic damage achieved by sanctions to date. (AP, HA, MNA, REU, ToI 9/27)

Israel approves a proposal to allow 5,000 additional entry permits for Palestinian construction and agricultural workers, bringing the total number of work permits issued by Israel to West Bank Palestinians to over 45,000. Israel also allows, for the 1st time since 2007, 3 truckloads of furniture to be exported from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, destined for PA-run schools. This marks the 3d time in 2012 that Israel permitted the passage of goods from Gaza to the West Bank. Meanwhile Egypt informed Palestinian officials of their intention to ease travel through the Rafah crossing over coming days. (JP, MNA 9/27)

In the West Bank, Jewish settlers fr. Beitar Ilit settlement nr. Bethlehem dump sewage water on agriculture lands in the Fukin valley. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha settlement nr. Burin village s. of Nablus cut down over 60 olive trees. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Tulkarm (firing sound bombs), and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; conducts a house raid and summons in Qalqilya in the morning and house raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night (beating 2 residents, arresting another 2, and firing tear-gas canisters at homes) at night. (PCHR 10/4)

U.S. and Lebanese government officials allege that Hizballah has sent military advisers to help the Asad government in Syria. UNRWA estimates that the total number of refugees fleeing Syria will reach 700,000 by the end of 2012. (REU, WP 9/27)

Three unidentified gunmen enter Israel from the Egyptian Sinai nr. Mount Harif, where Israel’s new border fence is currently under construction. They are killed in an exchange of gunfire with IDF soldiers that also leaves 1 IDF soldier dead. (HA, MNA, REU 9/21)

Palestinian protesters angered at the EU’s policies toward Israel and Palestine demonstrate under the banner of ‘‘Palestinians for Dignity’’ outside the Ramallah offices of the European mission training Palestinian police. (MNA 9/21)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village in Ramallah in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; patrols in Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. (PCHR 9/27)

Israel’s opposition leader MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) says that Israel will not attack Iranian nuclear sites this year and that the U.S. must take the lead in any attack on Iran. (MNA 9/21)

The IDF conducts late-night patrols and house searches in 4 villages nr. Hebron (3 synchronized). (PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18; PCHR 8/30; OCHA 8/31)

Fmr. Israeli national security adviser Uzi Arad warns that Pres. Obama has only a ‘‘brief window of opportunity’’ to dissuade PM Netanyahu and DM Barak against striking Iran, saying Obama must quickly impose stiffer sanctions and publicly declare his willingness to use military force. Analysts say (NYT 8/16) that ‘‘Dayan’s assessment seems to buttress the theory that the collective saber rattling is part of a campaign to pressure the Obama administration.’’ (NYT 8/16)

A day after the PA urges Egypt to destroy smuggling tunnels on the Gaza border, saying they pose a threat to Egyptian security and undermine Palestinian national unity efforts, Hamas officials in Gaza say that they will close tunnels on the Rafah border if Egypt opens the border to trade. (JPI 8/24)

An unconfirmed report says that unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Salfit late in the evening, firing warning shots at a Palestinian car (no injuries reported) and ordering it to stop; the car is searched and allowed to go on its way. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus, and Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Susia settlement nr. Hebron spread poison on nearby grasslands used by local Palestinian shepherds, killing 7 sheep. (Mivzak Live [Internet] 8/12; PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18)

IDF Central Command formally reclassifies Bruchin outpost as a legal settlement, implementing a 3/2012 cabinet decision to legalize 3 outposts retroactively (see QU in JPS 163). The formal reclassifications of Rachelim and Sansanna have not been implemented yet. (JPI 8/24; PCHR 8/16)

Israel’s daily Ha’Aretz for the 2d time in recent days reports that a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) by the Obama admin. has added a ‘‘lastminute update’’ on Iran stating that Iran has ‘‘boosted efforts’’ to advance its nuclear program. The U.S. meanwhile has not announced that a new NIE has been written. U.S. officials refuse to comment except to say that U.S. intelligence continues to believe: (1) that Iran has not made a decision on whether to develop a nuclear weapon and (2) that Iran’s is years away from being able to produce a nuclear bomb. Meanwhile, Israel’s dep. FM Danny Ayalon calls on the international community to issue a declaration that diplomacy toward Iran has failed, raising fears that Israel is preparing a military strike. (HA, REU 8/12; NYT, WP 8/13)

Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. Dozens of Palestinian supporters of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) stage a protest march fr. Ramallah to Israel’s Ofer military prison nearby to denounce the retrial of DFLP Politburo mbr. Ibrahim Abu Hajla, who was released in the 12/2011 prisoner swap that freed IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit but was later redetained. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the demonstrators, wounding 5 (including 1 child, 1 woman). (PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18)

