Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

PalArab doctors attend Israeli medical expo

I guess they are not part of the "civil society" that is supposedly boycotting Israel.

Persons with a medical background from all over the world, and those interested in state of the art medical technological innovations, gathered this week in the colorful and impressive esthetically designed exhibition hall. Most of the participants were exhibiting advanced instrumentation that assists in innovative treatment methods, and what they all had in common was that they had come to update themselves on the most recent innovations which would constitute for all of them, a medical breakthrough in the not too distant future.

Among the many visitors who came from Japan, Germany, France, the USA, were also Palestinian medical personnel from Judea and Samaria who had been specially invited by the Civil Administration with the object of familiarizing themselves with the technological innovations in the medical field, to form an impression of the worldwide capabilities of the advanced equipment and also to try and bring the medical "spearhead" to the territories of Judea and Samaria. The Health Coordinator in the Civil Administration, Dalia Bassa said that "We invited the Palestinian medical people so that they could get exposure to a level of advanced medicine worldwide and would be able, as the need arises, to introduce the advanced instrumentation into the Palestinian market - into their clinics and hospitals, and thus enhance the medical treatment being provided currently to the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria".

Israel believes that exhibitions and gatherings of this nature, will substantially strengthen the cooperation in the health sphere between the Israeli and Palestinian Health Ministries and therefore supports initiatives of this kind.

Sunnis and Shiites are fighting - in Australia!

Wow:

And this:

A secretive and radical program operating inside an Islamic book store in western Sydney is encouraging young Muslims to get involved in Syria's conflict, a 7.30 investigation has revealed.

The bloody conflict in Syria has become a magnet and a new training ground for militants around the world, including Australians.

ASIO has estimated around 100 Australians could be currently fighting in Syria, and four Australians have so far died in the conflict.

Since it opened just over a year ago, the Al Risalah bookstore has gained a reputation as a centre of Islamic extremism.

7.30 has been investigating Al Risalah's activities and the people behind it, identifying four key sheikhs.

All are radical, and all are encouraging Australians to get involved in the Syrian crisis.

The most famous of the sheikhs is Abu Suhaib, known to authorities as Bilal Khazal.

Khazal is a former baggage handler for Qantas, trained at a military camp in Afghanistan, and was a confidant of Osama bin Laden.

(h/t Yoel)

6/18 Links Part 1: Khamenei Wins Again, Fiji to the Golan and Turkey Rounds up the Usual Suspects.

From Ian:

And the Winner is... Iran's Nuclear Program

Making Rouhani the president was a brilliant strategic move for Khamene'i -- not just to pacify the West, by also to pacify the Iranian people, who want nothing more than Iran to be accepted as a normal country and regain the international standing it had before the Islamic revolution.
Rouhani's more religiously "moderate" rhetoric led the Iranian people to believe he would be able to negotiate Iran out of the catastrophic economic reality they face. So the "reformers" pin their hopes on him, instead of going out into the streets and demonstrating against him and the regime, as they did after Iran's previous presidential "election."

Who Is Hassan Rouhani?

As a negotiator, Rohani is triumphantly duplicitous, known to lull his non-Iranian counterparts into a false sense of calm. Despite all the talk that, during his term as a nuclear negotiator, Iran appeared more cooperative with the international community, Rohani bragged about how he had tricked the West. In April of 2006 during a speech at the Assembly of Clerics, Rouhani was caught on tape, boasting that while talks were taking place in Teheran, Iran was able to complete the installation of equipment for conversion of yellowcake -- a key stage in the nuclear fuel process -- at its Isfahan plant, but at the same time convince European diplomats that nothing was afoot. "From the outset," he said, "the Americans kept telling the Europeans, 'The Iranians are lying and deceiving you and they have not told you everything.' The Europeans used to respond, 'We trust them!'"

New Iran Prez: Our Economic Problems All Israel's Fault

Hassan Rohani, Iran's new President, is being termed a “moderate” in Western media, but it appears that his moderation stops when it comes to Israel. In his first speech as Iran's new leader, Rohani quickly launched into a diatribe against Israel, blaming the Jewish state for Iran's economic problems.

'Iran's nuclear aims advancing despite sanctions'

Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program despite international sanctions that do not seem to be slowing it down, the UN nuclear agency chief told Reuters on Monday.

