The United States criticized Turkey on Tuesday for canceling a NATO military exercise because Israel also was participating. Neither the Turks nor NATO has confirmed that Israel's participation in the exercises over Turkey was Ankara's reason for canceling it. US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday, however, that "as to the question of whether there was a government that was invited to participate and then removed at the last minute, we think it's inappropriate for any nation to be removed from an exercise like this at the last minute." He was asked whether that was what happened, and if Israel was the spurned country. He confirmed both. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using phosphorous bombs on Gaza's children. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, meanwhile, revealed Tuesday that Turkey and Syria had held military maneuvers last week - the same week Ankara canceled the annual Anatolian Eagle exercise because the IDF was to participate. "One week ago, Syria and Turkey carried out maneuvers near Ankara," Muallem said, according to Al-Jazeera. "This is important because it refutes reports of poor relations between the military and political institutes in Turkey over its strategic relations with Syria." Muallem's comments came on the same day that 10 Turkish cabinet ministers traveled to Syria for the first meeting of the newly formed Turkey-Syria High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. It was the second military exercise between the two Muslim countries since April. At that time, Defense Minister Ehud Barak termed a joint drill between Turkish and Syrian soldiers on their shared border a "disturbing development." Erdogan slammed Israel for its actions against Palestinians in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead last winter. The Turkish premier was a caustic critic of Israel both during and after the offensive. According to a report in the Turkish newspaper Sabah, Erdogan made reference to the canceled military exercise with Israel (and NATO forces) by stating, "While in some countries children are provided with comfort, peace, the most advanced education and health opportunities, other children are faced with poverty, destitution, helplessness, war, conflict, weapons of mass destruction and phosphorus bombs. We are forced to heed the sounds of persecution. "Iraq was occupied," Erdogan said. "Baghdad and Basra were bombed while all of humanity watched as it was broadcast live on their television. It was the same when phosphorus bombs were rained on innocent children in Gaza - the whole world, all of humanity, watched from their comfortable chairs and their safe havens. However, as all this was happening, unfortunately from time to time in international discussion platforms, the term 'Islamic terror' began to be used, and efforts were made to place blame on the Muslims and Islam." These statements did not budge Israel's leaders from their policy of not decrying recent Turkish actions and comments, and the country's top echelon continued to praise the relationship. Barak, currently on a visit to Prague, said during a speech there on Tuesday that the Anatolian Eagle maneuvers had not been canceled, but postponed. And then, for the second time in as many days, he reiterated Israel's "strategic ties" with Turkey, and Ankara's importance in the region, adding that because the relationship was important to both sides, it would not be harmed by the recent tension. Another Israeli government official, however, was less charitable to the Turks, saying in response to Erdogan that "the Turkish government must decide whether it wants inflammatory diatribes, or pragmatism and cooperation for the benefit of Turkey. This choice must be clear and unambiguous." According to Israeli officials, despite Erdogan's comments, Israel has received messages from Turkey in recent days urging it not to blow the matter out of proportion, to "let the wave pass" and not cause "collateral" damage to the multifaceted Israeli-Turkish relationship. In addition to a diplomatic side, that relationship also has strong tourism, economic and military components. There are still many elements of the relationship that can be preserved, and getting into a public spitting match with the Turks at this time would only lead to a slippery slope that would harm Israel's interests, the official said. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that "the direction Turkey is taking is not good, growing closer to Syria, Hamas and Iran. It raises questions." Vice Premier and Regional Cooperation Minister Silvan Shalom advised Ankara to "regain its composure." Syria, meanwhile, praised Turkey for refusing to participate in the military exercise alongside Israeli forces. Speaking at a joint press conference in Aleppo with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, Muallem said it was "natural" for Syria to welcome the Turkish decision. "The Turkish decision was taken because of Turkey's position toward the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip" in December and January, he said, adding that Damascus welcomed the cancellation, "because Israel always attacks the Palestinian people, maintains an embargo on Gaza and rejects any Turkish effort to resume [Syrian-Israeli] peace talks." Muallem added that "we encourage such cancellations as long as Israel is continuing its aggression and occupation ." Davutoglu said Erdogan would visit Damascus at the beginning of December. In Lebanon, a senior Hamas official, Ali Baraka, said Turkey's actions underlined its "responsibility" toward the Palestinians. The United States gently criticized Turkey for canceling the NATO military exercise over Israel's participation. US State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley said that "as to the question of whether there was a government that was invited to participate and then removed at the last minute, we think it's inappropriate for any nation to be removed from an exercise like this at the last minute." He was asked whether that was what had happened, and if Israel was the spurned country. He confirmed both. AP contributed to this report.