Experts say that a new malware program spreading across Lebanon, named Gauss, is clearly the product of the same developers as the Stuxnet and Flame viruses used to attack Iran (believed by most experts to have been developed jointly by Israel and the U.S.). Gauss steals customer data from banks (including Citibank and the online service PayPal) to track how money flows into and out of accounts; it appears to have been designed only for surveillance, not attack. Analysts say the virus has also popped up in Israel and the occupied territories, and several other countries worldwide. (NYT, WP 8/10)

Israel’s security cabinet approves an Egyptian request to deploy 5 attack helicopters in the Sinai to bolster security, modifying the terms of their peace treaty. (JPI 8/24)

As many as 35 unidentified gunmen attack an Egyptian checkpoint near the Rafah border, fatally shooting 16 Egyptian security officers and wounding 3. Some of the assailants then steal 2 armored personnel carriers, which they pack with explosives and drive toward Kerem Shalom commercial crossing, where the borders of Egypt, Israel, and Gaza meet. The IDF calls in an air strike on the vehicles as they breach the border, killing at least 3 assailants. No group takes responsibility. Egypt seals the Rafah border crossing into Gaza as a precaution. Israel shuts the Israeli-Egypt side of Kerem Shalom and halts fuel shipments to Gaza through the Israel-Gaza side, but otherwise continues to allow limited imports of goods from Israel to Gaza. Hamas authorities in Gaza deny any Palestinian involvement, call the attack ‘‘terrorism,’’ and close smuggling tunnels from their side as well, stating that ‘‘Palestinian resistance factions are committed to fighting only against the Israeli occupation, and they launch their operations only from the Palestinian territories.’’ (MNA, NYT, WP 8/6; NYT 8/7)

An Israeli warplane makes an air strike on Rafah targeting 2 Tawhid and Jihad mbrs. as they ride a motorcycle through Rafah, assassinating Eid Oukal and wounding Ahmad Said Isma‘il; Israel accuses the men of being behind the 6/18 Sinai attack that killed an Israeli Palestinian worker and of plotting other crossborder attacks on Israeli civilians; no mention is made of the Sinai attack earlier in the day. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds by directing artillery fire and shooting from helicopters at the demolished Dahaniyya airport site and open areas e. of Rafah for several hours, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Ramallah. (NYT, PCHR 8/6; PCHR 8/9; OCHA 8/10)

The PA cancels plans to host a meeting in Ramallah of foreign envoys representing the Non-Aligned Movement to express solidarity with the Palestinians, stating that Israel has refused to grant entry permits to the representatives of Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Indonesia, and Malaysia on the grounds that their countries do not recognize the State of Israel. The PA reportedly (NYT 8/6) intended to announce plans to revive its UN statehood effort at the opening of the next UNGA session in 9/2012. The group was also expected to release a ‘‘Ramallah Declaration’’ denouncing Israeli settlement expansion. (NYT, WP 8/6)

Iran airs the confessions of more than a dozen alleged conspirators to the killing of 5 nuclear scientists since 2010, claiming that the suspects were trained in Israel by the Mossad. (WP 8/6)

U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta arrives in Israel for a 2-day visit intended to calm Israeli fears over Iran and to project a U.S.-Israeli unified front. He urges Israel to allow sanctions and diplomacy time to work and to avoid unilateral actions. Separately, Israeli PM Netanyahu warns that ‘‘time to resolve this issue peacefully is running out.’’ Meanwhile, anonymous U.S. admin. officials say (NYT 8/2) they are optimistic that ‘‘Israel has no imminent plans to attack and may be willing to let the United States take the lead in any future military strike, which they say would not occur until next year at the earliest.’’ (Defense News 8/1; NYT, WP 8/2; WP 8/21)

IDF troops make a predawn incursion into c. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of alMaghazi r.c.; they withdraw later in the morning. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. (PCHR 8/2, 8/9; OCHA 8/10)

Around this date, House Foreign Affairs Comm. mbr. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) launches a new congressional caucus, the Congressional HellenicIsraeli Alliance, aimed at supporting the growing bilateral relationship between Israel and Greece, and on a broader level, Cyprus. It is also aimed at reinforcing a budding U.S.-Israeli-Greek-Cypriot alliance to pressure Turkey on regional affairs. (The Hill 8/7)

