After Mashaal rescinded his claim that Hamas does not shell Israel, another Iranian proxy followed suit. The Syrian FM rejected the new Arab peace plan, which drops the demand for refugee-return to Israel.

In order to justify its regional military expansion, Iran must preserve the Arab conflict with Israel.

As the Israeli trade-union monster remains steadfast in its opposition to salary cuts in the state sector, the Finance Ministry has slashed billions from the welfare and defense budgets in order to cope with the decreased revenues.

Meanwhile, Israel invests in Palestine to create jobs there.

Senator Kerry, head of the Foreign Relations Committee, announced a change in American policy on Tehran: the United States no longer seeks a regime change in Iran and will accept its regional role. In plain words, Obama abandoned his support for anti-Ahmadinejad presidential candidates, surrendered Lebanon to Iran, and accepted Hamas and Hezbollah as legitimate military groups. Kerry humbly asked Tehran to moderate the terrorist groups’ behavior.

Even Arabs watch Obama in disbelief. The Egyptian FM commended his efforts on Iran while suggesting some sort of an agenda and time frame.

In a seemingly routine incident, an Israeli soldier was killed by an accidental shot from his own rifle. The details are hair-raising.

Sgt.Richter Levi, among other troops, was suppressing a routine Arab riot in Bir Zeit village. Instead of allowing the Arabs to kill each other out and break each other’s shops, the Jewish army intervened.

At that point, Arab civilians attacked the soldiers. Under strict orders not to shoot the unarmed Arabs, the soldiers could not counter them on approach and engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. Sgt. Richter Levi’s rifle went off when he was thus fist-fighting with an Arab.

Instead of shooting him.

The Knesset coffee shop is due to be closed by the owners, who cite massive delinquencies. The MKs routinely attempt to bypass the cashier, ask for credit, and refuse to pay their bills. The total delinquency exceeded $100,000.

Instead of picketing the PM’s office, Shalit supporters have blocked Erez Crossing with tractors and bulldozers. They aim to stop the bank cars from delivering $20 million to Gaza. The move is useless, as the cars will return in a few hours after the protesters go home.

$10 million is intended for the Palestinian Red Cross, which should not be there in the first place, as its purpose, according to its charter, is helping the POWs and immediate refugees. Lacking its own infrastructure in Gaza, the Red Cross cooperates with Hamas in disbursing the money.

When he was in the opposition, Netanyahu slammed Olmert for supplying cash to Gaza.

Debka on Obama’s New Middle East order

Debka confirmed our claim that the Russians are supplying S-300 missiles to Iran through Belarus. The sale includes highly effective Iskander-M antiaircraft missiles, which Belarus supplies instead of the less advanced Iskander-E export version.

Syria will also receive the SAMs.

The sale could not have gone through without Obama’s approval: due to the economic crisis, the Russians wouldn’t risk jeopardizing relations with the US, which strenuously objected before. Obama benefits from the sale, as S-300s might deter Israel from attacking Iran.

Obama’s special envoy Feltman related to the Syrian FM Obama’s promise to achieve peace between Israel and Syria. Since Syrian demands are well-known and non-negotiable, this amounts to a promise to make Israel concede the Golan Heights and Lake Kineret to Syria.

Moscow municipality banned a gay parade, citing popular sensibilities.

The Israeli government is less sensitive to Jewish sensitivities, allowing homosexual parades in Jerusalem.