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Ankara must decide Who would have thought - Turkey and Armenia agreeing to normalize political relations. Armenia's president planning to attend a football match in Turkey. And George Papandreou, the new Greek prime minister, making Turkey the destination of his first trip abroad. These are encouraging examples of how age-old animosities are being relegated to the dustbin of history. Too bad, then, that Ankara appears to be simultaneously doing everything it can to junk its relationship with the Jewish state. On Sunday, in an unprecedented slap in the face, Turkey cancelled joint military exercises that were to have included pilots from Israel and NATO. At first, the Turkish Foreign Ministry lamely denied politics was involved. Then Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu admitted on CNN that only when the "situation in Gaza" is improved could "a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations" be established. Analysts in Jerusalem suspect the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the unfortunate civilian deaths during Operation Cast Lead as a pretext for distancing Turkey from Israel - diplomatically, strategically and economically. ORDINARY Israelis find it hard to believe that faced with similar provocations - its population pounded by 8,000 rockets, murderous cross-border incursions, the kidnapping of one of its soldiers, the refusal of the enemy to abide by a cease-fire - the Turkish military would have refrained from taking action to stop the rocket fire and reestablish its deterrence out of fear that in defending its own citizens the lives of enemy civilians would be jeopardized. Indeed, it is debatable whether more Palestinians died at the hands of Israel in the Gaza conflict than Muslim Kurds died in Ankara's repeated bombardments of northern Iraq (though Turkey insists that the only Kurdish loses were to livestock). Political scientist Efraim Inbar is convinced that Erdogan's Islamic AKP party places greater value on Turkey's ties with the Muslim world than on its political and cultural links to the West. Or does Turkey expect to jettison its relationship with Israel, cozy up to Iran and Hamas, and yet maintain strong ties with Washington and Brussels? ISRAEL'S relationship with Turkey has always had its ups and downs. Turkey voted against the 1947 UN Partition Resolution to create two states - Jewish and Arab - in Palestine, but it quickly established diplomatic relations with Israel. In the 1970s, weathering an economic crisis, it began building bridges to the Arab world. By the 1980s, thousands of Turks were working throughout the Middle East. The Iran-Iraq War cemented ties between Turkey and the Arabs when Saudi Arabia began supplying oil to Ankara. Even during periods when the Turkish military was in power, relations with Israel were sometimes sacrificed to persuade the masses that the government had Islamic bona fides. In 1975, Turkey recognized the PLO though the group was then publicly committed to Israel's destruction. In 1979, Turkey refused to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest because it was being held in Jerusalem. Following the Knesset's passage, in 1980, of the Basic Law affirming united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Ankara closed its consulate in our capital. Turkey even condemned Israel's 1981 raid on Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor. Now, with the AKP in power, relations have deteriorated more systematically. In August 2008, Turkey broke ranks with the West by welcoming Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Just before the outbreak of the Gaza war, Erdogan became angry at what he felt was his shabby treatment by Ehud Olmert while Turkey was mediating between Jerusalem and Damascus - a factor in his vituperative outbursts against Israel during the conflict. OTTOMAN Turkey sought to hold on to its empire by using pan-Islam to legitimize its rule over the Arabs. But Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey as Western-oriented, secular and nationalist. Islam was disestablished. The Turkish army performed a watchdog function to protect these ideals. And Israelis knew that no matter what abuse Turkish politicians might heap on Israel, our two militaries continued to cooperate at the strategic level. Is that, too, now over? Turkey is an irreplaceable ally. Israelis want our two countries to enjoy cordial relations despite everything that's happened. The onus is now on Ankara to make plain that it, too, wants the relationship to continue. It would thereby also be signaling that Turkey wants to be a bridge between Islam and the West - instead of yet another barrier.

