16 june 2014

Hamas leader Dr. Salah Bardawil today played down Israeli threats to carry out a wide-scale invasion of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, saying that Israel is trying to blackmail the Palestinian Authority in order to sabotage the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
Hamas: Kidnap possible false flag operation to sabotage Palestinian reconciliation
In a statement to “Quds Press” Dr. Bardawil declined to make a link between the overnight Israeli air attacks and the disappearance of three Israeli settlers in Hebron and the major search and arrest operations in the West Bank.
“The abduction which was announced by the Zionist entity (Israel) is a one-sided story. No Palestinian faction has claimed responsibility. So we in Hamas have no comment. Maybe this operation is a “false flag” operation, one created by the occupation in order to sabotage the reconciliation and sow confusion among the Palestinian factions,” he said.
“The issue of the abducted Israeli settlers is a one-sided story we will not address.”
Regarding the possibility that the Israeli escalation might become a war against the West Bank and Gaza, Dr. Bardawil rebuffed the idea.
“Intimidation by the Zionist occupation could be an attempt to subvert the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and shuffle the cards in the Palestinian arena. Alternatively, Israel wants to have another round of wide-scale military operations against Gaza Strip to cover up its failure to find the abducted Israelis despite the arrest campaign in Hebron and the West Bank in cooperation with PA security forces,” he said.
Bardawil believes a major escalation is unlikely in the immediate future given the challenges facing the Israeli Prime Minister and his coalition government, and the balance of international forces, particularly its relationship with the U.S. administration.
“Whatever happens, the position of Hamas is that we are in the Palestinian resistance and we will fight back against Israeli aggression; the Israeli occupation will pay the price for any fool move of this kind.”
Dr. Bardawil called on the Palestinian Authority not to bow to what he called “Zionist blackmail” and demanded that Abbas stick to reconciliation.
“We (Hamas) call on the authority to pay attention to what the occupation forces are doing; they are tightening the siege on Gaza, they are threatening the PA in the West Bank. This is a blatant attempt to subvert the Palestinian reconciliation. We believe that adhering to reconciliation and ending the division is less damaging to the PA than succumbing to Israeli demands, and surrendering to the occupation,” Dr. Bardawil concluded.
Hamas: Kidnap possible false flag operation to sabotage Palestinian reconciliation
In a statement to “Quds Press” Dr. Bardawil declined to make a link between the overnight Israeli air attacks and the disappearance of three Israeli settlers in Hebron and the major search and arrest operations in the West Bank.
“The abduction which was announced by the Zionist entity (Israel) is a one-sided story. No Palestinian faction has claimed responsibility. So we in Hamas have no comment. Maybe this operation is a “false flag” operation, one created by the occupation in order to sabotage the reconciliation and sow confusion among the Palestinian factions,” he said.
“The issue of the abducted Israeli settlers is a one-sided story we will not address.”
Regarding the possibility that the Israeli escalation might become a war against the West Bank and Gaza, Dr. Bardawil rebuffed the idea.
“Intimidation by the Zionist occupation could be an attempt to subvert the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and shuffle the cards in the Palestinian arena. Alternatively, Israel wants to have another round of wide-scale military operations against Gaza Strip to cover up its failure to find the abducted Israelis despite the arrest campaign in Hebron and the West Bank in cooperation with PA security forces,” he said.
Bardawil believes a major escalation is unlikely in the immediate future given the challenges facing the Israeli Prime Minister and his coalition government, and the balance of international forces, particularly its relationship with the U.S. administration.
“Whatever happens, the position of Hamas is that we are in the Palestinian resistance and we will fight back against Israeli aggression; the Israeli occupation will pay the price for any fool move of this kind.”
Dr. Bardawil called on the Palestinian Authority not to bow to what he called “Zionist blackmail” and demanded that Abbas stick to reconciliation.
“We (Hamas) call on the authority to pay attention to what the occupation forces are doing; they are tightening the siege on Gaza, they are threatening the PA in the West Bank. This is a blatant attempt to subvert the Palestinian reconciliation. We believe that adhering to reconciliation and ending the division is less damaging to the PA than succumbing to Israeli demands, and surrendering to the occupation,” Dr. Bardawil concluded.
10 apr 2014
New Israeli spy satellite enters orbit
A new Israeli spy satellite entered orbit early Thursday, the defense ministry said, boosting Israel's ability to monitor arch-foe Iran.
The observation remote-sensing Ofek 10 satellite, launched into space on a Shavit rocket late Wednesday, outdoes earlier models with its ability to "skip" from one target to another rather than simply "sweep" areas, ministry officials told reporters.
Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon noted Ofek 10 would "enable the security establishment to better deal with threats near and far, at all hours of the day and in any weather."
Israel, the region's sole if undeclared nuclear power, suspects Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges adamantly denied by Tehran.
Ofek 10 joins a number of spy satellites Israel has been deploying since 1988, with the most recent -- Ofek 9 -- launched into space in 2010.
A new Israeli spy satellite entered orbit early Thursday, the defense ministry said, boosting Israel's ability to monitor arch-foe Iran.
The observation remote-sensing Ofek 10 satellite, launched into space on a Shavit rocket late Wednesday, outdoes earlier models with its ability to "skip" from one target to another rather than simply "sweep" areas, ministry officials told reporters.
Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon noted Ofek 10 would "enable the security establishment to better deal with threats near and far, at all hours of the day and in any weather."
Israel, the region's sole if undeclared nuclear power, suspects Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges adamantly denied by Tehran.
Ofek 10 joins a number of spy satellites Israel has been deploying since 1988, with the most recent -- Ofek 9 -- launched into space in 2010.
19 feb 2014

Official investigations into the network of Mossad spies in Egypt have revealed that Ramzy Mohamed Shebini made contact with the Israeli spy agency through the Israeli Embassy in 2009; money was his prime motivation.
In return he expressed his love for Israel and a promise of all the information he had about Egyptian society and its institutions. Shebini went to Austria on orders from Israeli intelligence, which provided for his travel and accommodation, where he met another defendant, "the Israeli Mossad officer" at the embassy in Vienna.
As an ex-army officer, Shebini was able to supply the Israelis with information about the Egyptian armed forces; he was paid for doing so and was trained by his new contact on how to gather useful information and monitor institutions.
Furthermore, the investigations showed that Shebini managed to recruit the second defendant in the case, Sahar Ibrahim Mohamed Salama, to work for Israeli intelligence and to exploit her relations with several men in various state roles by virtue of her job as a journalist. They worked in tandem to put together an analysis of tends in society and public opinion, especially regarding the January 25th Revolution, as well as the actions of the Armed Forces.
The information also included the strength and influence of the popular, religious and political trends, as well as the condition of the Egyptian people during the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood. They also collected personal information on Egyptians living inside and outside the country, which was passed to Israeli intelligence.
The two Egyptian defendants received €90,000 in cash, gifts, and mobile phones, which were given to Shebini during his meetings with a number of Israeli agents in various European countries, namely Italy, Austria, France, Belgium, Denmark and Greece.
He was also involved sexually with some agents sent by Mossad to monitor and control him. Shebini and Salama have both confessed to spying for Israel; Mossad officers Samuel Ben Zeev and David Wiseman are also on trial.
The case continues at Cairo Criminal Court.
In return he expressed his love for Israel and a promise of all the information he had about Egyptian society and its institutions. Shebini went to Austria on orders from Israeli intelligence, which provided for his travel and accommodation, where he met another defendant, "the Israeli Mossad officer" at the embassy in Vienna.
As an ex-army officer, Shebini was able to supply the Israelis with information about the Egyptian armed forces; he was paid for doing so and was trained by his new contact on how to gather useful information and monitor institutions.
Furthermore, the investigations showed that Shebini managed to recruit the second defendant in the case, Sahar Ibrahim Mohamed Salama, to work for Israeli intelligence and to exploit her relations with several men in various state roles by virtue of her job as a journalist. They worked in tandem to put together an analysis of tends in society and public opinion, especially regarding the January 25th Revolution, as well as the actions of the Armed Forces.
The information also included the strength and influence of the popular, religious and political trends, as well as the condition of the Egyptian people during the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood. They also collected personal information on Egyptians living inside and outside the country, which was passed to Israeli intelligence.
The two Egyptian defendants received €90,000 in cash, gifts, and mobile phones, which were given to Shebini during his meetings with a number of Israeli agents in various European countries, namely Italy, Austria, France, Belgium, Denmark and Greece.
He was also involved sexually with some agents sent by Mossad to monitor and control him. Shebini and Salama have both confessed to spying for Israel; Mossad officers Samuel Ben Zeev and David Wiseman are also on trial.
The case continues at Cairo Criminal Court.
16 feb 2014

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh
Arian Azarbar says Israeli spy was granted news passport after participating in the 2010 plot to kill Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel. An Israeli Mossad agent living in Canada was secretly provided a new identity and passport by the government, a Canadian-Iranian businessman alleged in an interview, the Canoe website reported Saturday.