CIF Watch: Glenn Greenwald - Hamas and Hezbollah are NOT terrorist movements

We reported recently that Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald has been speaking at the annual Marxist-Leninist conference, and we posted a few clips of his 2011 appearance at the conference, held in Chicago. During his talk (titled ‘Civil Liberties under Obama’), the CiF columnist defended American al-Qaeda operative Anwar al-Awlaki, and downplayed the “scope” of the 9/11 attacks – which he suggested were much more limited (in the scale of violence) than what the U.S. has perpetrated in the Arab world.

Groundwork and maintenance on BBC’s ‘From Our Own Correspondent’

Knell employs the same policy of omission of context in her story of Gazans “playing football on a field partly obliterated by an Israeli air strike” – without clarifying whether that same football field was one of those used to launch missiles at Israeli civilians. Her tales of “classic cars repaired for everyday use” and “Gazans resorting to donkeys when their cars ran out of fuel” naturally omit any mention of the latest craze for brand new Chinese cars in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas deploys 600-strong force to prevent rocket fire at Israel

Hamas has deployed a 600-man military force in the Gaza Strip that operates 24 hours a day in order to prevent rocket fire at Israel, a senior Arab source told The Times of Israel on Monday.
Since Egypt — with the election a year ago of President Mohammed Morsi – stepped up its involvement in Gaza and began to pressure Hamas to not allow rocket fire, the Islamic organization has diligently worked to keep the peace in Gaza, even when that came at the price of confrontations with smaller Islamic groups such as the extremist Salafists, the source said.

Islamist students vow to fight PA crackdown in West Bank

A group of Hamas-affiliated students living in the West Bank has launched a campaign calling for civil disobedience against harassment by Palestinian Authority security forces.
Titled “It Makes No Difference To Me,” and organized by the Union of Islamic Students in the West Bank, the campaign aims to fight what members say is a PA crackdown on Hamas activists across the West Bank, including repeated summonses for investigations in PA security headquarters.

Morsi Appoints Member of Terrorist Group Governor of Province They Terrorized

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi recently appointed 17 new local governors this weekend, seven of them from his party, and one from a decidedly problematic one: The new governor of Luxor belongs to the political wing of Gamaa al-Islamiyya, which is not only a terrorist group but the organization that perpetrated one of the worst terrorist attacks in Egyptian history in Luxor, where they slaughtered four Egyptians and 58 foreign tourists in 1997.

Sinai on High Alert, Al Qaeda Sets Up Base

The Egyptian government has declared a high alert in the Sinai Peninsula following a high level of Al Qaeda terrorist activity in the region.
The terrorists have set up a military base in central Sinai, Egyptian security officials told the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency on Monday.

Report: Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah’s Brother Killed in Syria Fighting

The brother of Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed recently in a fierce battle in the Syrian city of Qusair, Israel’s Channel 2 reported Monday.
According to the report, Nasrallah attended the funeral of his brother, Khader, in the village of Kfar Kana in south Lebanon on Sunday.

Hamas to Hizbullah: Leave Syria, Fight Israel Instead

Hamas expressed sympathy for the suffering and bloodshed in Syria, and affirmed the Syrian people's right to freedom.
"The Syrian people have the right to realize their rights and aspirations for freedom and dignity. This people have always been supportive to resistance and resistance fighters," Hamas said, according to Ma’an.

Fiji Troops Replace Austria in Golan Heights UN Force

A force of 170 soldiers from Fiji will replace Austrian troops in the United Nations peacekeeping force monitoring the Golan Heights buffer zone.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has been stationed on the Israel-Syrian border since the ceasefire declared following the 1973 war.

France, Belgium, Saudis Send Weapons to Syrian Rebels

Reports on Monday said that Syrian rebels have already begun receiving weapons from various sources, as they attempted to wrest control of the country from the control of President Bashar al-Assad. While a debate is taking place in the U.S., Britain, and other countries about helping the rebels with arms, the reports said that rebels have already gotten advanced weapons with the assistance of Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and France.