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Strategic blow to Israel

For time being, Turkey is no longer a dependable strategic ally of Israel   Part 1 of analysis The Israel Air Force’s capabilities will not be significantly undermined. Turkey is not the only region where the IAF can hold drills simulating various combat scenarios: Long-range missions, operations in unknown territory, and cooperation with foreign forces. Nonetheless, the decision to cancel Israel’s participation in NATO’s aerial drill in Turkey must serve as a glowing warning sign in respect to the strategic and economic implications that may follow our growing diplomatic isolation.

The Muslim Turkey was for many years a formidable and reliable ally of Israel. At this time, however, our strategic relations with it appear to be at a freefall. The deterioration started after the failure of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s effort to mediate between former Prime Minister Olmert and Syrian President Assad; it turned into a tsunami during and in the wake of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The anger felt by Erdogan, the devout Muslim, towards Israel, and the tailwind he has been getting from the Turkish street prompted him to force his desires on the secular security establishment, whose heads are apparently still interested in ties with Israel. As a result, the openly visible as well as the more surreptitious security cooperation between the two states is increasingly being eroded. New deals worth tens and hundreds of millions of dollars offered by Israel’s defense industries to the Turkish army, as well as cooperation with Turkish colleagues, are being put on hold or are cancelled altogether. Only recently, officials in Ankara preferred to purchase a spy satellite from Italy, even though it is inferior in quality and more expensive than the Israeli product offered to Turkey. However, the cancellation of Israel’s participation in the aerial drill is a truly negative shift, even though we are dealing with a demonstrative propaganda move meant to appease domestic public opinion; the decision does not undermine Israel’s security directly or immediately. However, Turkey (which is interested in gaining acceptance into the European Union) would not have dared adopt such move in defiance of Washington and its European allies had its government not reached the conclusion that the benefit it can expect among regional states by shunning Israel is greater than the potential damage.

In order not to sabotage whatever is still left of the relationship, officials in Jerusalem prefer to maintain a low profile and refrain from a significant response. However, we must recognize the fact that Ankara, for the time being at least, is no longer a dependable strategic and security partner for Israel. This fact already constitutes a substantial blow to our national security because it erodes our deterrent power vis-à-vis Iran and Syria. Anyone who looks at the regional map can easily understand this. Israel has indeed embarked on a process of seeking substitutes to the strategic advantages offered by the relationship with Turkey. However, this process is difficult and complex, and it is doubtful whether it will compensate us for the lost ties with Ankara.

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Disengaging from Israel

While reconciling with past enemies, Turkey increasingly shunning Israel   BERLIN – The historic reconciliation agreement signed Saturday between Turkey and Armenia constitutes further testament to the positive changes undergone by Turkey in recent year. A government with an Islamic orientation was able to impressively promote two highly sensitive issues for Turkish public opinion: Recognizing the cultural rights of the Kurdish minority and normalizing ties with Armenia. The strong sense of Turkish nationalism previously prevented any compromise with the Kurds, for fear this will open the door for boosting their national demands and in turn for a renewed territorial disintegration by Turkey.

