aipac today jan 29

U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Chief John Holmes blasted Hamas on Tuesday for its use of civilian facilities and human shields in its fight against Israel, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. "The reckless and cynical use of civilian installations by Hamas and indiscriminate firing of rockets against civilian populations are clear violations of international humanitarian law," Holmes told the U.N. Security Council.
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Jan 28, 2009 (22 hours ago)
Abbas Blames Hamas for Gaza Violence
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the Hamas leadership on Tuesday for bringing destruction to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported. During a press conference, Abbas blamed Hamas for violating a six-month cease-fire with Israel, and said Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal could be taken to court in another country for "drawing his people to this destruction." He said he had warned Hamas against violating the truce, "but they didn't listen." Israel carried out its defensive operation in the Gaza Strip following years of unrelenting Hamas rocket and mortar attacks on its civilians.
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Jan 28, 2009 (yesterday)
After IDF Soldier Killed, Israel Hits Smuggling Tunnels
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hours after an Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian roadside bomb, Israeli warplanes on Wednesday destroyed several weapons smuggling tunnels along Egypt's border with Gaza, The New York Times reported. Also on Wednesday, Palestinian terrorists fired a Qassam rocket into southern Israel, the first rocket attack since Israel concluded its defensive operation in Gaza. Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that further attacks could not be ignored: "We do not intend to gloss over incidents like these," he said. "We will not let Hamas and its outgrowths continue their hostile acts of terror."
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Jan 28, 2009 (yesterday)
Report: Iran Likely to Have Enough Fuel for Nukes in 2009
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
A prominent international security expert warned on Tuesday that Iran will most likely have produced enough enriched uranium to, with further purification, make an atomic bomb by the end of 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported. Despite these developments, Mark Fitzpatrick, a non-proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a new report that Iran's illicit nuclear program could still be "constrained and delayed by export controls, sanctions, financial pressure, interdiction and other means of exploiting Iran's vulnerabilities."
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Jan 27, 2009 (2 days ago)
Roadside Bomb Kills Israeli Soldier Near Gaza Border
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
One Israel Defense Forces officer was killed and three others were wounded on Tuesday when a roadside bomb detonated under an army vehicle, The Jerusalem Post reported. While no one claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred along the Gaza-Israel border, a Hamas leader said his group had not agreed to a cease-fire with Israel, adding that "the Zionists are responsible for any aggression."
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Jan 27, 2009 (2 days ago)
Obama Stresses Hopes for Peace, Support for Israel
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
President Obama reiterated on Monday U.S. support for Israel and expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, The Washington Post reported. "Israel is a strong ally of the United States," Obama told a correspondent from al-Arabiya in his first television interview. "They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount." Obama added, "we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them," and stressed the need for patience as the talks proceed.
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Jan 27, 2009 (2 days ago)
Rice: U.S. Must Be Firm With Iran Over Nuke Program
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Ambassador Susan Rice said Monday that the United States would continue to press Iran to halt its illicit nuclear program as called for by multiple binding U.N. Security Council resolutions, Reuters reported. "We remain deeply concerned about the threat that Iran's nuclear program poses to the region, indeed to the United States and to the entire international community," Rice, the newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said after a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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Jan 26, 2009 (3 days ago)
U.S., French Ships to Seek Iranian Arms Bound for Gaza
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
An American naval taskforce in the Gulf of Aden has been ordered to hunt for suspicious Iranian arms ships seeking to rearm Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Britain's Times reported. The action follows a similar order by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who on Friday dispatched a frigate to the waters off Gaza to patrol for smuggled weapons. In addition, several top European Union officials have pressed Egypt to step up its own efforts to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas. Click here to learn about efforts to halt Iran's smuggling of weapons to Hamas.
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Jan 26, 2009 (3 days ago)
Top EU Official: Hamas Responsible for Gaza Conflict
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Hamas bears full responsibility for the recent violence in Gaza, a top European Union official said Monday during a visit to the coastal strip, The Jerusalem Post reported. "At this time we have to also recall the overwhelming responsibility of Hamas," Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said at a press conference in Jabalya, a town in northern Gaza. "I intentionally say this here - Hamas is a terrorist movement and it has to be denounced as such."
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Jan 23, 2009 (6 days ago)
Obama's Treasury Pick Vows Action Against Iran
from AIPAC - Today's Briefing
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner vowed to step up U.S. financial pressure on Iran to halt its illicit nuclear program and curb the country's support for terrorism, Agence France Presse reported. "If confirmed as secretary of the Treasury, I would consider the full range of tools available to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including unilateral measures, to prevent Iran from misusing the financial system to engage in proliferation and terrorism," Geithner wrote in his response to senators' questions, which was released as part of his confirmation hearing on Jan. 22.
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Jan 23, 2009 (6 days ago)
Israel,