Headlines for 08-22-08

U.S. won't sell refueling jets to Israel, fearing strike on Iran It emerged on Wednesday that the United States has refused to sell Jerusalem new refueling planes, fearing such a transaction could be interpreted as support for an Israeli attack on Iran.


Palestinians return to school despite hardships


Police bar east Jerusalem memorial event for Palestinian poet


Diplomatic effort on Iran nukes jeopardized by U.S.-Russia crisis The crisis between the United States and Russia has led to the suspension of diplomatic efforts to draft a new resolution imposing harsher sanctions on Iran.


Israel warns activists against sailing to Gaza Israel on Friday issued a tough threat against activists sailing toward the Gaza Strip with a delivery of humanitarian supplies, calling the mission an unacceptable provocation and saying all options were under consideration.


Intimidation will not stop our boats sailing for Gaza After months of preparation, the Free Gaza Movement's perilous relief mission is under way. But I am not with them, despite the fact that I am the only Palestinian-born organiser involved. Last week, my immediate family, who still live in the West Bank, were attacked and terrorised, and I also received numerous anonymous death threats. My family were warned that I must leave the project, and that I must not contact the media


Israel declares Gaza protest boats will not reach their destination It appears most likely that there will be a standoff with the Israeli navy later today, and that the activists will be arrested rather than being allowed into Gaza. Although Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, it still controls Gaza's air space and sea space, as well as nearly all the border crossings.


Israel shuts down BBC transmitters in West Bank Israeli authorities have shut down BBC radio transmitters in the West Bank city of Hebron, accusing them of interfering with Israel's aviation communications, local daily the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. .....Meanwhile, a number of transmitters belonging to other broadcasters had also been shut down, including some inside Israel, as they were "endangering civilian aviation, a problem we have been suffering from for a long time," said the official


Russia eyes new Syria arms deal Moscow has announced it is ready to sell new weapons to Syria, triggering alarm from Israel.


Chill falls on Israeli-Russian relations Israel, which maintains friendly ties with Georgia and has sold weapons to the Eurasian country -- as have several Western nations -- fears Moscow will exact a price for this support by boosting its ties with Syria.


Israel Project launches TV ads Two ads, one focusing on Israel's role in creating energy independence from Middle East oil and the other on Iran's backing for terrorists and its suspected nuclear weapons program, will air 1,300 times on cable news networks over the next two weeks. Be warned America, the Israeli Lobby is coming to a TV set near you.


Rice to make new Israel-Palestinian peace bid next week


US 'very concerned' over planned Russian weapons sale to Syria Israel, a key US ally, is particularly concerned Russia could deliver anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Syria that could end up in the hands of Lebanon's Syrian-backed Hezbollah militia whose political rhetoric centres on the destruction of the Jewish state Geez, I wonder why?


Technion scientist listed among MIT magazine's top young scientists An Israeli Arab scientist at the Technion was named one of the world's top 35 young scientists by Technology Review Magazine


U.S., Canada assist Israeli, Palestinian archivists "The purpose of these meetings was to discuss projects that would assist in the digitization of paper records of both Israel and Palestine that would ultimately document the joint heritage of people in the region,"


Georgia-Russia conflict requires Israel to balance competing interests Early on, Russia singled out Israel for criticism for providing military support to Georgia, and this week a Russian army deputy chief of staff, Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, rebuked Israel for arming and training the Georgian forces.


Arab-Israeli accused of seeking to create Qaeda cell An Arab-Israeli was charged on Friday with trying to contact Al-Qaeda in a bid to set up a local cell of the global extremist network, police said.


Palestinians relaunch soccer league in West Bank


Cash crisis hits Lebanon cluster bomb clearance Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of funds, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Friday. And how much has Israel paid up to clean up the millions of cluster bomblets it fired into Lebanon three days before a ceasefire that they knew was forthcoming? And if nothing, why?


'We won't place missiles in Syria' Russia has no intention of placing the advanced Iskander missile system in Syria, acting Ambassador Anatoly Yurkov told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.


Under Moscow's wing Events in Georgia have had some surprising repercussions in the Middle East, leaving Syria looking perkier than usual


Russia seeks to restore its prestige in the Holy Land


Palestinian exile pleads for West Bank return ?There is no place like home and all I want is to be able to return to a free Palestine where we can control our own cities and see our children enjoy life like anyone else.?


Group of Jews oppose Iran attack More than 150 Jews around the world have signed a statement calling on Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.