Tayyip Erdogan’s administration realized that it is precisely openness towards the Kurdish minority that will prompt a greater sense of belonging among them and weaken their aspiration to join other Kurdish areas, mostly in Iraq.Erdogan faced a similar choice vis-à-vis Armenia: Perpetuating the frozen status-quo in the ties with Turkey’s neighbor would have boosted the global Armenian campaign for recognition of the massacre committed by the Turks as an organized and methodical genocide. Turkey would have been faced with all the possible implications of such recognition, especially if it would have also been backed by the US Congress.Erdogan decided to preempt this blow, and while taking advantage of the weak Armenian economy (which suffered gravely as result of the closure of its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan) managed to secure (with Swiss mediation) a reconciliation agreement that is difficult for both for the Turks and for the Armenians – yet postpones to an unknown future date the question of addressing the Armenian holocaust and entrusts future research on its scope in the hands of historians.

Deliberate disengagement policy 

Erdogan managed to also improve the tense relations with Syria, in large part thanks to Damascus’ increasing isolation on the international stage ahead of Barack Obama’s elections victory. We should also make note of the tightening relationship with Tehran, after a long period of adherence to the position adopted by the West, which made sure to minimize its contacts with the Iranian regime. The regional emphasis in Turkey’s foreign policy stems not only from tactical diplomatic and political considerations, but also from a broad strategic vision that wishes to position Turkey as a central and influential force, thereby improving its status in the slow and ongoing talks on joining the European Union. On the one hand, the Turks meet European demands, yet on the other hand they signal that they have options for other regional alliances. It is difficult to ignore the fact that precisely at a time when Turkey reaches out to its past enemies, the Turkish administration is adopting an increasingly hostile policy vis-à-vis its former great ally – Israel.

This is clearly not another momentary emotional outburst in the face of Palestinian suffering in Gaza, but rather, a deliberate disengagement policy, which is also meant to undermine the status of the Turkish army – the greatest rival of the Erdogan administration. Is Erdogan seeking to utilize the growing anti-Israeli sentiments and anti-Semitic feelings on the Turkish street, which is also being incited by radical religious elements closely affiliated with his regime, in order to create deterrence vis-à-vis nationalistic and secular forces fearing a religious takeover? This will not be the first time where a Middle Eastern regime is exploiting Israel hatred in order to reinforce its domestic status and advance other issues. Such Turkey should not have a place in the European Union. If Israel’s security and existence are indeed important to the Europeans, they need to make this position clear to their Turkish interlocutors.

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Israel fears facing US-aligned terrorist army Few of our readers will be surprised to learn that the very same Palestinian forces being trained, armed and funded by the US government often participate in or facilitate terrorist attacks on Israelis during times of strife. In this way, Israel has been facing US-aligned terrorist forces for years already. But many in Israel fear that problem is set to become exponentially worse in the near future. In an investigative report, the Jerusalem branch of the Center for Near East Policy Research noted that Congress has long tried to limit the amount and quality of military aid given to the Palestinians, aware that the Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority is only nominally a peace partner and that it seeks reconciliation with the Hamas terrorist organization. But US President Barack Obama is increasingly obsessed with forging a Middle East peace deal, and his answer to Israeli security concerns has thus far focused on upping American development of a PA fighting force. Obama and many in his administration have also signaled that while they may not like Hamas all that much, they are willing to accept the terror group as legitimate players on the regional stage. When the PA finally reconciles with Hamas, which still holds a majority in the Palestinian parliament, Washington will only utter vague reservations. But when Hamas and other terror groups under its umbrella start attacking Israel and Israel responds militarily, the White House is expected to react with outrage that forces it trained and paid for are caught in the crossfire. Even worse, if there is another large-scale eruption of Palestinian violence including Fatah forces, then Israel will have to fight directly against the US-trained Palestinian troops. "Let's say that Israel wants to go after terrorists – there will be a sort of American veto, because the terrorists are affiliated with the Americans," NEPR Jerusalem chief David Bedein told Israel National News. "This has extremely serious implications."

