Israel issued a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Tuesday, hours after an IDF vehicle was fired upon in the Golan Heights. Israeli military denied Syrian forces destroyed outright the IDF jeep, as Syria claimed, though an IDF spokesperson did confirm an attempted attack took place. The incident saw an exchange of fire that is rare in the ceasefire zone, though tensions have been rising in the region in recent weeks as spillover from the Syrian civil war threatens to end the tenuous truce between …More

Four years ago, the Israeli government named Nazareth a national priority area, meaning that Israel's largest Arab city would be granted economic incentives as a preferential area and firms that relocate to the city are entitled to tax breaks. Recently, the first industrial park in Nazareth was officially opened in April by Israeli entrepreneur and philanthropist Stef Wertheimer after 12 years of construction. The Israeli billionaire tycoon, the founder of the Warren Buffet-owned Iscar Metalworking Cos., has …More

Syria currently has weaponry aimed at Israel, a report by the Sunday Times alleges. The British paper said Sunday that satellite imagery shows several advanced missiles aimed at the ready to strike the Jewish state should Israel hit targets in Syria. The paper did not cite a particular source for the information, but did speak with Israeli officials for the report. "Better the devil we know than the demons we can only imagine if Syria falls into chaos and extremists from across the Arab world gain a foothold …More

US officials told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that another round of Israeli airstrikes could soon target a new Russian transfer of advanced anti-ship missiles. Israeli and Western intelligence services believe the Yakhont missiles, which have been sold by Russia to Syria in recent years, could be transferred to Hezbollah within days, the newspaper reported on its website Friday. At the same time, the New York Times reported Friday that the Yakhont missiles have already been delivered to Syria’s …More

US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice discussed the Middle East peace process and other regional issues with Jewish community leaders. The hour-long meeting May 13 organized by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs also included representatives of the Jewish Federations of North America, UJA-Federation of New York, and the JCRC of New York. JCPA President/CEO Rabbi Steve Gutow presented Rice with a mezuzah in recognition of her support of Israel and advocacy of US values and interests at the United …More

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the Jewish state this week following a visit to Russia earmarked by attempts to stop Russian supply of arms to Syria. Russia is in the process of reportedly delivering hundreds of advanced S-300 missile systems to Syria. While Moscow responded that it would continue to uphold existing weapons contracts, press secretary Sergey Lavrov indicated his government would consider cessation of future sales. "We have already gone through with some of our previous …More

CIA head John Brennan landed in Israel Thursday to discuss the Syrian conflict and Iran’s nuclear proliferation. During the visit, Brennan met with heads of security and defense in the Jewish state, including Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon at army headquarters in Tel Aviv. The pair briefed one another on intelligence regarding chemical weaponry in Syria, specifically steps taken to prevent weapon spillover to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The surprise meetings come just days after Israel allegedly struck …More

Israel is “determined” to keep advanced weapons from Syria out of Hezbollah hands, an anonymous official told the New York Times. The senior Israeli insider told the paper that if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seeks retaliation against Israel involvement in the matter, he would face serious consequences. “If Syrian President Assad reacts by attacking Israel, or tries to strike Israel through terrorist proxies, he will risk forfeiting his regime, for Israel will retaliate.” Israel has …More

The Israel Navy is charged with the defense of the country’s 190 km-long coastline as well as protecting the state’s vital maritime assets. The IDF’s impressive fleet of patrol boats, missile boats and submarines are eternally vigilant against hostile forces attempting to attack, sabotage and infiltrate sovereign Israeli territory. With 70 percent of Israel’s eight million citizens settled in the country’s narrow coastal plain, the Navy bears the immense responsibility for their …More

When it comes to the latest Arab peace initiative, two questions are circulating in Washington: Why Qatar? And why now? The three answers: Because Qatar is rich; it is scared; and why not? Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister, in recent weeks has driven the revivification of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, moderating it slightly to hew closer to the outlines touted by the Obama administration since 2011. The updated version, outlined by Hamad in remarks to …More

Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in Shanghai to boost economic cooperation, amid China’s announced interest in helping further the Palestinian peace process. The diplomatic trip marks the first visit by an Israeli prime minister since Ehud Olmert’s time in China in 2007. The government is also hosting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing. Netanyahu will travel to Beijing on Wednesday, after Abbas’s departure. “The Chinese leadership was recently replaced and it is expected to …More

US President Barack Obama backed Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, as speculation over the Jewish state’s involvement in a Syrian strike over the weekend heats up. "The Israelis, justifiably, have to guard against the transfer of advanced weaponry to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah," Obama said. "We coordinate closely with the Israelis, recognizing that they are very close to Syria, they are very close to Lebanon.” Neither the US nor Israel have confirmed the …More