Israel Matters!

Special Issue: Israel - Operation Pillar of DefenseUpdated as of November 20, 2012click Israel Matters! 64b to read the complete issue.

Israel Quiet on Mystery Explosion in SudanIsraeli officials did not confirm nor deny that the Israeli military carried out a recent attack on a weapons factory just south of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. Sudan directly accused Israel of launching a night time air raid on the Yarmouk factory, with a senior minister telling reporters, “The people have seen it with their eyes — four planes coming from the east, and we have no enemy other than Israel.”click Israel Matters! 64 to read the complete issue.

Netanyahu Draws “Red Line” on Iran's Nuclear Program During U.N. SpeechHolding up a cartoon-like drawing of a bomb with a fuse, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu literally drew a red line just below a label reading “final stage” to a bomb, in which Iran was 90 percent along the path of having sufficient weapons-grade material. Experts put that at the point that Iran has amassed enough urani-um, purified to a level of 20 percent, that could quickly be enriched further and be used to produce an atomic bomb.click Israel Matters! 63 to read the complete issue.

Israel Under International Pressure Not To Attack Iran AloneIsrael is facing growing international pressure not to attack Iran unilaterally, with the United States in particular making clear its firm opposition to any such strike. Recent rhetoric by Israeli leaders that time is running out to halt Iran’s contested nuclear program has raised concern that military action might be imminent, despite repeated calls from abroad to give sanctions and diplomacy more time to work.click Israel Matters! 62 to read the complete issue.

U.S., Israel at Odds Over Iran Nuclear ProgramThe White House recently expressed confidence that American intelligence will know if Iran escalates its nuclear program in a sprint to build an atomic bomb. The announcement came a day after Israel’s defense minister warned that the allies might not know “in time” to prevent it.“We have eyes, we have visibility into the program,” press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily briefing. “We feel confident that we would be able to detect a break-out move by Iran towards the acquisition of a nuclear weapon.”click Israel Matters! 61 to read the complete issue.

U.S. Aides in Israel Give Assurances About IranPresident Obama and his senior advisers have said little publicly about Iran since the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear program in April, preferring to let the diplomats hash out the issues in the hope that tensions with Tehran can be managed, at least until the election in November. In Israel, however, the United States is saying plenty, with a stream of current and former officials traveling there to threaten additional sanctions on Iran and to reiterate President Obama’s readiness to use military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.click Israel Matters! 60 to read the complete issue.

US House Votes To Raise Security Ties With IsraelThe US House of Representatives on May 9th overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that reaffirms and enhances US policy commitments to Israel’s security. The United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012, which was sponsored by House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (RVa.) and House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), passed by a vote of 411-2. The two members that voted against the legislation were Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and John Dingell (D-Mich.). Also, nine members of the House voted “present” on the legislation.click Israel Matters! 59 to read the complete issue.

Presbyterians Consider Divesting From Companies doing Business With IsraelA major body within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted recently to recommend that the church vote to stop investing in three companies “until they have ceased profiting from non-peaceful activities in Israel-Palestine.” The vote proposed by the General Assembly Mission Council on whether to continue investing in the corporations -- Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett-Packard -- will happen at the church’s General Assembly, a national meeting of church leaders that will take place in late June and early July in Pittsburgh. The assembly meets every two years.click Israel Matters! 58 to read the complete issue.

Obama, Netanyahu Address Iran at AIPAC ConferenceOn March 5th, U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the AIPAC Conference. Due to its significance, this online issue of Israel Matters! reproduces their speeches in their entirety.click Israel Matters! 57 to read the complete issue.

Obama: US In “Lockstep” With Israel On Iran NukesPresident Barack Obama says the United States is working in “lockstep” with Israel to solve the brewing crisis over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Obama also said that the United States does not think Israel has decided whether to attack Iran, and that he hopes the standoff can be resolved diplomatically.Click Israel Matters! 56 to read the complete issue.