On the 2d day of his trip to Israel, Republican presidential candidate Romney prays at the Western Wall and gives a public address to 300 select supporters in Jerusalem (calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel). He vows to support Israel’s right to defend itself and calls for Israel and the U.S. to use ‘‘any and all means’’ to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He does not repeat the comment his foreign policy aide, Dan Senor, made en route to Israel that Romney would ‘‘respect’’ an Israeli decision to strike Iran unilaterally, nor does he mention the Palestinians or the peace process. Romney meets with his former business colleague PM Netanyahu, who makes kind remarks but is seen (e.g., WP 7/30) as being careful not to take sides in the election. He also meets with Israeli pres. Peres and PA PM Salam Fayyad; the Romney camp cancels at the last minute a planned meeting with Labor party officials. In an interview with CNN later in the day, Romney says that the U.S., in consultation with Israel, should move its embassy to Jerusalem. In response, White House spokesman Josh Earnest says: ‘‘The view of this administration is the capital should be determined in final status negotiations between the parties. That’s the position held by the previous administrations, both Democratic and Republican.’’ (NYT, WP, WT 7/30; WP 7/31; WJW 8/2)

Timed with Romney’s visit to Israel, the Obama admin. leaks a story to the Israeli daily Ha’Aretz that NSA Donilon briefed an Israeli official (some say PM Netanyahu, though Israel explicitly denies this) over dinner in Israel earlier in 7/2012 on ‘‘U.S. contingency plans for any attack on Iran,’’ emphasizing that the U.S. is making serious preparations for a military strike if such action is deemed necessary. A Netanyahu spokesman says Donilon did not share any operational plans. Donilon’s office says it does not comment on private meetings. (WT 7/30)

In Tunis en route to Israel, U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta says Israel and the U.S. are united in support of strong sanctions against Iran. (NYT, WP 7/30)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Ramallah in the evening. Jewish settlers block roads and stone Palestinian cars nr. the evacuated settlement of Homesh nr. Jenin. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 early in the morning and the other late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn nr. Hebron uproot 47 olive and almond trees, and 10 grape arbors on nearby Palestinian land. Jewish settlers raze 14 d. of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Bethlehem to establish a settler-only road. (PCHR 7/26; OCHA 7/27)

U.S. intelligence officials assert, without offering evidence, that a Hizballah cell linked to Iran carried out the 7/18 suicide attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria in retaliation for Israel’s recent assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. (NYT 7/20)

U.S. pres. Obama signs legislation to extend the terms of Israel’s loan guarantees through the end of 9/2016. Without the move, loan guarantees would have expired at the end of 9/2012. Since 2004 the U.S. has given Israel $9 b. in loan guarantees, of which Israel has used $5.2 b. (HA 7/22; Foreign Policy online 7/31)

The IDF bulldozes 3 agricultural storehouses and a well nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Jenin; and conducts separate late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Hundreds of Jewish settlers, escorted by the IDF, enter Balata village nr. Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb; the IDF imposes a curfew on local Palestinians during the visit. (PCHR 7/19, 7/26; OCHA 7/27)

In Bulgaria, a suicide bomber detonates a device outside a bus boarding Israeli tourists in the port city of Burgas, killing at least 6 Israelis and wounding 32 plus the Bulgarian tour operator. Israel blames Iran for the blast and vows retaliation, but Iran denies the allegation, and no group takes responsibility. (NYT, WT 7/19; NYT, WP 7/20; JPI 7/27)

U.S. secy. of state Clinton meets with Israeli leaders (including PM Netanyahu, Pres. Peres, DM Barak, FM Avigdor Lieberman) and Quartet special envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem and with PA PM Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. Though the main purpose of her visit is to discuss Iran, Syria, and other regional changes brought by the Arab Spring, she tells the Israeli and Palestinian sides that they must resume peace talks soon and avoid all unilateral actions. She emphasizes that while the international community is ready to offer ample support for a return to negotiations, the hard work must be done by the parties themselves. (WP 7/17)

Israel allows 40 Palestinian prisoners held in its Ramon prison to receive visits from family members from Gaza, marking the 1st time Israel has allowed family visits for Gazan prisoners since Hamas seized control of the Strip in 6/2007. Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts evening arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; and conducts late-night patrols in al-Nabi Salih. (TOI 7/16; WP 7/17; PCHR 7/19; OCHA 7/20)

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) opens its 7th annual conference in Washington. At least 5,600 participants attend. Organizers note that CUFI now has 1.1 m. members, 754,000 Facebook fans, and 96 college chapters. The conference theme is ‘‘Defend America; Vote Israel.’’ CUFI founder James Hagee focuses on the importance of Christian Zionism and supporting Israel as part of ‘‘living out God’s mandate.’’ Other speakers include Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), fmr. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations head Malcolm Hoenlein, and Zionist Organization of America pres. Morton Klein. The speakers focus on Iran, U.S.-Israel security cooperation, and halting Palestinian incitement. (WJW 7/19)

The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in 2 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