Middle East state reportedly sends rebels antitank missiles

An unnamed Middle Eastern state has supplied Syrian rebels with 250 sophisticated Soviet-made anti-tank missiles, most of which were given to radical Islamist militias fighting President Bashar Assad, according to a report published in London-based Arabic daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday.
According to the report, the unidentified state made its first delivery of 9M113 Konkurs missiles to the rebels a week ago via Turkey. The Konkurs antitank missile has a maximum range of four kilometers and a hit probability of 90 percent. Egypt, Iran and Turkey are the only known operators of the missile system in the Middle East.

Turkish police arrest dozens in raids on homes, newspapers

Turkish news media reported Tuesday that police are carrying out raids and detaining people suspected of involvement in violence against police during a wave of anti-government protests.
According to Hurriyet Daily News, “anti-terror security teams” arrested several people in their homes as part of the latest government crackdown against dissenters. Nearly 200 people were detained by police on Tuesday, according to estimates by Hurriyet. Today’s Zaman quoted Interior Minister Muammer Güler saying 25 people were arrested in Ankara and 62 in Istanbul.

Michigan governor in Israel to boost ties

Michigan, of course, is the home to the United States' largest Arab and Muslim communities.

From MLive:

Gov. Rick Snyder met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government and business leaders as he toured the Middle Eastern country during an investment mission.

The Republican governor is interested in Israel's budding startup businesses, particularly in automotive, defense, water technology and research.

He was last in Israel 14 years ago as a venture capitalist.

“I had a chance to see the start of high-tech boom in Israel and that’s great to see,” Snyder said in a phone call from Israel. “This is really a startup nation. They’ve done a great job of being entrepreneurial, innovative, and that’s a major part of their economy now and the good part is we can learn from that.”

He signed a letter of intent with the country to work together on industrial research and development, and create the framework for future cooperation between Michigan and Israeli companies.

Snyder has met or plans to meet with people from a few different industries, including:

Automotive: He met with several automotive company representatives and visited the General Motors Advanced Technical Center Israel in Herzliya. There are Israeli companies that offer smart vehicle technology, such as collision avoidance systems, he said.

“There's a lot of young companies here in Israel that are looking for ways to work with (original equipment manufacturers), tier one suppliers on how their technology might be helpful,” Snyder said.

Water: He met with water industry officials in Israel to discuss ways they're using water more efficiently and reducing the electrical cost of providing water. For example, they use software to monitor water use.

Education: Snyder on Tuesday plans to learn about a program started by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in Israel to help immigrants with illiteracy problems get up to speed and into the school system quickly. He also plans to talk with university officials about opportunities for technology transfer collaborations. He said the University of Michigan already works with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center on disease research.

I didn't even know GM has a facility in Israel.

(h/t Dan)

Mass anti-government protests planned for June 30 in Egypt

From Al Monitor:

Less than two weeks before June 30, the day of expected massive protests calling for the ouster of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohammed Morsi, both the Ministry of Interior and the military are left with difficult options as expectations of widespread, bloody confrontations continue to rise.

Retired police Col. Khaled Okasha, a security analyst and main witness in the trial involving Morsi’s jailbreak during the January 25 protests, believes the Ministry of Interior “is going through the most complicated, confusing and mysterious time in its recent history.”

On June 12, a day before Okasha’s talk with Al-Monitor, Egypt’s Interior Minister Gen. Mohamed Ibrahim announced that “police forces are legally committed to securing the June 30 protests, keen on the safety of every citizen regardless of their political allegiances.”

The statement contradicted the minister’s statement two days earlier [June 10]: “You will not see a single police officer in protest areas to let peaceful protesters express their opinions freely.”

The abrupt and unexplained reversal of Ibrahim’s statements clearly reflected how indecisive the country’s security apparatus is.

“We cannot understand who takes such decisions and on what basis. But the minister of interior is similar to the president who appointed him to politicize the ministry in the first place and recreate an ironfisted apparatus that will serve the administration and defend its policies and interests regardless of how right or wrong they are,” said Okasha.

Al Arabiya:

The opposition-backed campaign dubbed Tamarod, Arabic for rebellion, has called for a demonstration outside the presidential palace against Mursi on June 30.

Tamarod says it has gathered millions of signatures to a petition demanding that Mursi step down to pave the way for an early presidential election.