Al-Mabhouh was killed on January 14, 2010 when a team of assassins broke into his hotel room and killed him silently, leaving a 'do not disturb' sign on the door. The hotel security cameras caught images of the killers sharing an elevator ride with Mabhouh prior to the assassination.
On the basis of the video clips and the information provided by Dubai police officers investigating the murder at the time, the assassination squad involved 10 men carrying British, French, German and Irish passports. A woman carrying an Irish passport was also captured by the cameras.
The Dubai authorities claimed there were two teams: one carried out surveillance of the target, while the other - which appears to be a group of younger men, at least as far as the camera shots show - carried out the killing.
It later became clear that Israeli Mossad agents used fake British passports in in the operation.
His assassination attracted international attention in part due to allegations that it was ordered by the Israeli government and carried out by Mossad agents holding fake or fraudulently obtained passports from several European countries and Australia.
The photographs of 26 suspects, and the names they used, have been placed on Interpol's most-wanted list. According to Dubai's authorities, there are up to 29 suspects, 12 of whom carried British passports, six Irish, four French, one German, and four Australian, and another two Palestinians who were arrested.
Arian Azarbar says Israeli spy was granted news passport after participating in the 2010 plot to kill Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel. An Israeli Mossad agent living in Canada was secretly provided a new identity and passport by the government, a Canadian-Iranian businessman alleged in an interview, the Canoe website reported Saturday.
Al-Mabhouh was killed on January 14, 2010 when a team of assassins broke into his hotel room and killed him silently, leaving a 'do not disturb' sign on the door. The hotel security cameras caught images of the killers sharing an elevator ride with Mabhouh prior to the assassination.
On the basis of the video clips and the information provided by Dubai police officers investigating the murder at the time, the assassination squad involved 10 men carrying British, French, German and Irish passports. A woman carrying an Irish passport was also captured by the cameras.
The Dubai authorities claimed there were two teams: one carried out surveillance of the target, while the other - which appears to be a group of younger men, at least as far as the camera shots show - carried out the killing.
It later became clear that Israeli Mossad agents used fake British passports in in the operation.
His assassination attracted international attention in part due to allegations that it was ordered by the Israeli government and carried out by Mossad agents holding fake or fraudulently obtained passports from several European countries and Australia.
The photographs of 26 suspects, and the names they used, have been placed on Interpol's most-wanted list. According to Dubai's authorities, there are up to 29 suspects, 12 of whom carried British passports, six Irish, four French, one German, and four Australian, and another two Palestinians who were arrested.
3 jan 2014
Two years earlier, in March 1992, a car bombing in front of the Israeli embassy in the capital killed 29 and wounded 200 others.
"The large majority of those responsible are no longer of this world, and we did it ourselves," Itzhak Aviran, who was Israel's ambassador to Argentina from 1993 to 2000, told the Buenos Aires-based AJN Jewish news agency. Two decades after the blasts, those who instigated them have not been brought to justice.
Neither Carlos Menem, who was Argentina's president from 1989 to 1999, nor his successor Fernando de la Rua and those who followed "did anything to get to the bottom of this tragedy," Aviran said. "We still need an answer (from the Argentine government) on what happened," he added. "We know who the perpetrators of the embassy bombing were and they did it a second time." Argentine courts have charged eight Iranians over the AMIA bombing and authorities are demanding their extradition.
They include former defense minister Ahmad Vahidi and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Argentine authorities also suspect Iran of being behind the 1992 bombing. Iran has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. Argentina's 300,000-strong Jewish community is the largest in Latin America.
"The large majority of those responsible are no longer of this world, and we did it ourselves," Itzhak Aviran, who was Israel's ambassador to Argentina from 1993 to 2000, told the Buenos Aires-based AJN Jewish news agency. Two decades after the blasts, those who instigated them have not been brought to justice.
Neither Carlos Menem, who was Argentina's president from 1989 to 1999, nor his successor Fernando de la Rua and those who followed "did anything to get to the bottom of this tragedy," Aviran said. "We still need an answer (from the Argentine government) on what happened," he added. "We know who the perpetrators of the embassy bombing were and they did it a second time." Argentine courts have charged eight Iranians over the AMIA bombing and authorities are demanding their extradition.
They include former defense minister Ahmad Vahidi and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Argentine authorities also suspect Iran of being behind the 1992 bombing. Iran has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. Argentina's 300,000-strong Jewish community is the largest in Latin America.