In a television interview in Beirut, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command (PFLPGC) leader Ahmad Jibril states that his faction, along with Hizballah and Iran, would fight to defend Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad if foreign forces intervene in Syria. Jibril claims to have discussed the matter with Hizballah leader Hasan Nasrallah, but Hizballah does not comment. (WT 7/4)

Al-Jazeera satellite TV airs a special investigative report in which it claims to have uncovered new evidence that Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat did not die of natural causes in 11/2004 but was assassinated. The station funded scientific tests of Arafat’s clothing (kept by his widow, Suha Arafat) by a Swiss forensic institute that found unusually high traces of the radioactive substance polonium21. Suha Arafat immediately calls for Arafat’s body to be exhumed and tested. The PA says only that it would not ‘‘stand in the way of an exhumation.’’ (JAZ 7/3; NYT, WP 7/5)

Iran and the P5þ1 end 2 days of talks in Istanbul. Though the sides do not comment on progress, they say that deputies to Ashton and Jalili will soon meet to discuss how to reduce gaps in their positions and move negotiations forward. The meeting is later set for 7/24 in Turkey. (NYT 7/5, 7/10)

Russian pres. Vladimir Putin makes a 1-day visit to Israel for the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Russian soldiers. In addition, he meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu, DM Barak, and other senior officials who urge Russia to pressure Iran to halt its nuclear program, Syria to halt violence against the opposition, and the Palestinians to resume negotiations. Putin is noncommittal. (NYT, WP 6/26; JPI 7/6)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; and in Qalqilya, 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Ramallah late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Salfit. (TOI 6/25; PCHR 6/28)

Kadima head Shaul Mofaz arrives in Washington for his 1st official visit as Israel’s vice PM in charge of overseeing peace process issues. He meets with U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton and U.S. security officials and urges the U.S. to support reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, stating that the greatest threat to Israel is not Iran but a Palestinian demographic majority. He presents his own peace plan (1st unveiled in 2009 and not endorsed by Netanyahu), which calls for the creation of an interim Palestinian state with temporary borders on 60% of the West Bank, land swaps making up for the other 40%, and Israel’s permanent control over most settlement areas. (WP 6/20)

Israeli drones and warplanes carry out another 5 air strikes across Gaza, leaving at least 2 armed Palestinians and 1 Palestinian child dead and 10 Palestinians (2 armed, 8 civilian) wounded. The strikes include (1) an air strike on Gaza City targeting 2 members of the Salafist Tawhid and Jihad (TAJ) group whom Israel now alleges were involved in the 6/18 attack on Israel from the Sinai (1 TAJ member is killed, 1 is wounded; a family picnicking nearby is also hit, leaving a 13-yr.-old Palestinian boy dead, and 4 mbrs. of his family, including 3 children, seriously injured); (2) 2 missiles fired at a rocket-launching team in Rafah (1 armed Palestinian killed, 1 wounded); (3) air strikes on 2 IQB training camps in Jabaliya r.c. and Nussayrat r.c. (injuring 5 bystanders in nearby homes). Meanwhile, Palestinians fire more rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a house but causing no injuries. Since 6/17, Israel has carried out at least 17 air strikes on Gaza, and Palestinians have fired more than 100 rockets and mortars. By late evening, Hamas officials in Gaza say that Gaza’s factions have agreed to an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with Israel to end 3 days of cross-border violence. In addition, Israeli naval vessels fire on and detain 3 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza shore, questioning 6 fishermen (all released on 6/21). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Salfit, and nr. Hebron and Jenin; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho. (YA 6/20; NYT, PCHR, WP 6/21; PCHR 6/28; OCHA 6/29)

Overnight, the YESHA settlers’ council reaches a deal with the Israeli government to peacefully evacuate Ulpana outpost in exchange for a promises that 300 new housing units will be built in neighboring Beit El settlement and that the deal would not be used as a precedent for deciding the fate of other unauthorized settlement outposts. Meanwhile, some 1,000 Israeli police officers undergo special training to prevent violence and injuries during the Ulpana evacuation. (NYT 6/20)

Several U.S. representatives from both parties testifying before the House Armed Services Comm. recommend that the Pentagon begin preparing for military action against Iran, including expediting deployment of bunker-busting munitions that could target Iran’s underground facilities. (WP 6/21)

Israeli pres. Shimon Peres says he has met with Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas and other Palestinian officials several times in recent months to discuss resuming peace talks. The Palestinians do not comment. (WT 6/20) A previously unknown group calling itself the Mujahiddin Shura Council of Jerusalem (which claims ties to alQa‘ida) releases a video claiming responsibility for the 6/18 cross-border attack on Israel from Egypt. The video shows the 2 assailants killed by the IDF, identifying them as an Egyptian and a Saudi. (WP 6/20; NYT 6/21)