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Arab rioters attack Jewish motorists near Jerusalem Dozens of stone throwing Palestinian Arabs attacked Jewish motorists along a major highway south of Jerusalem on Monday, damaging several vehicles but miraculously causing no injuries. Among the vehicles attacked along Highway 60, which connects Jerusalem to the Judean towns of Hebron and Gush Eztion, was an Israeli ambulance. Most of the Israeli media and all of the international press ignored the attacks.

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 Past Failures a 'Reality Check' on Peace Deal

After four failed experiences with Israeli-Palestinian peace-making Israelis will not be easily swayed by more unfulfilled promises, Israeli government minister Benny Begin said on Tuesday.

Begin is the son of Israel's sixth Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who signed Israel's first peace treaty with an Arab nation - Egypt - in 1979. As part of the agreement, Israel uprooted settlements and gave up the Sinai Desert to Egypt.

Coming 'Down to Earth'

Addressing foreign journalists in Jerusalem, Begin, who is a geologist by profession, quipped that he feels it is his role in peace-making to bring his fellow Israelis "down to earth."

Israel is under pressure from Washington to re-start peace negotiations with the Palestinians toward a final status agreement, which would include Israel giving up the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, known as the West Bank to enable the creation of a Palestinian state.

But Begin said it is not accurate to draw parallels between the peace agreement his father made with Egypt and the current process with the Palestinians.

"We have to really look at reality and draw the right conclusions," Begin said. "Egypt is not the PLO . Sinai is not Judea and Samaria."

Fatah's Real Goals?

Begin read article 19 of the Fatah charter, which was reaffirmed in August by a Fatah convention in Bethlehem.

"The armed revolution of the Palestinian people is a crucial element in the battle for liberation and for the elimination of the Zionist presence. The struggle will not stop until the Zionist entity is eliminated and Palestine is liberated," it says.

Begin said this is tied to another resolution, which says there will be no recognition of Israel as a Jewish state in order to protect the rights of Palestinians on the other side of the green line, i.e. Israeli Arabs.

"Now tie this together, it all says actually, the PLO plan is not a two-state solution, but a two-staged solution," Begin said. Stage one would include establishing a state in the West Bank and stage two would mean that the pressure on Israel would continue, he said.

No Peace by Piece?

The Palestinians were also asked during various negotiations that if an agreement were reached would they agree to end all claims and the Palestinians said, "no," he said.

"We are now following four experiments and all four failed," Begin said.

One was the Oslo agreement, signed in 1994 on the White House lawn. Israel traded some territory for peace and got terror instead. Then there were the negotiations in Camp David in 2000, which failed and were followed by years of violence; the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005; and the Annapolis conference in 2007, which went nowhere, he said.

"Territory for peace in the last 16 years became actually the business of territory for terror. And Israelis know it. They recognize it. They internalized it and I don't think they can be easily swayed anymore by these easy deals with promises that are not ," he said.

The only way Begin sees a peace deal with the Palestinians at this point is if they fundamentally change their attitude, he said.

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IDF Releases Video of Hizbullah Arms Smuggling Battery of Katyusha rockets in S. Lebanon Video http://wejew.com/media/6432/This_is_What_Exploded_in_Lebanon/ IsraelNN.com) The IDF on Tuesday released video footage of Hizbullah terrorists smuggling missiles and other weaponry out of a warehouse where an explosion occurred Monday in the southern Lebanese town of Tayir Filsay. Lebanese Army soldiers and troops from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) raced to the scene, but terrorists had emptied the warehouse by the time they arrived - a secret activity caught on camera by IDF military intelligence. Israeli President Shimon Peres observed Tuesday that the terrorist organization has turned Lebanon, formerly known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East," into a "powder keg." Speaking at the annual Galilee Forum held Tuesday at Kfar Blum in the north of the country, Peres said Hizbullah is as dangerous to Lebanon as Hamas is to the Palestinian Authority. Hizbullah holds a significant minority faction in the Lebanese government, including several pivotal posts in the cabinet. Numerous media reports have claimed that at least five Hizbullah terrorists were killed in Monday's explosion at the three-story facility located at the home of terrorist Abdel Nasser Issa, near the coastal city of Tyre. IDF military intelligence has estimated that the group currently possesses some 50,000 missiles, smuggled into the country through the Syrian border - more than twice the number it had before the start of the 2006 Second Lebanon War. A spokesman for the Israeli government pointed out that the incident offers further proof that Hizbullah continues to violate the terms of the U.N. ceasefire resolution that ended the five-week war. The UNIFIL commander at the time said when the agreement was inked that there would be no way to enforce the resolution, which called for Hizbullah and all other "foreign armies" to disarm.

