By Pinhas Inbari, WJC

A growing number of signs point to the fact that rival factions in Syria are ready for an agreement, including the regime of Bashar al-Assad. While it is too early to tell if these efforts will bear fruit, the mere recognition of the need for an agreement has implications on Syria and its neighbors in the Middle East, notably the Palestinians.

Both the Assad regime and its Russian allies have come to the realization that the battle has been lost and that a survival campaign presents the only recourse to the regime facing a growing budget depletion, needed to keep up the war effort, and the potential advent of al-Qaeda to power with access to chemical weapons. The main obstacle remains the opposition’s staunch refusal to allow Assad to hang on to the presidency even during a transitional phase, instead of standing trial for crimes against humanity.
Read more…

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought”
Straight from the Jerusalem Boardroom #174, January 4, 2013
http://bit.ly/10VXRHN

1.  Israel’s 2009-2012 economic growth of 14.7% leads the OECD countries, ahead of Australia – 10.7%, Canada – 4.8%, USA – 3.2%, Germany – 2.7%, France – 0.3%, Euro Bloc – 1.5% decline.  Israel’s growth was undermined by the stoppage of natural gas supply from Egypt, which requires the acquisition of more expensive sources of energy (“Israel Hayom”, Jan. 2, 2013).

2.  Israel’s 2012 economic growth, 3.3%, leads the OECD countries which average 1.4% growth, ahead of the US (2.2%), Canada (2%), Japan (1.6%), Brazil (1.5%), Germany (0.9%), France (0.2%), Britain (0.1% decline), Spain (1.3% decline) and Italy (2.2% decline), trailing India’s 4.5% and China’s 7.5% .  Israel’s growth per capita, 1.5%, exceeds OECD’s average of 0.7%. Israel’s unemployment, 6.9%, is lower than the OECD (other than Germany’s and Japan’s) which averages 8%.  Israel’s private consumption increased 2.8%, compared with the OECD average of 1%.  Notwithstanding the global meltdown, Israel’s exports grew 1% at a time when most countries experience a substantial decline in exports (Globes Business Daily, December 31, 2012).   Read more…

Algemeiner

Iran’s ability to retaliate for any strike on its nuclear facilities has been “dramatically” reduced by events in the region, an Israeli intelligence report has said.

According to a report in Israeli daily Maariv, Israeli diplomats meeting in Jerusalem were told by Defense Ministry intelligence officials that the weakening of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has taken its toll on Iran militarily.

The officials said that neither Syria nor Hezbollah have the capability to start a war with Israel and would be largely unable to respond on behalf of Iran in the event of an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Read more…

THIS IS A GOOGLE TRANSLATION OF A RUSSIAN ARTICLE

By Sasha. Live Journal

Following the decision of the UN to make a cynical terrorist enclave in Judea and Samaria, the status of the state, the government issued a statement encouraging the start of construction of thousands of housing units in Jewish settlements in the area. In particular, it was announced, and the construction of a strategic area between the capital and its largest suburb – Ma’ale Adumim, known by its technical name of E1.

However, according to the deputy of the city council of Jerusalem Aryeh King, the real situation in the E1 region and in other parts of the city is very different from what it might seem from the reports in the media.
Read more…

As you may know, various voices emanating from the international community attacked the validity of the Levy Report. Baker held his ground and insisted that the Levy Report has it right. Good.

By David Lev, Arutz Sheva

Dr. Alan Baker, an expert on international law and a member of the committee headed by Judge Edmond Levi recommending the extension of Israeli law to Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, said at a conference discussing the matter Tuesday night that Israel would be fully in its rights to do so.

“The task of the Levi Committee was to look at the construction situation in Judea and Samaria and make the appropriate recommendations on how to proceed,” Baker said at the event sponsored by the Women in Green organization. The recommendation to authorize all construction in Judea and Samaria made by the committee was a very important one, he said.
Read more…