Responding to recent Israeli air strikes and cross-border shootings in Gaza that killed 6 Palestinians, Hamas’s IQB for the 1st time in more than a year fires a barrage of at least 45 rockets (including at least 10 Grads) fr. Gaza into Israel; 1 rocket damages an Israeli police barracks and injures 2 police officers, but the others land in open areas. The IQB says it is aiming predominantly at open areas to minimize the severity of its rocket fire and to ‘‘send a message’’ to Israel. Expecting retaliation, Hamas security officials vacate their bases. Israel initially issues a stern warning and carries out 1 air strike on a Palestinian rocketlaunching team nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 1 armed Palestinian. Late at night, however, Israeli warplanes and drones carry out 7 air strikes on Hamas targets across Gaza, seriously wounding 1 IQB mbr. The targets include a garage and a group of armed Palestinians in Gaza City, a vacant house in al-Bureij r.c., and 2 IQB training camps nr. Bayt Lahiya and Rafah. (HA 6/19; NYT, YA 6/20; PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

In the West Bank, Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Jaba nr. Bethlehem and spray graffiti on its walls warning the Israeli government against evacuating the unauthorized settlement outpost of Ulpana (5 buildings, 30 families). This is the 12th mosque vandalized by Jewish settlers since 1/2011. Jewish settlers also vandalize the car of the settler leader negotiating the terms of Ulpana’s evacuation with the Israeli government. OCHA reports that in the previous week, the IDF carried out several significant demolitions in Israelicontrolled Area C: 14 residential structures and 11 animal pens in the al-Hirma bedouin community near Bethlehem (64 displaced, including 37 children); 6 seasonal residential structures in the Jordan Valley (20 displaced); 1 residential structure nr. Qalqilya; and 2 animal pens nr. East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/20; OCHA 6/22)

The P5+1 and Iran close 2 days of ‘‘intense and tough’’ nuclear talks in Moscow. Both sides say that the talks were so detailed and so heated that they need a break to digest all that has been discussed and to confer with their governments. Iran reportedly offers to halt enrichment of uranium to 20% purity if the international community acknowledges Iran’s right to enrich uranium and immediately rolls back sanctions. The P5+1 refuses to delay or waive sanctions until Iran meets specific benchmarks of compliance. Ashton announces that the sides plan to send technical experts to Istanbul on 7/3 ‘‘to make sure all clearly understood the nature of both sides’ proposals’’ and to gauge the prospects for narrowing gaps and holding more negotiations. Meanwhile, the next round of EU and U.S. sanctions are scheduled to go into effect as scheduled on 7/1. (NYT 6/19; NYT, WP 6/20; NYT 7/2; WT 7/4; NYT 7/5)

Unidentified U.S. and Western officials confirm to the Washington Post (6/20) that the U.S. and Israel jointly developed the Flame virus to map and monitor Iran’s computer networks in preparation for a major cyberwarfare campaign. They said, however, that Israel deployed the virus unilaterally, without consulting the U.S., leading to its premature detection by Iran and to development of critical Iranian countermeasures. U.S. intelligence officials had hoped that Flame would reside undetected on Iran’s networks for years sending back valuable information. Computer experts said (WP 6/20) that Flame contained ‘‘DNA-like evidence’’ linking it to the Stuxnet virus (see QU in JPS 158). This would make the Stuxnet and Flame attacks the first recorded sustained cyber-sabotage campaign against a state. (WP 6/20)

Lebanon releases 9 Islamists (7 Lebanese, 1 Palestinian, 1 Saudi) tied to Fatah al-Islam who were among the approximate 180 people detained during the 2007 clashes between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army in Nahr al-Barid r.c. in n. Lebanon (see QU in JPS 145–46). (WT 6/20)

Three unidentified assailants cross into Israel from Egypt and plant a roadside bomb that they detonate when 2 vehicles pass carrying laborers who are working to build Israel’s new border fence; they then open fire on the vehicles with automatic weapons and rocketpropelled grenades; 1 Israeli Palestinian worker is killed. Israeli border police respond to the scene and exchanges fire with the infiltrators, leaving 2 assailants dead and 4 policemen injured. The 3d assailant escapes back into Egypt; Israeli units do not pursue him. (NYT, WP 6/19; NYT 6/20; JPI 6/29)