Eldad Beck

Published:

10.14.09, 00:26 / Israel Opinion

  Less than a week after Turkey informed Israel that it was unwelcome in the Anatolian Eagle military exercise, 10 Turkish ministers are scheduled to travel to Syria on Tuesday to take part in a meeting of the newly formed Turkey-Syria High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The council was established last month in Turkey at a meeting between Turkish foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem. At that meeting, the two countries - which were on the verge of war over a border dispute in the 1990s - agreed to do away with visa requirements for visitors to and from both countries. Among the Turkish ministers who will meet their Syrian counterparts on Tuesday are Davutoglu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz and Interior Minister Besir Atalay. Turkey forged a similar strategic cooperation agreement with Iraq in August, and - according to Israeli government officials - this is part of a new overall Syrian strategic strategy to "rebrand" itself and forge much stronger ties with the Muslim and Arab world. According to the officials, Ankara is keen on being seen as the "bridge" between Iran and the West, as well as between Syria and the West. For that purpose, according to this reasoning, it is trying to forge closer ties with both countries, something evident by its swiftly developing relations with Damascus, and its recent calls against sanctions on Iran. Likewise, Turkey is very keen on serving as a mediator between Syria and Israel, as well as Israel and Hamas. It is for this reason, government officials said, that Ankara was so annoyed at Israel this summer when it refused to allow Davutoglu to enter Gaza from Israel for talks with Hamas officials, and then return for talks in Jerusalem with Israeli officials. According to the officials, Turkey had wanted to create the impression that it was mediating between Hamas and Israel, an impression Jerusalem was eager to avoid. Davutoglu said in an interview with CNN on Sunday night that Turkey's decision to bar Israel from the military exercise did, indeed, have to do with Gaza. "We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved, that the situation will be back to the diplomatic track. And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations as well," he said. "But in the existing situation, of course, we are criticizing this approach, Israeli approach." Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement Monday that included a veiled threat to Israel not to make too much of the Anatolian Eagle incident. According to the statement, which appeared in the Turkish press, "the Anatolian Eagle is one of the concerted drills of the Turkish Air Forces which has been held regularly since 2001 with international participation." "The first two stages of this year's exercises were conducted successfully. But the international part of the third stage, which was scheduled to be carried out on October 12 and 23, was cancelled in consultation with the other participating countries. But, the exercise is continuing as a national event. Therefore, it is not correct to impose political meanings to Turkey's decision to cancel the international part of the multi-national Anatolian Eagle air defense exercise." According to the statement, various assessments and comments that have appeared in the Israeli media and attributed to Israeli authorities were unacceptable. "We call on Israeli officials to act with common-sense in their statements and attitudes," the statement said. While official Israeli spokesmen have refrained for the most part from commenting on the incidents, various statements from anonymous officials extremely critical of Turkish policy to Israel have appeared in recent days and, judging by the Turkish statement, have rattled the Turkish authorities. It is precisely to avoid this type of situation, one official said, that both the foreign ministry and defense ministry have instructed their officials not to comment on the matter, and the only attributed statements being made are - for the most part - ones praising the relationship. For instance, Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement Monday saying "Turkish-Israeli relations are strategic ones and have existed for dozens of years. Despite peaks and valleys, Turkey continues to be a central actor in our region. There is no reason to be dragged into words of harsh criticism against it." Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon made similar comments the day before. Nevertheless, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Tzahi Hanegbi (Kadima) called Turkey's cancellation of the joint military exercise a "troubling" development. Citing the victory of the Islamic-rooted AKP in the last two Turkish general elections and Ankara's harsh criticism of Israel for Operation Cast Lead, he told Army Radio that there had been "cracks" in relations between the two countries over the last few years. However, he said that matters needed to be "kept in proportion," stressing that there was no "cut-off" in Jerusalem-Ankara ties and that Israel must ensure that "the issue doesn't escalate."•

