Special to WorldTribune.com JERUSALEM — Israel, preparing for an imminent regional war, has decided to extend the term of its military chief. The government has recommended the extension of the term of Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Under the proposal, Gantz would serve an extra year and head the military through 2014. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com JERUSALEM — Israel has been quietly concerned over the U.S. acceptance of a Russian plan that halted a proposed Western air campaign against Syria. Officials said the sudden reversal by President Barack Obama, who pressured Israel and American Jews to support an attack on Syria, suggested that the administration was pursuing a […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel, struck by a rocket attack, has elected to strike back against a moribund Palestinian militia in Lebanon. The Israel Air Force bombed a base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. Military sources said the strike on Aug. 23 was located near Naameh between Beirut […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — For the first time, Israel has blocked a rocket attack from Egypt. The Israel Air Force stopped a rocket launched from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula from striking the southern port of Eilat. On Aug. 13, the Air Force’s Iron Dome missile and rocket defense system intercepted an unidentified projectile over […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel’s military, forced to cut billions of dollars in the budget, was preparing to sell hundreds of main battle tanks and other armored platforms. The Defense Ministry has overseen a multi-year budget plan that would significantly reduce army assets over the next five years. Under the plan, the ministry […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel’s military has highlighted its counter-insurgency skills during the visit of a senior U.S. defense official. The Army’s special operations forces demonstrated CI skills during the first official visit by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Carter arrived in Israel in late July for strategic talks on such issues […]
Special to WorldTribune.com AMMAN — The United States has pressed Israel and the Palestinian Authority to renew final status negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said both Israeli and PA leaders made “difficult choices” to bridge the gap for the resumption of negotiations. In a statement from Amman, Jordan on July 19, Kerry said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — Israel was said to have again attacked Syria. The United States determined that the Israel Air Force struck a Syrian military depot in the port of Latakia on July 5. Three U.S. officials told CNN that the attack targeted the P-800 Yakhont coastal defense system procured by the regime of […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel has begun preparing for the prospect of a victory by Syrian President Bashar Assad over Sunni rebels. Officials said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been briefed of the likelihood of an Assad victory that would end the more than two-year revolt in Syria. The officials […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel’s leadership is concerned about what the defeat of Sunni rebels by Syrian President Bashar Assad would mean. Officials said Israel’s intelligence community was closely following the Assad offensive against Sunni rebels in the spring of 2013. They said the community envisioned that a victorious Assad could be emboldened […]