In actions Israel says are unrelated to the attack from Egypt, the IDF carries out 2 air strikes on n. Gaza: 1 targets a Palestinian sniper team that fired across the Gaza border into Israel (causing no damage or injuries), killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs.; the other targets Palestinians who attempted but failed to fire a rocket into Israel, killing 1 IQB mbr. and 1 al-Aqsa Guards Group mbr. Late at night, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fatally shoot 2 Palestinians (1 a teenager) attempting to sneak into Israel to find work. Meanwhile, IDF troops make a brief incursion into n. Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to level land and clear lines of sight. Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. and c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jericho in the morning; and in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and Tulkarm, and nr. Jenin. (JP 6/18; NYT, WP 6/19; NYT 6/20; PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22; JPI 6/29)

The Israel Project, a Washingtonbased pro-Israel group, hosts a debate between foreign policy advisers to Pres. Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, covering numerous issues including Iran, Syria, military aid, and Obama’s commitment to Israel. Romney advisers accuse Obama of failing to support Israel and of being more concerned with preventing Israel from attacking Iran than halting Iran’s nuclear program. Obama adviser Robert Wexler calls Obama’s ‘‘degree of military and strategic support [to Israel] unparalleled,’’ emphasizing that the Obama admin. worked strenuously behind the scenes to ensure there has not been a UN vote on Palestinian statehood since the Palestinians launched their UN statehood bid in 9/2011. (WJW 6/21)

In Lebanon, clashes erupt at the funeral for a Palestinian refugee slain by Lebanese troops outside Nahr al-Barid r.c. on 6/15, leaving 1 Palestinian dead and 7 Palestinians and 3 Lebanese soldiers injured. The clashes spread to ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. in Sidon, where at least 1 Palestinian is killed and 3 Palestinians and 3 Lebanese soldiers are injured. Demonstrations (but no clashes or injuries) are reported in Biddawi r.c. nr. Tripoli and Shatila r.c. in Beirut. (JAZ 6/18)

In Hebron, a knife-wielding Palestinian attempts to attack IDF soldiers posted outside the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ Cave of the Patriarchs but is shot and seriously wounded. The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon; and in Jericho, al-Nabi Salih, Tubas, and another 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm late at night. (PCHR 6/7; OCHA 6/8)

Reuters reports that the PA security forces (PASF) have launched a campaign to crack down on ‘‘lawlessness and the proliferation of weapons’’ in Jenin that continues into mid-7/2012 at least. Responding to a wave of drive-by shootings and increased drug trafficking, the PASF makes nightly arrest raids. Among those reportedly arrested are ‘‘rogue’’ members of the security forces who have been exploiting their positions to organize and direct illegal activity. (REU 6/4; PCHR 7/19)

U.S. Treasury undersecy. for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen briefs Israeli officials in Israel on U.S. plans to impose additional bilateral sanctions on Iran if the current restrictions do not convince Iran to take positive steps on the nuclear front. (WJW 6/7)

Israeli naval vessels halt and seize 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, detaining 4 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and in 1 village nr. Jericho, and late-night house searches nr. Bethlehem, summoning 1 Palestinian for interrogation. (PCHR 5/31, 6/7; OCHA 6/8)

At a conference sponsored by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Israeli DM Ehud Barak says Israel should consider imposing final borders on the Palestinians, becoming the senior-most official to propose unilateral actions in light of the stalled peace process. Others (unnamed) reportedly (NYT 5/31)

urged against drastic unilateral steps, recommending that ‘‘unilateral steps could be phased in over many years and be designed ... to give Israel a stronger hand in final status’’—effectively what the Israel has been doing as unstated policy for decades. Speaking at the same conference, Gen. Shlomo Brom (Ret.), who heads INSS’s program on the Palestinian conflict, called the unilateral route ‘‘the only remaining course of action,’’ and former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, also an INSS staff member, told the conference that unilateralism was ‘‘the best of all evils,’’ urging Israel to take action in its own selfinterest, ‘‘without conditioning it on the agreement of the Palestinians.’’ (NYT 5/31)

At the INSS conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli DM Ehud Barak also states that Israel and the U.S. have different assessments of the Iranian nuclear timetable, stating, ‘‘Our clock is ticking faster.’’ He says Israel believes that Iran is rapidly approaching a ‘‘zone of immunity’’—the point at which its nuclear facilities would be so decentralized and well fortified that they would be beyond reach of a military strike. Speaking at the same forum, Israeli PM Netanyahu says that the only safe route is for Iran to stop all enrichment, to send all its uranium abroad, and to dismantle its nuclear facilities at Fordo, all of which must be verified by the IAEA. Meanwhile, former Mossad chief Meir Dagan argues that ‘‘if we bomb ... we will give them the legitimacy to attain nuclear military capability.’’ Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (Ret.), former IDF chief of staff, recommended that more time be given for diplomacy and sanctions to work. (WP, WT 5/31)