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Israel postpones at last minute joint Juniper Cobra exercise with US

DEBKAfile Special Report

October 12, 2009, 4:43 PM (GMT+02:00)

US and Israeli forces were already poised to launch their joint Juniper Cobra strategic missile defense exercise, which takes place every two years, to begin Monday Oct. 12, when at noon an Israeli military spokesman suddenly announced its postponement by one week.

The announcement came three days after Turkey called off its sixth annual international air maneuver when the US and Italy pulled out in protest against the Israeli air force's last-minute exclusion by Ankara.

It also followed a statement in Tehran by Revolutionary Guards Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami that Iran's high-tech Sejil missiles can repel any threat and attack on the country.

Our military sources report that the announcement caught 17 US naval ships fitted with Aegis missiles and ground teams operating THAAD and Patriot missile interceptors already in place - altogether 1,000 personnel. DEBKAfile's military sources report: They were to interlock with Israel's Arrow II and Navy for the biggest joint exercise they have ever held, simulating a multiple-direction missile attack on Israel from Iran, Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah and the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The American FBX-T radar installed at the Israel's Air Force base at Nevatim in the Negev was assigned a key role in the practice which was to be overseen by Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander of the US. Navy's Sixth Fleet, and the head of Israel's air defense arm.

It was not immediately clear whether the highly exceptional week's postponement of the exercise on the very day it was to begin was a joint US-Israeli decision or one made by Israel for political or perhaps technical reasons. At any rate, it indicates something seriously amiss.

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Munitions store blown up at Hizballah's South Lebanon command center

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

October 12, 2009, 9:36 PM (GMT+02:00)

A big explosion hit Hizballah's main command HQ in South Lebanon, near Tayr Felsay east of the port town of Tyre, at 0800 Monday night, Oct 12, DEBKAfile's military sources report. Senior Lebanese sources said there were at least 8 people killed or injured in the blast. The command center was located in the residential compound of senior Hizballah operative Saeed Nasser.

Under the terms of the truce which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizballah and UN Security Council resolution 1701, Hizballah was forbidden to maintain armed forces or weapons in South Lebanon. To avoid confirming their non-compliance with these terms, Hizballah sources Monday night leaked a story that old munitions left over from that conflict caused the blast.

This was the second explosion in four months of a large Hizballah arms dump in South Lebanon. The first blew up at Hirbet Salim in South Lebanon On July 25.

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Palestinian Authority equates suicide bombers to Jewish homes A top advisor to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday drew moral equivalence between the actions of Palestinian terrorists and Israeli Jews by insisting there was no difference between a suicide bomber and a Jew who builds his home on lands claimed by the Arabs. "What is the difference between blowing up a bus in Tel Aviv and taking over Palestinian land?" Mohammed Dahlan asked rhetorically in an interview with Israel Radio. Dahlan, who has long been a favorite of US presidents, also warned that violent riots in Jerusalem would continue until Jews stop trying to visit the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Meanwhile, Abbas himself put forward new hardline peace conditions in an effort to bolster his flagging support among Palestinians. Abbas publicly called for the UN to adopt the Goldstone Report into the recent Gaza War, and to prosecute what he called the "Israeli barbarians" who took part in it. He also made clear that he will never make peace with Israel unless every inch of the eastern side of the city, home to some 300,000 Jews, his surrendered to the Palestinian Authority.

