Eye on the Enemy: Cyprus’ Delegation in ’’Israel’’ to Discuss Oil, Gantz Denies Inviting Syrian Refugees
"ISRAELI"ARMY spokesman Brigadier General Yoav "Poly" Mordechai said wrote on his facebook profile that journalists who reported on preparations to absorb Alawite refugees from Syria had taken Chief of Staff Benny Gantz "out of context."
The index is distributed by Transparency International "Israel" association in order to fight and reduce corruption within the "Israeli" society.
"Israel" is ranked 25th out of the 34 OECD member states, ahead of only Turkey(61), Italy (69) , and Greece (80). Germany (14), Britain (16), U.S.A (24) and Russia (143)- most of the Arab springs countries had very low scores (less than 4).
Transparency International "Israel" board member Amnon Dick warned that ""Israel's" disappointing ranking and score should sound alarms among the politicians and decision-makers alike in the public sector. This will have negative economic repercussions in the future."
A Delegation from Cyprus will land in "Israel" - to Determine gas field Boundary
Clacalist Magazine
Calcalist magazine reported that a "High-ranking Cypriot delegation will arrive in "Israel" next week to discuss the determination of the economic water borders between the two countries."
This is the first visit of its kind in this field, and its major importance lies in defining whether the oil and gas fields belong to "Israel" or Cyprus.
In recent years, large oil deposits were discovered (such as Lavitan building which is close to "Israel" and Block 12 near Cyprus) located at the edge of "Israel's" economic water. To avoid conflict with hostile countries such as Lebanon, around the question of sovereignty over natural resources, the government defined in July the economic water limits and sent them to the United Nations.
Economic water is the region located beyond the territorial waters. The country can use natural resources found in the economic waters, and according to international law, the acceptable range is between 300 and 400 miles of coastline. Over the years, "Israel" has abstained itself from an official definition, but in light of belligerent statements on the part of Turkey and Lebanon, "Israel" hastened to possess these natural resources for itself.
------------------------------------------
Deputy minister Kara: flooding northern borders with refugees - a real scenario
Channel 7
Following the statement of chief of staff at the foreign affairs and "defense" committee, Deputy Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee, MK for the Likud Ayoub Kara said, " We really have to prepare for a scenario where up tens or hundreds of thousands of Syrian Alawites refugees, and other minorities, flood to the northern border of "Israel" near the Golan Heights.
"I suggest the government, and in particular the Minister of "Defense" to prepare for this high eventuality, this scenario is very logical, it is possible to happen by today and tomorrow, because Syria is facing a terrible bloodbath."
-------------
Gantz clarifies: I did not invite Syrian refugees
Selma Piotrkowski - Channel 7
Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, clarified yesterday evening (Tuesday) that his comments at the Foreign Affairs and "Defense" Committee on the Alawites in Syria were misunderstood and he has not invited refugees from Syria to "Israel".
He said that the "ISRAELI"ARMY is closely following the events in Syria, and Sinai has become a space of a security challenge. The present upheavals and insecurities in our region oblige us to be prepared and vigilant, to maintain high readiness levels and to consider the proper steps to take.
Mordecai wrote, "During the Foreign Affairs and "Defense" Committee meeting a Knesset member asked the CoS whether we are prepared for an eventuality in which Alawite refugees try to flee to the Golan. The Chief of Staff answered that we are prepared for such an eventuality."
"I left the meeting and found "Israel's" media had reported the "ISRAELI"ARMY is preparing to receive refugee Alawites of Syria. Those headlines are misleading and wrong - that the "ISRAELI"ARMY has planned for an eventuality in which Israel absorbs Syrian refugees doesn't mean the plan will be put into effect," Mordecai stressed.