Washington Times runs a special report on how Israel’s expanding relationship with China is raising international concerns. The report states that Israel has recently been expanding trade relations and military ties with China, seeing it as a large, emerging market for its military goods and an influential player who could pressure Iran. (WT 5/30; see QU in JPS 165 for details)

The IDF makes brief incursions into s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis and c. Gaza nr. Wadi al-Silqa to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence; in both cases, Israeli helicopters providing cover to the troops fire on Palestinians working their lands nearby, causing no injuries but starting several brush fires (the largest of which destroys 30 d. of wheat). Later in the afternoon, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire toward Wadi al-Silqa, wounding 1 Palestinian civilian 1 km from the border fence (well outside Israel’s 300 m. no-go zone). In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes at least 30 d. of Palestinian crop land nr. Hebron for the expansion of Harsina settlement, where 500 new housing units are planned. The IDF also conducts synchronized patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the morning and patrols in Tulkarm town and r.c. late at night (firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, causing no reported injuries). Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim settlement nr. Qalqilya violently beat a Palestinian teenager passing nearby. An Israeli court sentences Bassim al-Tamimi, the main organizer of the weekly nonviolent demonstrations in al-Nabi Salih, to 13 mos. in jail (time already served) for instructing youths to throw stones at IDF troops during protests. The case rested on the testimony of a 15-yr.-old Palestinian who confessed to stone-throwing during interrogation in custody, without access to a lawyer. Tamimi was granted a humanitarian release in 4/2012 after his mother suffered a stroke. Israel’s Tourism Min. and municipal officials in Jerusalem allocate more than $1 m. for a new settlement project in Silwan, in East Jerusalem. OCHA reports that in the previous week, Israeli authorities demolished 17 Palestinian structures in West Bank Area C (including 7 residences) and 11 animal pens in East Jerusalem; and ordered East Jerusalem Palestinians to demolish 1 home and 1 other structure or face demolition and fines by Israel. (WT 5/30; PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

Iranian officials confirm government computers are currently under attack by a sophisticated new virus called Flame, and accuse Israel and the U.S. of being behind it. (The U.S. declines to comment, whereas Israeli officials comment that ‘‘Israel is blessed with being a country rich in hi-tech ... both in the civilian and defense sector’’ and that ‘‘it’s certainly reasonable that [someone who views Iran as a threat] uses all means at his disposal, including these, to harm the Iranian nuclear system.’’) The new virus is a keystroke-logging program that steals data from infected computers and can be controlled remotely by whoever installed it. (NYT, WP 5/30; WT 5/31; JPI 6/8)

Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh authorizes a senior CEC team to begin updating Gaza’s voter rolls, in keeping with agreements reached in Cairo on 5/20/12. The CEC estimates that since the rolls were last updated for the 1/2006 elections, the number of eligible but unregistered Gaza voters has grown to as many as 250,000. (NYT 5/29)

In Hamza village, just n. of Jerusalem, Israeli security forces demolish a gas station, car wash, 2 auto body shops, and 2 cafeterias, confiscating several motorcycles, fuel pumps, gasoline, and equipment. Deeper in the West Bank, IDF soldiers nr. Qalqilya fire tear gas, stun grenades at a group of Palestinian laborers attempting to cross into Israel without permits to find work, causing no injuries but starting a small fire that burns a grove of 20 Palestinian olive trees. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jenin in the morning; in 1 village nr. Jericho in the afternoon; and in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Tulkarm and 1 nr. Jenin late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Kafr Qaddum and nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Salfit. (PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

A Turkish court indicts 4 fmr. senior IDF commanders (fmr. IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and those who headed the Israeli navy, air force, and military intelligence) who were in authority when Israel killed 9 Turks aboard the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla ship to Gaza in 2012 (see QU in JPS 157). The 4 officials are unlikely to appear for trial but may be tried in absentia. (NYT, WP 5/29; NYT 6/5)

The Washington Post runs (5/28) a special report alleging proof of an elaborate plan orchestrated either by Iranback Hizballah elements or operatives based in Iran to assassinate U.S. embassy officials and their families in Azerbaijan. The U.S., however, refrains at this stage from accusing Iran or Hizballah of direct involvement. (WP 5/28)

The IDF issues a military order confiscating 29 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of Palestinian land in Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit for ‘‘security and military purposes and to combat terrorist attacks.’’ The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya in the morning; stages synchronized patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts other patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Salfit in the afternoon; and undertakes late-night patrols in Tulkarm and neighboring Nur Shams r.c. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus set fire to a small plot of crop land and attack Palestinians in nearby Madama village. (PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

