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Hundreds of Hamas Terrorists Training in Syria, Iran
by Ronny Sofer
 According to official sources in Jerusalem, some 100 Hamas terrorists crossed the Rafah border terminal in recent weeks. Intelligence information collected by the defense establishment indicates that the  terrorists make their way to special training camps in Iran and Syria, founded specially to train and coach Palestinians for terror attacks against Israel should Hamas decide to terminate its ceasefire. Security officials in Israel said this phenomenon was part of the recent trend by which Iran and Syria have shown increasing involvement in developing Palestinian terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. (Ynet News)
IDF Raids West Bank Explosives Lab
by Efrat Weiss
 IDF forces last week exposed the second explosives laboratory in two days in the West Bank city of Nablus, a major hub of terror activity. The laboratory contained a LAW guided missile, five pipe bombs, a large explosive device, two bottles of TNT, and four sacks of fertilizer to be used in bomb manufacture. (See IDF Video) (Ynet News)
See also IDF Operates Against Terror Capital - Yaakov Katz
In 2006, 117 out of the 190 would-be suicide bombers captured in the West Bank were caught in Nablus, and 9 out of the 11 suicide belts seized were found there. "This is a terror capital where all the groups work together to carry out attacks against Israel," said Brig.-Gen. Yair Golan, commander of the Judea and Samaria Division. (Jerusalem Post)
Synagogues Used as Bases To Fire on Israel
by Aaron Klein
 The ruins of two large synagogues in evacuated Jewish communities of the Gaza Strip have been transformed into military bases used by Palestinian Arab groups to fire rockets at Israeli cities, according to a senior leader of a Gaza militant group. Speaking to from Gaza, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Abir, said the area in which the synagogues once stood is now used to fire rockets at Israel. "We are proud to turn these lands, especially these parts that were for long time the symbol of occupation and injustice, like the synagogue, into a military base and source of fire against the Zionists and the Zionist entity," Mr. Abir said. (New York Sun)
Druze, Circassian Forum: Israel Should Remain a Jewish State
by Yoav Stern
 The chairman of the forum of the Druze and Circassian authority heads, Nabiah Nasser A-Din, last week criticized the "multi-cultural" Israeli constitution proposed by the Israeli Arab organization Adalah, saying that he finds it unacceptable. "The state of Israel is Jewish state as well as a democratic state that espouses equality and elections. We invalidate and reject everything that the Adalah organization is requesting," he said. Adalah recently wrote a proposed constitution classifying the State of Israel as a "bilingual and multicultural" country rather than a Jewish state. (Ha'aretz)
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Israel a 'Vital Friend' Says New U.S. Poll
by Hana Levi Julian
 A new Gallup poll shows that more than half of American citizens consider Israel to be a "vital friend" in the Middle East. The average U.S. citizen considers Israel to be one of America's most important allies, according to a survey released this week by the world-renown Gallup polling organization. The poll examined America's perception of foreign nations, which it considers to be allies and which it views with disfavor. More than half of Americans rated Israel as a 'vital friend' - 55 percent of the respondents rated the Jewish state as "favorable" and "important," the only country to be named in both categories. (Israel National News)
MK Wahabi First Non-Jew to Act as Knesset Speaker, President
 MK Majali Wahabi (Kadima) was the first Druze to act as both Knesset speaker and president of Israel last week, Israel Radio reported, as Knesset Speaker and Acting President Dalia Itzik went abroad. Itzik has been serving as acting president since Moshe Katsav temporarily suspended himself after the attorney general announces that he is considering indicting Katsav on charges of rape and abuse of power. Itzik will continue as acting president until Katsav either resigns or returns. Should he resign, she will replace him until a new president is elected. (Ha'aretz)
Panel Finds 'No Evidence' Israel Used Depleted Uranium in 2006 War
by Nour Samaha
 A panel of experts from the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international agencies announced a unanimous determination last week that no depleted-uranium weapons had been used in the summer 2006 war in Lebanon. "To date, there is no evidence of depleted-uranium-ammunitions use during the 2006 conflict in Lebanon," Didier Louvat, IAEA head of radioactive waste issues, told a news conference hosted by the National Council for Scientific Research in Bir Hassan. Conference attendees included representatives of the Engineering Regiment of the Lebanese Army; the head of the National Council for Scientific Research George Tohmeh; the Arab Atomic Agency; the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP); the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission (LAEC); the IAEA and the World Health Organization. Each group providing detailed accounts of its research and methodologies. (Daily Star)
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