During the meeting in question Gantz said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cannot hold on to power indefinitely and that his downfall was expected to cause a radical shift in power in Damascus. "On the short term the events will turn difficult on al-Assad and the Syrian leadership will act against us, but on the other hand we have to keep in mind that the "defense" systems in Syria exist and are maintained"
---------------------------------------------------------
"Israeli" Estimate: Iran need years to produce a nuclear Bomb
Amir Bohbot, Walla!News
After Iran announced on Monday that it has begun enriching uranium at the plant "Frodo" near the city of Qom, a senior security official said yesterday (Tuesday) that the site lies at a depth of 90 meters below the ground and therefore it is difficult to attack it with conventional weapons. A source estimated that if the coalition forces in the west decided to attack the facility, then the attacking armies will have to use ground troops, not just air strikes, for conventional bombs can cause great and significant destruction around the facility, but they do not penetrate into such depths.
Iran hopes that the transfer of all enrichments - a key process in producing a nuclear weapon - from the open facility at Natanz to the underground facility near Qom, will be greatly complicated to attack it from the air. In recent months, there were numerous reports about transferring a centrifuge enrichment instrument from the facility of Natanz to Qom, for fear of any attack. Yesterday, a conservative newspaper in Iran published that enrichment at that Frodo plant had already begun, and this was confirmed earlier by diplomatic officials who also talked about it with Reuters.
In the West, they estimate that the facility is designed to enrich uranium and to store tons of enriched uranium up to 20%. Recently, officials in the West learned that they began to build additional facilities to expand the pace of progress as soon as the decision is taken to undergo the process of enriching uranium at 90%.
However, "Israeli" "defense" officials estimate that if Tehran decides to enrich uranium at the level required to produce a nuclear bomb, the process would take at least a year and a half and then the Iranians will take several more years to build at a few nuclear bombs. The "defense" department estimates that during the current multi-year plan there is a greater possibility that the Iranians will shift the production for military means.
----------------------------------------------
"Israeli" missile expert "nuclear hourglass - Iran is running out"
By Nir Yahav, Walla! News
Chairman of Professors for a Strong "Israel", Dr. Gabi Avital, and the missile engineering specialist, said in response to the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist that the "nuclear hourglass - Iran is running out". However he added that "targeting scientists as recently reported will not halt the Iranians from implementing their nuclear program. The whole world and "Israel" should be alerted at all levels unless they keep imposing more economic sanctions which have not been applied yet." He also said that "of course the powerful states should seriously consider the military option."
---------------------------------------
Haim Koren: First "Israeli" Ambassador to South Sudan
"Israel" Hayom, Matai Tokvild
Foreign Ministry's appointments committee, headed by the deputy minister Dany Ayalon appointed Haim Koren ambassador to South Sudan, the new state formed during last July. "Israel" was among the first to recognize the State and on 14 of July it voted in favor of the accession of South Sudan to the UN during a poll done by the General Assembly, in "New York."
Two weeks ago, South Sudan president visited "Israel" and he was received in an official ceremony where he met the head of state, prime minister and MKs. the Foreign Ministry's appointments committee also named Yaakov Hadas-Handelsman, former "Israel's" envoy to the EU in Brussels, as "Israel's" ambassador to Germany.
------------------------------------------
"Israel" fell to 36th in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Globes.co.il
"Israel" scored its lowest score ever: 5.8 which puts it in the bottom three among OECD countries; "Israel" have fallen 6 places since last year.
"Israel" has scored its lowest-ever ranking in Transparency International's 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index ."Israel" is ranked 36th among 183 countries surveyed. This is the lowest score received by "Israel" since it was included in the index. Last year, the Government of "Israel" scored 6.1 and was ranked 30th.
The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country's score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0-10, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 10 means that a country is perceived as very clean.
New - Zealand is on top of the index with the score 9.5. Then appears, in order, Denmark and Finland (9.4), Sweden (9.3), Singapore (9.2), Norway (9), Netherlands (8.9).At the bottom of the index are Somalia and North Korea with the score 1, Afghanistan (1.5) and Iran (1.8).
Executive director Galia Sagy said, "In 1996, "Israel" received a score of 7.71. There has been a steady, albeit slow, decline ever since in the perception of corruption in "Israel". We are in a critical period in the country, when the nation has made its voice heard and is demanding social justice. Corruption is one of the main causes of social inequality."
Source: Hebrew newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