Washington Jewish Week reports that in the previous wk., a U.S. court awarded the family of an American teenager killed in a 2006 Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Tel Aviv (his father was seriously injured in the attack) $332 m. in damages from Iran and Syria. The family’s lawyers argued that Islamic Jihad was sheltered by Syria and funded by Iran. The family is unlikely to collect the money. (WJW 5/24)

After a 2d day of P5+1 talks with Iran, EU foreign policy chief Ashton announces that ‘‘significant differences’’ remain, but enough ‘‘common ground’’ existed to schedule a 3d round of meetings in Moscow on 6/18–19. (NYT, WP, WT 5/25)

The New York Times runs a special report on a congressional race for a House seat representing Queens, NY, that has been dubbed ‘‘Israelapalooza’’ for the way in which the candidates have touted their pro-Israel credentials in effort to win the endorsement of Ed Koch, former Democratic mayor of New York City, and the votes of Jewish constituents who make up 20% of the district’s population. For example, candidate Grace Meng, who built her political career as an advocate for Chinese Americans and yet has never visited China, made a recent trip to Israel that she has highlighted during her campaign. (NYT 5/24)

A Palestinian sniper operating nr. the former Kissufim crossing on the c. Gaza border shoots and wounds 2 IDF soldiers inside Israel; no group claims responsibility. The IDF bulldozes a Palestinian barnyard nr. Hebron; tears down 6 residential tents in a different area nr. Hebron; demolishes a poultry farm nr. Ramallah. (PCHR, YA 5/23; OCHA 6/1; JPI 6/15)

At least 25 Senate Democrats (of 53 total) meet with reps. of 17 American Jewish groups in Washington for talks on Iran and other domestic issues. The senators challenge the Jewish leaders’ portrayal of Obama as weak on Iran, stating that more time is needed for strong sanctions to have deep impact. The off-the-record function is organized by the Democratic Steering and Outreach Comm. roughly every yr. to 18 mos. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), who has been deeply involved in forming the current U.S. policy on Iran as chmn. of the Senate Foreign Relations Comm., says the Obama admin. is willing to take military action if necessary but is concerned about Israel acting alone, stating ‘‘If we must act, we should act together.’’ The meeting coincides with the opening of talks in Baghdad between the P5+1 and Iran aimed at drafting specific proposals and counterproposals for reaching (in EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s words) ‘‘a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.’’ (NYT, WP, WT 5/24; NYT 5/25; WJW 5/31)

Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages in Ramallah in the morning; in 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the afternoon; and in Jericho and 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin, Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarm, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Tekoa settlement nr. Bethlehem vandalize Palestinian homes in nearby Taqqua’ village; IDF troops observe but do not intervene. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that in the previous week: (1) Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem’s al-Tur neighborhood (marking the 1st residence demolished in East Jerusalem for 2 mos.) and ordered a Palestinian family to demolish an addition to their home; (2) the IDF removed a major roadblock on the main north–south road to Hebron, significantly reducing travel times between Hebron and 4 villages to the east; and (3) 2 Palestinians died and 4 (including a teenager) were injured in 4 smuggling tunnel accidents on the Rafah border. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

At the close of 2 days of talks in Tehran with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, IAEA head Yukiya Amano announces that Iran has agreed in principle to provide the IAEA with access to Iran’s nuclear scientists and facilities, but it has not yet signed a formal statement to this effect. P5+1 nations (the 5 permanent UNSC members plus Germany) call the deal ‘‘a step in the right direction,’’ but say they will judge Iran by its actions. Israeli DM Ehud Barak comments: ‘‘It looks like the Iranians are trying to reach a technical agreement that will create a deception of progress in talks in order to reduce the pressure ahead of talks tomorrow in Baghdad and postpone harshening of sanctions.’’ (WP 5/23)

The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 nearby villages, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 each nr. Jericho, Hebron, and Ramallah in the morning; stages 3 groups of synchronized patrols s. of Jenin (4 villages), e. and n. of Jenin (3 villages), and n. of Ramallah (2 villages) in the afternoon; conducts synchronized late-night patrols in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm; and conducts other late-night patrols in Jericho and nearby ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c., and in 1 village nr. Salfit. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in East Jerusalem in the afternoon and nr. Hebron late at night; bulldozes Palestinian irrigation networks located between 2 Jewish settlements nr. Hebron; and confiscates a bulldozer and rock crusher from a Palestinian quarry n. of Jerusalem. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

The White House convenes a meeting with American Jewish leaders to reassure them that the Obama admin. is committed to keeping Iran free of nuclear weapons. In Israel, PM Netanyahu reiterates his position that ‘‘the objectives of Iran are clear: It wants to destroy Israel and is developing nuclear weapons to realize that goal.’’ (HA 5/21; NYT, WP, WT 5/22; WJW 5/31)