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 Netanyahu: No Israeli Will be Tried for War Crimes

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday that he would never allow any of the country's leaders or soldiers to be put on trial for war crimes.

Netanyahu made the comments during a speech at the opening of the winter session of the Israeli parliament and addressed the recent United Nations Goldstone report that accused Israel of committing war crimes during its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

Netanyahu said that Israel has the right to defend itself and that Israel "will not agree" to a situation where wartime leaders or troops who participated in the operation would stand trial.

Several Israeli officials have been threatened with lawsuits in various European capitals.

Meanwhile, Israel is "working hard" diplomatically behind the scenes to face the threat of the Goldstone Report, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said on Monday.

Palmor made the comments to CBN News after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas renewed his push for a vote on the war crimes report in the United Nations Human Rights Council reversing his decision earlier this month to delay voting for six months.

Palestinian officials withdrew their support originally under what Palestinian and U.S. officials said was heavy U.S. pressure. But the decision drew sharp criticism among Palestinians against Abbas.

According to Palmor, the United Nations discussion will be held as part of the regular discussion on the Middle East by the Security Council.

He said that Israel was surprised both when the Palestinians originally withdrew the draft and now that they are submitting it.

Israel is working in diplomatic circles in New York and Geneva to face the threat of the Goldstone report, Palmor said.

The report is not only a threat to Israel but to "all democratic countries who may be involved in the war against terror," he said.

Sources: Associated Press, Israel Foreign Ministry

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Young Believers Gear Up for Army Service Israeli believers fresh out of high school prepare physically and spiritually for their greatest challenge | Shlomo Mordechai

TAKE A HIKE! Preparation for basic training

Service in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) plays a central role in Israeli society. In a tiny country that has been forced to fight for its survival in a hostile neighborhood, the IDF is the people’s army. Without it, there would not be a Jewish state. So at the age of 18, the nation’s youth get drafted, men for three years and women for two. It is no different for Israel’s Messianic Jewish community, and about 150 Jewish believers will enter the army this year. From officers, to company commanders, to privates, Jews who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) see service in the army as service to the Lord.

 

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A joint military exercise that Israel, the US, NATO, Turkey and Italy were scheduled to conduct this week, was taken off the table because of American disappointment with Ankara's decision to withdraw from the maneuver due to Israel's planned participation, Israeli defense officials said Sunday. Turkey informed Israel of the cancellation of the Anatolian Eagle exercise last week, saying this was because the planes that Israel was going to send likely bombed Hamas targets during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip earlier this year. According to officials quoted by Israel Radio, the cancellation of the exercise came after both the US and NATO threatened to pull out if the IAF did not participate. Similar comments were made to the Associated Press by officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter with the media. However, a statement released by the IDF's Spokesperson's Office on Saturday said that "The exercise was postponed due to a Turkish decision to change the composition of the participants and not allow the Israel Air Force to participate, a decision we were informed of only several days ago." Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Israel Radio on Sunday afternoon that "the incident must be looked into accurately without bowing our heads." Israel is "better off in a coalition of NATO countries led by the US, who will negotiate with the Turks, because [the country's decision to back out of participating in the joint drill] also harms European and American interests," the deputy minister said. "Turkey was and remains a very important strategic anchor in the Middle East," Ayalon concluded. According to reports over the weekend in the Turkish press, Ankara decided last week to cancel international participation in the annual air force exercise, in which Israel has taken part several times in the past. The reports claimed that the move was aimed specifically at preventing the Israel Air Force from participating, an idea confirmed by the IDF Spokesman's Office on Saturday night.

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Mitchell visit brings no visible success