In a reaction, Islamist parties said they plan to organize a “million-man march” in front of Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque next Friday, to counter Tamarod’s protest at the end of the month.

The markets are taking notice:

Trading in Egypt’s benchmark stock index, the world’s worst performer in June, tumbled to the lowest level by value in five years, on concern anti-government protests will bring the nation to a “tipping point.”

Shares of about 70 million Egyptian pounds ($10 million) were traded yesterday, the lowest since Bloomberg started tracking the data in August 2008. About 85 million pounds changed hands so far today, compared with a 12-month average of about 400 million pounds.

Egypt’s stocks have slumped 15 percent in June, the most among 94 gauges tracked by Bloomberg, amid growing polarization between supporters and opponents of the North African country’s Islamist government. Both sides are calling for nationwide demonstrations on June 30, the one-year anniversary of President Mohamed Mursi taking office.

While his country burns, Erdogan meets with Hamas leaders

A head of state has priorities, after all.

From Turkish Radio and Television English:

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will hold a key meeting today for the Middle East peace.

Prior to his Gaza visit, Premier Erdoğan will meet Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Ankara.

The meeting bears critical importance in terms of the Middle East peace and reconciliation efforts between Palestinians.

Palestinian Head of State Mahmoud Abbas appointed academic and independent politician Rami Hamdallah as the new prime minister, causing discontent on the side of Hamas.

Hamas claimed Hamdallah's appointment is illegal.

Erdogan's visit to Gaza was originally scheduled for the end of May, then pushed back to sometime this month.

The PLO admits it hasn't made any concessions since 1988 and doesn't plan any

I found this in a paper at the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department site, in a paper where they try to spin their reasons for avoiding negotiating with Israel:

What are the Palestinians offering from their side?

The Palestinians have made numerous concessions and good will gestures. Although the two-state solution is common discourse today, it must be remembered that this solution is based on the Palestinian historic compromise of 1988, whereby the PLO accepted a state on a mere 22% of historical Palestine, for the sake of peace. During the past twenty-plus years of peace process, the Palestinians have entered all negotiations in good faith and have acted in accordance with agreements made. Palestine has also joined other countries in the region in establishing the Arab Peace Initiative, which extends the offer of normalized relations for Israel with 57 Arab and Islamic countries following Israel’s full withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with UNGA Resolution 194.

Which means that they are offering - nothing. And they are trying to pretend that this intransigence of the past 25 years is somehow proof of their flexibility and willingness to work for peace!

Keep in mind that their continuous mention of UNGA 194 means that they never have, and never will, accept the concept of a Jewish state, and they insist even today that Israel must be flooded with millions of Arabs - turning it into an Arab state - as a prerequisite to "peace".

It is beyond me how Western diplomats can read this position paper, written in plain English, and still claim that Israel is the intransigent party.

Moshe Arens on the "demographic threat"

In Ha'aretz:

Many of the important decisions taken in the life of individuals or nations are not based on objective probabilities attached to future events. That information is usually nonexistent, and we may have recourse to game theoretic considerations or intuition in making decisions. When probabilities are introduced, they generally are on pretty shaky ground.

That is the case with the demographic projections that are promoted by those urging an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Here we are advised by some that we should be prepared to cut out parts of the Land of Israel − Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland − based on certain demographic prognostications indicating that in time the Jewish population would constitute a minority in the State of Israel unless this decision was taken now.

The Danish-Jewish physicist Niels Bohr famously said that prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. That is certainly true in this case. Most past demographic forecasts in Israel have turned out to be wrong.

If this was no more than an academic exercise, there would be nothing to get excited about; the forecasts could be published in an academic journal and we could revisit the data in another 10 or 20 years. But those using these demographic forecasts hold them as a Damocles sword above our heads, insisting that we take a decision now and abandon Judea and Samaria, a decision that would be irreversible.

Yet it might turn out in the years to come that their forecasts were off by 10, 20, maybe 30 percent. Hurry, they shout, there’s no time to lose − the window of opportunity is closing. They are not talking about a mastectomy, they are talking about cutting the heart out of the Land of Israel.

Not very good advice.

