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Israel PM: illegal African immigrants threaten identity of Jewish state The Israeli prime minister has stoked a volatile debate about refugees and migrant workers from Africa, warning that “illegal infiltrators flooding the country” were threatening the security and identity of the Jewish state. “If we don’t stop their entry, the problem that currently stands at 60,000 could grow to 600,000, and that threatens our existence as a Jewish and democratic state,” Binyamin Netanyahu said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “This phenomenon is very grave and threatens the social fabric of society, our national security and our national identity.” Israel’s population is 7.8 million.

Israel PM: illegal African immigrants threaten identity of Jewish state

The Israeli prime minister has stoked a volatile debate about refugees and migrant workers from Africa, warning that “illegal infiltrators flooding the country” were threatening the security and identity of the Jewish state.

“If we don’t stop their entry, the problem that currently stands at 60,000 could grow to 600,000, and that threatens our existence as a Jewish and democratic state,” Binyamin Netanyahu said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “This phenomenon is very grave and threatens the social fabric of society, our national security and our national identity.” Israel’s population is 7.8 million.

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“I don’t believe in a leadership that makes decisions based on messianic feelings. They are misleading the public on the Iran issue. They tell the public that if Israel acts, Iran won’t have a nuclear bomb. This is misleading. Actually, many experts say that an Israeli attack would accelerate the Iranian nuclear race.”

Israel ex-security chief Yuval Diskin, says leadership ‘misleading public’ on Iran. The comment follows remarks by other leading figures contradicting the prime minister and defence chief’s views on the subject.

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Israeli border police officers use pepper spray as they detain an injured Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Land Day demonstrations mark the killing of six Arabs by Israeli forces in 1976 during protests against plans to confiscate land in the Galilee region. It is reported that Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian man in northern Gaza. [Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters]

Israeli border police officers use pepper spray as they detain an injured Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Land Day demonstrations mark the killing of six Arabs by Israeli forces in 1976 during protests against plans to confiscate land in the Galilee region. It is reported that Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian man in northern Gaza. [Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters]

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“From now on, in any place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will endorse and we will help. We have no fear expressing this.”

Iran will help any nation or group that confronts the “cancer” Israel, the Islamic republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said in remarks delivered to worshippers at Friday prayers in Tehran. (source)

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“We will not recognize Israel under any circumstances; we are talking about an occupation entity and a criminal enemy.”

Dr. Rashad Bayoumi, the deputy head of the Brotherhood, the overwhelming victor in the first round of elections for the Egyptian Parliament, has announced it will not recognize Israel and intends to bring the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty to a referendum. He added;

“This is an agreement that was formulated and signed far from the eyes of the people and the Parliament, so we must return this agreement to the people and let them have their say about whether this agreement hurts Egyptian interests and sovereignty.” (source)

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nationalpost: Middle East on the brink of war: analysisAs Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad clings to power with the quiet backing of regional powers Iran and Russia, the Middle East may be sliding slowly into war.Squeezed between the rebellions of a bloody Arab Spring and growing fears of a possible military response to Iran’s growing nuclear threat, the region is becoming increasingly unstable.“I would be very surprised if it turned into a Russian-American war, but this could be a Mid-East war: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Syria, Israel all having at each other,” said Jack Granatstein, military historian and senior research fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.

nationalpost:

Middle East on the brink of war: analysis
As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad clings to power with the quiet backing of regional powers Iran and Russia, the Middle East may be sliding slowly into war.

Squeezed between the rebellions of a bloody Arab Spring and growing fears of a possible military response to Iran’s growing nuclear threat, the region is becoming increasingly unstable.

“I would be very surprised if it turned into a Russian-American war, but this could be a Mid-East war: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Syria, Israel all having at each other,” said Jack Granatstein, military historian and senior research fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.

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“I believe that the Jewish people have the right to a state … Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs, and who were historically part of the Arab community … and they had a chance to go many places, and for a variety of political reasons have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and it’s tragic.”

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has declared his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but declined to use a pre-debate speech in Iowa to step back from earlier controversial remarks in which he described Palestinians as an “invented people”. (source)

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“Probably, probably. I know, it’s not - I don’t delude myself that they are doing it just because of Israel. They look around, they see the Indians are nuclear, the Chinese are nuclear, Pakistan is nuclear … not to mention the
Russians.”

Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, has reassured Israelis about his government’s resolve after he appeared to empathise with Iran’s alleged quest for nuclear weapons during a US television interview.

During a Wednesday appearance on the PBS program Charlie Rose, Barak was asked if he would “want a nuclear weapon” were he a member of Iran’s government. (Source)

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Tell us how you really feel: Sarkozy, Obama rip Netanyahu on hot mic

shortformblog:

  • Sarkozy French leader Nicolas Sarkozy, at the G20 economic conference last week, had what he thought was a candid exchange with Barack Obama when he said this about Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu: ”I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar.” Damn.
  • Obama In an effort to sympathize with his diplomatic friend, Obama reportedly responded like this: “You’re fed up, but I have to deal with him every day.” While press officials heard the conversation, it seems unlikely that there was a recording of the (amusing) exchange. source

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“The US has unfortunately lost its wisdom and prudence in dealing with international issues. Of course we are prepared for the worst, but we hope that they think twice before they put themselves on a collision course with Iran.”

Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, says America has ‘lost its wisdom and prudence’ as tensions mount over Tehran’s enrichment efforts.  Mr Salehi, spoke amid reports that the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been trying to rally support within his country for an attack.

In a separate interview with a Turkish newspaper, Salehi claimed Tehran was ready for war with Israel. “We have been hearing threats from Israel for eight years. Our nation is a united nation … such threats are not new to us,” he said. “We are very sure of ourselves. We can defend our country.” (source)

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