“Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Egypt for ‘consultation’ and temporarily closed its embassy and consulate in Cairo following protests in Egypt against the detention of an Egyptian activist by the Saudi authorities. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the reason behind the diplomatic move was ‘unjustified protests’ in Egypt and attempts to storm the Saudi embassy and consulates which ‘threatened the safety of its employees.’”
“Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has appointed Druze Professor for Hebrew Literature Naim Araidi as Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Sunday. This is the first time a member of the Druze community is appointed an ambassador in a political appointment.”
“An unidentified gunman shot dead an official of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Bangladesh early on Tuesday, police said, the first such killing of a diplomat in the country.”
Bibi meets with PM Harper of Canada ahead of his visit to the United States on Monday. Bibi will be speaking to the AIPAC Policy Conference then, the largest meeting of pro-Israel activists in the country. Similarly, AIPAC Policy Conference is the largest gathering of Members of Congress second only to the State of the Union Address. Within the Congress, pro-Israel sentiment is overwhelmingly bipartisan and close to unanimity.
This trailer asks, “Is Obama really a pro-Israel US president?”
“The Foreign Ministry’s Nominating Committee announced on Tuesday the appointment of Beylanesh Zevadia as Israel’s new ambassador to Ethiopia. Zevadia is a member of the Ethiopian community in Israel and is the first Ethiopian Jew to serve as an ambassador of the State of Israel.”
“The Pentagon is readying for the possibility of intervention in Syria, aiming to halt Syrian President Bashsar Assad’s violent crackdown on protesters, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Saturday, citing a US military official. According to the official, the intervention scenario calls for the establishment of a buffer zone on the Turkish border, in order to receive Syrian refugees. The Red Cross would then provide the civilians humanitarian aid, before NATO crews would arrive from Turkey and join the efforts.The measure would pave the way for the US to declare an aerial blockade on Syria. The intercession is to be modeled after NATO’s efforts in Kosovo, which brought an end to the Serbian control of the region. NATO’s plan of action included prolonged aerial shelling.”
The Daily Californian shows a snippet of Rep. Barney Frank’s speech at Berkeley this past Thursday night.
“The wife of an Israeli diplomat was moderately wounded on Monday when a car bomb exploded outside of Israel’s embassy in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Haaretz has learned. The incident came one day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of slain Hezbollah’s deputy leader Imad Mughniyah.”
“Human Rights Watch said that Omar Brebesh, a career diplomat who was cultural attache and then ambassador to France between 2004 to 2008, was brought in for routine questioning in Tripoli over his work for the former regime. His body turned up at a hospital in Zintan, the town two hours’ drive to the south-west that was a hub of last year’s revolution, beaten, bruised and with some of its toenails removed.”
“The two powers’ refusal to back an Arab League plan for Syria came despite the vote coming within hours of the worst single act of violence in the 11-month uprising. Days of tortuous negotiations led to a final act of brinkmanship as Russia said it could not support a resolution backing an Arab League plan for a swift transition of power and elections. It was said to have demanded a last-minute change dropping a call, already agreed by Syria in November, for tanks and artillery to be withdrawn from the streets.”
“Egyptian Justice Minister Abdel Abdel-Hamid rejected a letter Tuesday from U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson asking him to” review a travel ban imposed on Americans. At least six U.S. citizens have taken refuge in the American Embassy in Cairo to ensure their safety.”