Bashar Assad fake-quotes Golda Meir on his Facebook page

Seen on Bashar Assad's official Facebook page:

It translates to:

"When we burnt down Jerusalem, I hadn't slept all night, expecting that the Arabs would be coming from all over towards Israel. When the sun rose, I knew full well that we are facing a sleeping 'Umma [Islamic nation]"
- Golda Meir

The quote, of course, is fake. But it shows that Assad is still trying to deflect his problems to Israel.

6/17 Links Part 2: Focherini Beatified, What Happened to the Bees and Streisand Arrives

From Ian:

Catholic activist killed for saving Jews set for sainthood

An Italian Catholic activist and journalist who was declared a Righteous Gentile for saving Jewish lives during World War II has formally been put on the road to sainthood by the Roman Catholic church.
Odoardo Focherini was beatified – the step before sainthood – at a ceremony Saturday in his hometown of Carpi, near Modena in northern Italy.

MKs and Activists Discuss Deteriorating Situation on Mt. Olives

"It's crucial to get our message across to as many public officials as possible", said Lubinsky. "including those present at the hearing. The very fact that there are ongoing hearings about Har Hazeitim means that our message will reach the proper authorities and peace will eventually prevail at one of Judaism's holiest sites."

After Firebombing of Third Montreal Jewish Business, Community Group Demands Answers from Police

The B’nai Brith expressed concern on behalf of Montreal’s Jewish community over the frequency of the attacks and how they have been able to continue unabated. “This is the 3rd Jewish-owned business that has been fire-bombed in less than 2 weeks and our concern for the safety and welfare of the community is high. The Police must take concrete steps to reassure the community that their safety is not in jeopardy,” Slimovitch demanded.

Israeli and Turkish Beach Soccer Teams in Diplomatic Incident

Before Israel’s national Beach Soccer team’s game against Turkey on Sunday (in which Israel won 9-6 and qualified for the European Championship), as the two teams were exchanging each other pennants, Coach Benny Lam noticed that the Turks threw the Israeli flags away.

Golkar Lawmaker Under Fire for ‘Secret’ Israel Visit

Indonesia has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Israel until the country allows an independent Palestine. But this stance hasn’t stopped Indonesian officials from visiting Israel, or put a damper on trade ties.
The two nations set up a chamber of commerce to facilitate trade in 2009, settling on the unassuming name the “Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce.” Indonesia booked $750 million in trade in 2008, and $450 million in 2009, despite failing to officially recognize the country, according to reports in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

London to host conference on boycott campaigns

The three-day conference will take place at University of London’s Birkbeck College, and is being hosted by the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism at Birkbeck, in conjunction with the International Consortium for Research on Anti-Semitism and Racism.

Siamese twins at the Civil Administration

With Israeli assistance and coordination of the Civil Administration in the West Bank, a Palestinian woman gave birth in Israel to Siamese twins connected to each other, after a complex caesarean section.

US Passes Bill to 'Remove Existential Threats' From Israel

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act on Friday, which would make it U.S. policy to take “all necessary steps” to ensure Israel is able to “remove existential threats.”

Start-ups ride a cybersecurity wave into Israel

There are two big “waves” set to hit Israeli hi-tech in the coming year, according to Gadi Tirosh, a general manager at venture capital fund Jerusalem Venture Partners. One wave will consist of new companies working in the cybersecurity space, as protecting government, enterprise, and consumers from hacking, online espionage, and cyber-terrorism becomes even more vital than in the past.
The second wave concerns the place where many of these security-oriented companies will set up shop — Beersheba, a city which will soon host many of the IDF’s advanced technology facilities. As the city grows, multinational giants, like Deutsche Telecom, Ness Technologies, EMC, and others are setting up R&D facilities in the city, drawing from the graduates of Ben Gurion University’s large body of engineering students.

VascoDe brings smart-phone capabilities to simple cell phones

The company has essentially built a method for simple phones – the basic Nokias and HTCs that dominate the developing world – to run smartphone apps like Facebook, Gmail, Twitter and Skype. Who would invest in a company looking backward rather than toward the next generation of iPhones and Android devices?

Tel Aviv named one of world's best beach cities

Confirming something that its residents have known for years, Tel Aviv has been voted as one of the best beach cities in the world. Joining the likes of Miami and Rio de Janeiro, National Geographic has included Tel Aviv in its list of the "Top 10 Beach Cities."

Barbra Streisand arrives in Israel

From the airport she headed to Jerusalem's King David Hotel, where she will stay for the next two days. During the rest of her visit, she will be staying at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv.
Immediately after arriving at the Jerusalem hotel, Streisand and her entourage were already on their way to the Western Wall.

Israeli Scientist: Virus Causing Bees to Disappear

Scientists have not been sure as to the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, attributing it to situations as diverse as an increase in pesticide use to global warming, but according to Hebrew University's Sela, the culprit is a virus that has been spreading in the worldwide bee population. Speaking to Israel Radio, Sela said that he had developed, together with an American company, a treatment for the virus, which rehabilitated up to 70% of the hives that it was tested on.

Revolutionizing agritech at Israel’s Volcani Institute

Whether low-tech or high-tech, this and countless other innovations from the government-funded Volcani Agricultural Research Organization in Israel have earned a worldwide reputation for expertise in plant sciences, plant protection, environmental sciences and herd management.
Farmers can drop by Volcani’s main campus at Beit Dagan to get any help they may need, whether it’s an irrigation issue or a way to banish white flies from tomato vines without using pesticides. Much of what is learned, developed and implemented in Israel then gets planted in fields around the planet.

Spillover from Syria to Lebanon gets larger

From Now Lebanon:

A Syrian army helicopter bombed the eastern Beqaa town of Arsal again yesterday afternoon. This time they aimed at the center of the town, located in a valley of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range a few kilometers away from the Syrian border.

It was the latest episode in a series of incidents that raise concern that a new front may emerge in the Lebanese Beqaa Valley, especially after Syrian regime forces and Hezbollah-trained fighters have recently pushed the rebels out of Qusayr, a former rebel stronghold. Analysts say that a war in the Beqaa is imminent.

Arsal has been bombed by the Syrian air force in August last year, but no inhabited areas were hit then. Most of the military operations took place in the farmlands straddling the border, as the Syrian army officially said that they were following rebel fighters who had crossed into Lebanon. For the people in Arsal, a Sunni enclave on the border with Syria surrounded by Hezbollah-controlled areas, bombing the inhabited areas was a long time coming. Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising, the town has earned a reputation for sheltering Syrian refugees and anti-regime activists, and its farmlands have been reportedly used as a safe haven by rebel fighters.

Arsal’s support for the Syrian rebellion has brought the town to an open war with neighboring Hermel, a region controlled by Shiite Hezbollah (which is involved in the Syrian conflict alongside the regime’s loyalist forces). On Tuesday, a resident of Arsal was killed and another two were briefly kidnapped while passing through Hezbollah’s territory. Politically motivated tit-for-tat kidnappings have occured quite often between the inhabitants of the two towns during the past year.

And:

A video posted on YouTube shows a group of Jihadists announcing the formation of a brigade to fight Hezbollah in the Lebanese Beqaa Valley region.

“Following the call for Jihad in Syria made by the Ulamas of [Islam], we announce the formation of the Lebanese Shield of Beqaa Battalion to fight Hezbollah,” a masked gunman is shown as saying in the video broadcast on Sunday.

He added that the battalion will include four companies “spread across the Beqaa.”

The Beqaa Valley region has been targeted recently by rocket attacks from Syria hitting the Sunni majority town of Arsal, as well as Baalbek, a bastion of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

And:

Four Shiite Lebanese men were killed Sunday in an ambush in a volatile area by the border with Syria, hiking already high sectarian tensions and concerns over the spillover of the civil war raging next door.

Gunmen from the families of the slain Shiites took to the streets and set up roadblocks between their town and the neighboring Sunni majority town of Arsal, accusing residents there of being behind the killings.

Lebanon is being sucked back into "Greater Syria" to help create a greater Syrian mess.

Around the world, favourite beach activities include sunbathing, swimming and sandcastle building.

But in Israel, matkot - an extreme game of bat and ball - dominates the coastline.

The goal is for two players to hit a small rubber ball with a racket as many times as possible, without dropping the ball.

Matkot is so popular, one lifelong fan has turned his home into a museum dedicated to the game.

Yolande Knell went to join hundreds of matkot players by the sea in Tel Aviv to find out why they love it.

(h/t Zvi)